Dimitar Nikolov is a judge at the 2025 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA).
Dimitar Nikolov
Dimitar Nikolov is a wine professional with 20 years of experience as a sommelier, wine buyer, judge, writer, and educator.
His journey began in Chicago as a sommelier for a major hotel chain and a restaurant, before returning to Bulgaria to become a wine buyer for Metro Cash & Carry.
He later advanced to category manager for the company’s Russian Federation operations. After five years, he joined a Hungarian wine importer in a top management role.
Back in Bulgaria, Nikolov founded apollowine.com, an online shop showcasing boutique Bulgarian wines.
He holds ISG Chicago and WSET Advanced certifications and is pursuing his WSET diploma. As a co-founder of the Wine and Spirits Academy Bulgaria, he teaches WSET courses in Sofia.
Dimitar first judged at the DWWA in 2011.
See more judges for the 2025 DWWA.
