DAWA judge profile: Wataru Iwata
Award winning sommelier Wataru Iwata is joining the judging team at the Decanter Asia Wine Awards 2019
It was during her time studying for a French and Italian degree that Natalie began her foray into wine: tutoring French in exchange for WSET lessons in her spare time (she now realises who got the better deal!). She moved to the Languedoc after graduating to work for a vineyard tour company, before returning to the UK in 2016 to join the tastings team at Decanter.
She worked across Decanter's panel tastings and wine competitions before becoming awards competition manager, overseeing the competitive and judging elements of the Decanter World Wine Awards, Decanter Asia Wine Awards and Retailer Awards, and completing her WSET Diploma in 2019.
In 2021 she made the shift to the Decanter editorial team, and is now the Regional Editor for France (outside of Bordeaux and Burgundy).
She will always be drawn to the wines of the Languedoc and Roussillon, but her wine tastes are wide-ranging and she can't resist a glass of Manzanilla Sherry or the lure of an obscure grape variety.
Award winning sommelier Wataru Iwata is joining the judging team at the Decanter Asia Wine Awards 2019
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