Decanter World Wine Awards judges: Top wine experts
at the world's leading wine competition
at the world's leading wine competition
The 2025 Co-Chairs
The 2025 Regional Chairs
Regional Chair, Argentina & Rest of South America (excluding Chile)
Director of Wines of the PIC Group, an acclaimed global restaurant group, award-winning Sommelier Paz Levinson is an established wine writer and co-founder of Argentinian wine events company, Argentina Reloaded.
Based in France
Regional Chair, Asia
World authority on Marselan, Chinese wine and Japanese Koshu, international wine judge Poh Tiong Ch'ng has been the DWWA Regional Chair for Asia since its inception in 2004. A writer and a speaker, he is also Wine Consultant to Singapore's largest wine retailer.
Based in Singapore
Regional Chair, Australia (joint with Justin Knock MW)
Leading wine journalist and educator Huon Hooke has published 19 books on wine and contributed to many print publications. His work is now mainly found online on The Real Review, the most widely read wine publication in Australia and New Zealand.
Based in Australia
Regional Chair, Australia (joint with Huon Hooke)
Justin Knock MW is the Director of Wine for Decant London, a fine wine merchant and importer. His diverse background includes brand building, education and retail. He has also made wine in multiple regions of Australia for Treasury Wine Estates.
Based in the UK
Regional Chair, USA & Central America
Named one of Wine Business Monthly’s Wine Business Leaders in 2021, James Tidwell MS is a sommelier, writer, speaker, and educator. In addition, he founded and produces the TEXSOM Conference, a professional education conference for wine.
Based in the USA
Regional Chair, CEE, Balkans, Croatia & Slovenia (joint with Simon Woolf & Wojciech Bońkowski MW)
Awarded 'Best Wine Personality in the Balkans' in 2022, Caroline Gilby MW is the only foreigner to be titled 'Friend of Hungarian Winemakers'. In addition to international wine judging, she is a speaker, writer and award-winning author.
Based in the UK
Regional Chair, CEE, Balkans & Caucasus Region (joint with Caroline Gilby MW & Wojciech Bońkowski MW)
Author and journalist Simon J Woolf has written for many publications including Decanter and also edits The Morning Claret, an online natural, biodynamic, organic and orange wine specialist magazine.
Based in The Netherlands
Regional Chair, CEE, Balkans, Croatia & Slovenia (joint with Caroline Gilby MW & Simon Woolf)
Wojciech is a wine writer, consultant and judge with varying regions of focus including Central & Eastern Europe. In 2023 he became Poland’s first MW, obtaining the Outstanding Achievement Award and Madame Bollinger Medal for excellence in tasting.
Based in Poland
Regional Chair, Beaujolais, South West & Rest of France (Jura, Savoie & Corsica)
Buying Director for Watermill Wines, Dominique Vrigneau is not only renowned for his knowledge of French, Argentinian and Austrian wines, but he was one of the foremost pioneers of Australian wines in the UK in the 1980s.
Based in the UK
Regional Chair, Champagne & Burgundy (excluding Beaujolais)
Founder of WineAlpha fine wine consultancy, Charles Curtis MW is former Head of Wine for Christie's in both Asia and the Americas. He is a successful author publishing works including The Original Grand Crus of Burgundy.
Based in the USA
Regional Chair, Bordeaux (joint with Matthew Stubbs MW)
Alun Griffiths MW has 35+ years of experience, including senior roles at Fortnum & Mason, Harrods and beyond. He is Non-Executive Chairman of Thorman Hunt & Co Ltd, serves as a director at First Choice Wines, and co-founded The Old Vine Conference.Based in the UK
Regional Chair, Bordeaux (joint with Alun Griffiths MW)
Matthew Stubbs MW worked in sales, marketing, and buying, including 14 years at Seagram and three as wine director for Safeway. In 2004, he founded a consultancy in France, and in 2008 opened Vinécole, a wine school based in the Languedoc. Based in the UK
Regional Chair, Rhône
Matt is an award-winning freelance wine writer and consultant, contributing regular articles to various titles including Decanter, where he is a contributing editor. His book Wines of the Rhône was shortlisted for an André Simon Food & Drink Book Award.
Based in the UK
Regional Chair, Northern Italy (excluding Piedmont & Veneto)
Regional Chair since 2019, Michael Garner is a WSET wine educator, writer and author with works including co-authoring Barolo: Tar and Roses. He is co-owner of Italian Wine Specialists Tria Wines with business partner Paul Merritt.
Based in the UK
Regional Chair, Piedmont (joint with Stephen Brook)
Michaela is an international wine writer, educator and regular Decanter contributor. One of the first certified Italian Wine Experts through Vinitaly International Academy, she co-created the curriculum for VIA’s Italian Wine Maestro course.
Based in Canada
Regional Chair, Piedmont (joint with Michaela Morris)
Stephen has been a contributing editor to Decanter since 1996 and has won a clutch of awards for his writing on wine. He's authored almost 35 books and has fully revised the last two editions of Hugh Johnson’s Wine Companion.
Based in the UK
Regional Chair, Tuscany
Highly-respected wine lecturer, Michelle Cherutti-Kowal MW teaches both wine industry professionals and consumers at WSET London and other wine schools around the world. She is also a wine writer and consults for a number of restaurants and wineries.
Based in the UK
Regional Chair, Veneto
Wine writer and educator Richard Baudains published his first article on Italian wine for Decanter in 1989. He is on the team of the Slow Wine Guide for Friuli Venezia Giulia and teaches M.A. Courses on Wine Journalism at the Università delle Scienze Gastronomiche.
Based in Italy
Regional Chair, New Zealand
Experienced wine writer, commentator, judge, reviewer, presenter and consultant, Cameron J. Douglas is New Zealand's first and only Master Sommelier. He is the current Group Beverage Manager for Rodd and Gunn & The Lodge Bar Dining.
Based in New Zealand
Regional Chair, Port & Madeira
Richard Mayson is one of the most respected authorities on Port, Sherry, Madeira and the wines of Spain and Portugal. He divides his time between writing and lecturing and has written several books including the prize-winning The Wines and Vineyards of Portugal.
Based in the UK
Regional Chair, South Africa
Former news journalist Fiona MdDonald is an international wine judge and writer. She contributes to a number of publications and is the editor of Cheers magazine in South Africa. She is also a member of the Platter’s South African wine guide tasting panel and writing team.
Based in South Africa
Regional Chair, Germany, Southern & Eastern Mediterranean
Caro Maurer MW is a German wine writer who divides her time between General- Anzeiger, the daily newspaper in Bonn, and the magazine Der Feinschmecker. Caro is also a wine educator and judges at many international wine competitions.
Based in Germany
Regional Chair, Spain (joint with Ferran Centelles & Pierre Mansour)
A columnist for several wine magazines in Spain and Belgium and wine writer for a number of publications in Italy, the UK and the US, Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW has also written and co-written more than 9 books. He is Member of the Grand Order of Caballeros del Vino.
Based in Spain
Regional Chair, Spain (joint with Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW & Pierre Mansour)
Awarding-winning sommelier and Spanish specialist for www.jancisrobinson.com, Ferran is an international wine judge and author. His main occupation is Wine Director of elBullifoundation which he's been involved in since 1999.
Based in Spain
Regional Chair, Spain (joint with Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW & Ferran Centelles)
Pierre Mansour is Head of Buying at The Wine Society, responsible for sourcing wines for the award-winning retailer from across the globe - Spain being a particular region of expertise. He has been judging at DWWA since 2006.
Based in the UK
Regional Chair, Switzerland & Austria
Master Sommelier Stefan Neumann has spent most of his career in the world Michelin-starred restaurants, such as Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons. He now runs his own consultancy and recently launched an online blind tasting course to help wine students pass their exams.
Based in the UK
Regional Chair, Greece, Cyprus & Malta
Terry Kandylis earned the title of UK Sommelier of the Year in 2016 and Best Sommelier in Greece in 2015. With experience working at The Fat Duck, The Ledbury and 67 Pall Mall, he is currently Group Head Sommelier at the Noble Rot Restaurant & Wine Bar.
Based in the UK