Rethinking Learning in the Wine Industry

Apologies to those coming from LinkedIn who’ve already read the intro, but I couldn’t think of a better way to lead into this article for those who came here via other means. (If you have read the start on LinkedIn, I've separated this section with line breaks to help you skip ahead...)

Are we looking for EXPERIENCE?

The story is probably very familiar for most of you. You’re young, bright-eyed and ambitious, and you come out of university (the education system) with your degree (or Diploma, certificate, etc) and you’re ready to take on the world. They tell you, “your certificate is great, BUT do you have EXPERIENCE?"

WHY?

Why is experience more important than formal education? Formal education IS important, but it’s not where you learn the skills that will most help you in your career. In most professions, the learning STARTS when you leave formal education and start working. Yet so many people stop learning (or at least focusing on learning) at this point. Learning is a lifelong endeavour.

“Once you stop learning, you start dying” – Albert Einstein

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young” - Henry Ford

“Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel” - Socrates

Speaking with Tim Hanni MW recently opened my eyes about how much we really don’t know in the wine industry, then a podcast by Morgan Housel explained the concept of active learning (formal education) vs passive learning (unstructured learning taken out of interest). We should be learning from all different sources – whatever interest us - and bringing all that knowledge back INTO the wine industry to help us innovate, adapt, and thrive.

How can we create positive change in the wine industry? Let’s start by taking off our blinkers, and keeping learning…

Every month I post one of my own articles, then one from somebody else in the community. I like to think of this as “TED for the wine industry”. I want everyone to have a voice, so if you have something valuable to share, please write it down and send it to [email protected] to be part of this project.

Let’s keep this vibrant community growing.

Rethinking Learning in the Wine Industry

The thing I love most about hosting the Vino Visionaries podcast is that it allows me to sit down with people I otherwise may not have been able to talk to, and just have a chat. It always seems to challenge my thinking in one way or another. Recently, I had the good fortune to chat with Tim Hanni MW . Tim was one of the first MW’s in the Unites States, passing the exam in 1990 along with Joel Butler MW . What makes Tim’s story unique… well, one of the things that makes it so unique, is that Tim is dyslexic, and struggles with the normal method of learning (i.e. “school”).

In a fascinating interview on the Vino Visionaries Podcast, revealed how critical thinking skills acquired from an electrical engineering course—one he had stumbled into by chance—transformed his approach to the Master of Wine exams and changed his life. After failing the exam the first time, he decided to enrol in a writing course to help with his exam preparation, but fate threw him into a “Critical Thinking and Disruptive Innovation” course for electrical engineering instead. The critical thinking skills he developed there proved crucial in passing his MW exams, illustrating how “passive” learning experiences can profoundly impact one’s professional journey.

Active vs Passive Learning

I was listening to ‘The Morgan Housel Podcast’ recently when I stumbled upon an episode title “Active vs. Passive Learning”. In it, Morgan Housel discusses the importance of curiosity and passive learning. He explained that active learning involves strict schedules and predefined topics, while passive learning allows for exploration on one’s own terms. Passive learning enables us to learn from the mistakes and successes of others and fosters a mindset of continuous discovery. It’s about reading broadly and not being confined to our specific industry. The most useful knowledge often comes from unexpected sources and unstructured learning. Indeed without passive learning, our computing experience would be unimaginably different. For those that don’t know the story, a young Steve Jobs took a calligraphy class just out of interest, and it ended up redefining how the Apple Mac evolved.

In the wine industry, I find that most of us are active learners. While there are plenty of different courses we can take – viticulture, oenology, wine business, wine marketing, WSET, CMS, etc – they are all generally structured, and they are all directly related to wine, hence we are all still within the existing framework of the current “wine world”.

For a long time, I confined my own learning to formal wine education and accepted predetermined paths. While that knowledge is valuable, my perspective has changed through opportunities to learn beyond traditional boundaries. The Dunning-Kruger effect, which describes how individuals with limited knowledge often overestimate their abilities, underscores the importance of continually expanding our understanding. By doing so, we can discover real, innovative solutions for the wine industry and beyond.

In the interview with Tim Hanni MW he mentions that as well as the accidental engineering short course, he’s also studied history & science. I think the wine industry would benefit if we have a diverse approach to learning, helps us avoid becoming mere clones of one another. Unique experiences and varied educational paths contribute to individuality and innovation. We need a society where minds are open to exploration and discovery, adapting to what is relevant at different stages of life.

The hidden dangers in active learning

There is a place for active learning, but it should not be the only way we learn. Like Tim, Richard Branson was dyslexic and struggled in the traditional school system. There are many others like them, and while those who overcome this challenge often go on to be some of the most successful people we hear about, many others are unable to overcome this and lose self-confidence. I have friends who to this day struggle and undervalue themselves just because the school model did not suit them, even though they’re some of the best and brightest people I know.

Active learning, where everyone is learning the same thing, can also lead to “groupthink”. I believe the wine industry in general suffers badly from this, which is most evident in the way we evaluate wines, and “quality”. In reflecting on my own learning journey, I've come to realize that my focus has often been more on criticism than on celebration. How many times have I found myself thinking, “Oh my goodness, this $100 wine isn’t worth it,” or questioning why a particular wine received high praise when I found it lacklustre? The thing that annoys me most about this, is that outside of the wine industry I am the opposite, always smiling and looking for the good in people. Why do we always take such a negative view of things in the wine industry? We should celebrate more and criticize less. Now that I have become more aware of myself, instead of focusing on what others are doing wrong, I now strive to applaud their efforts and share positive feedback with my network.

We all need to think differently and explore new ideas. I am tired of an industry where everyone adheres to the same norms because they are deemed acceptable. Why can’t we embrace diverse beliefs? Why criticize those who are selling wines that deviate from the conventional standards?

Learning for learning’s sake

I also find that active learning is very much just learning “because you have to”. When is the last time you used calculus in daily life? Could you remember how to do it now, to help your son or daughter with their homework?

I find that what we teach in the wine industry, for most people, is similar. When I moved to Australia, no-one cared that I had a Diploma from Escuela Argentina de Sommelier, that was recognised internationally through CETT in Barcelona. Everyone just wanted to know if I had a WSET qualification; so I enrolled in WSET 3. As I delved into the materials and practiced tasting wines, I faced significant frustration due to unfamiliar terminology. Terms like elderflower, butterscotch, and gooseberry were completely new to me. Beyond learning a new language — English — I had to memorize details about soils, climates, subregions, and even guess aromas and flavours that were unknown to me.

This overwhelming challenge required me to read the WSET book over a dozen times and transcribe it to aid memorization. Although I passed with distinction, much of that knowledge has faded because I don’t use it regularly. The same pattern occurred with my Court of Master Sommelier studies. While the exams were immensely challenging and I felt proud of my achievements, much of that knowledge has since diminished as it is not part of my daily work. It never really was, I feel like I just studied these courses because it was expected of me.

In 2021, while studying for the WSET Diploma, I did a group interview for a job. I was confident that my advanced education would secure the position, and I was deeply disappointed when the job went to a candidate with only a WSET Level 2 qualification. This experience taught me that judging someone’s capabilities based solely on their formal education can be misleading.

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How has passive learning helped me?

Tim’s story fascinated me deeply, and I found myself reflecting on my own journey. Some of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned came from passive learning experiences, not just active, structured ones. After dedicating 12 years to a singular focus on wine, I experienced a dramatic shift in mindset when I began studying other subjects. It was an eye-opening revelation of how much I didn’t know, and allowed me to start seeing things differently. I started questioning why we do things the way we do them, I started seeing problems I hadn’t noticed before, and then being able to solve them for better results. I also began to enjoy learning again!

These experiences, Tim Hanni’s, Steve Jobs’, and to a lesser extent mine - underscore the importance of creating opportunities to #Rethink our approach to learning.

It’s essential to adopt a mindset that seeks out new experiences and perspectives, as this helps us tackle challenges and solve problems rather than waiting passively for solutions.?This insight is why I created this newsletter and the Vino Visionaries Podcast—to share knowledge and insights within our community.

Our next goal is to foster a group of “rethinkers” with mentors from both within and outside the wine industry. If you’re interested in joining our community of innovative thinkers, please leave your email here - click here and we’ll provide more details soon.

Together, we can explore new ideas and approaches, driving progress and fostering a culture of continuous learning.