DWWA Burgundy Juding Panel

Michael Schuster.jpg Michael Schuster studied wine tasting in Bordeaux where he gained the University Tasting Diploma. After creating an award-winning retail business in the early 1980s, he went on to work independently as a wine writer and lecturer and now runs his own wine school at Bordeaux Index. He lectures to both amateurs and professionals throughout the UK and abroad. He is on The Wine Society's management committee and was elected a member of the Academie Internationale du Vin in 2002. His books include a translation of Emile Peynaud's Le GoÃ»t du Vin, Understanding Wine and the award-winning Essential Winetasting. He writes regularly for The World of Fine Wine, and occasionally for Decanter. Tim Sykes.jpg Tim Sykes studied law at London University and the Sorbonne and qualified as a solicitor in the late 1980s. His work, however, never involved sorting out divorces and scrutinising commercial leases, but rather organising bottles at La Vigneronne in Kensington, where he was first introduced to the wine trade. Tim then joined O.W. Loeb in sales and buying roles and, in 1996, he joined Enotria as French Buyer, shortly afterwards taking on the responsibility for New World purchasing and, in 2004, being appointed Director of Buying. Tim is currently Head of Buying for The Wine Society, where he leads arguably the most knowledgeable and experienced buying team in the business. Tom Forrest.jpg Tom Forrest was born in Edinburgh and fell in love with wine, especially Pinot Noir, at the age of 18 when he was given a bottle of Nuits-St-Georges by a hotel manager. Following a career in hotel management, he began teaching wine & spirits to hospitality students in 1982 and is currently the Wine and Spirits Education Manager at Vinopolis, where he has been working since 1999. Tom oversees the accredited WSET education programme and the calendar of master classes which includes the âMeet the Expertsâ series where Oz Clarke regularly features.He has judged at various international wine competitions since 1997, is the author of âThe Complete Wine Courseâ, published by Carlton Books and in 2007 he won the UK Champagne Ambassador competition and was a European finalist. Tom has appeared on TV shows including This Morning, Fake Britain and Come Date With Me as well as various local radio stations in London and the South East, including BBC Radio 4âs Today programme and the World Service. Matt Wilkin MS.jpg Matt Wilkin MS is Australiaâs first Master Sommelier. Following 10 years building on restaurant & wine experience in his native Australia, Matt moved to the UK in 1998 where he worked as Head Sommelier at the Michelin two-starred Capital Restaurant and then as Wine Buyer for Hotel Group Knightsbridgeâs six restaurants; whilst also working several Stages at a time throughout the Loire & Bordeaux regions from 2000 to 2005. He is currently joint owner and Sales Director of H2Vin, and consults for several highly rated London restaurants. Matt contributes his experience to the Academy of Food & Wine Service for the UK Wine Service Standards Committee and is actively involved in the Examining Board for The Court of Master Sommeliers. He is the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships, the most recent being âYoung Australian Achiever of the Year in the UKâ. Nick Adams MW.jpg Nick Adams MW found himself in the wine trade after graduating with a Business Studies degree in 1982, passing the MW exam ten years later. After having the very good fortune to work with a number of the worldâs leading producers â especially in France, Italy and California - he now runs his own wine consultancy company, First Glass Wine Services. Working with a cross-section of both producers and retailers, as well as private individuals, he is revelling in both the challenges and rewards this brings. Nicola Arcedeckne-Butler MW.jpg Nicola specialises in the classic regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy as Director of Buying for Private Cellar. Her Time in Italy in her twenties also awoke a passion in all things Italian, including the language.She started her career with Majestics Wine Warehouses in 1987 before catapulting to Corney and Barrow. Before becoming their Wine Buyer she assisted in the development of the broking department.1996 was the year that she passed the prestigious Master of Wine Examination, and with that collected the Villa Maria award for best viticulture paper. Her passion of wine and travel has assisted in her becoming fluent in both French and Italian. Beverley Blanning MW.jpg Beverley Blanning MW is a London-based independent wine journalist and the author of Wine Tasting and Biodynamics in Wine. She is a feature writer and taster for Decanter and a contributor to other publications around the world. Beverley has judged at numerous wine competitions internationally. She is also a presenter and educator for corporate, consumer and trade events, including the Christie's Wine Course. She became a Master of Wine in 2001. David Vareille.jpg David Vareille was raised in Chablis and has worked as a sommelier since the age of 16. At the age of 30, he became a professional Sommelier. David moved to the UK in 2006 and has worked at Lâenclume in Cartmel in the Lake District, the Hotel du Vin Birmingham, the Hotel du Vin Cambridge and the London-based Bleeding Heart. In 2010 he opened Bar Boulud in the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park. Jamie Hutchinson.jpg Jamie Hutchinson is the Managing Director and co-founder of independent wine merchant The Sampler. After a career in venture capital, Jamie opened The Sampler in Islington in 2006 and The Sampler in South Kensington in 2011 and plans to open other shops in the future. Jamieâs passions are Sherry, traditional Rioja, grower Champagne and Beaujolais, while his weaknesses are for wines with personality and that go against normal commercial conventions. Jamie is also the holder of the WSET Rafael Balao Lustau Memorial Trophy and won the WSET Cava and Penedes Wine Institute Bursary. Mark Andrew.jpg Mark Andrew is the Senior Wine Buyer at Kensington-based merchant, Roberson Wine. In addition to its award-winning shop on Londonâs Kensington High Street, Roberson supply wine to many of the UKâs top restaurants. When Mark is not travelling in Europe seeking out interesting new wines, he runs Robersonâs Wine School and fine wine tastings and is currently studying towards the Master of Wine qualification. Andy Howard MW.jpg Andy Howard MW buys wine at Marks & Spencer, and is responsible for Burgundy, Bordeaux, Loire, Italy, North and South America, South Africa, Portugal, England, Port & Sherry. Andy became a MW in September 2011 following his MW dissertation on the UK wine tradeâs attitude to Premier-Cru Chablis. Andyâs main loves in wine are Burgundy and Bordeaux and, from the New World, Chile and Argentina. Other wine interests are the wines of Gaillac where he made wine for 6 vintages and has a house, chairing the judges for the annual SEVA awards for the past six years and sitting on the Plumpton College Curriculum Advisory Panel. Non-wine interests are cricket, skiing, photography and music. Alex Hunt MW.jpg Alex Hunt MW joined the wine trade as a van driver for Oddbins while studying philosophy and psychology at Oxford, where he captained the varsity blind-tasting team. After graduating in 2000, he joined Mayfair Cellars, holding both sales and buying roles. In 2006, he moved to Berkmann Wine Cellars, where he is currently Purchasing Director. Since February 2012 he has also written a monthly column on taste and tasting for jancisrobinson.com. Alex became a Master of Wine in 2010, winning the Madame Bollinger Medal for excellence in the tasting exam.

DWWA Burgundy Juding Panel

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