John Radford, Panel Co-Chair South Africa
John Radford (chair) is a freelance writer, broadcaster, lecturer and speaker with a special enthusiasm for wine, food and travel. His lifelong love of Spain has made him an unrivalled specialist in the field of Spanish wines. He has been a consultant to the Spanish Commercial Office and, on behalf of the Spanish Ministry of Commerce, created the standard textbook for the wine trade and students from 1989 to 2001. His book The New Spain (Mitchell Beazley, 1998) won four international awards and went into reprint after just four months. A new edition appeared in the spring of 2004. His other titles include the Mitchell Beazley Pocket Guide to Fortified and Sweet Wines, which he co-wrote in 2000, The Wines of Rioja (Mitchell Beazley, 2004), Cook España, Drink España! (Mitchell Beazley 2007, with chef Mario Sandoval) and he has contributed chapters on Spanish and Portuguese wines to many encyclopedias and anthologies. He also writes regularly for Decanter and is the editor of restaurant-trade magazine Yes Chef! He is a regular speaker at wine seminars and presentations, and occasionally lectures for the professional examinations of the Wine and Spirit Education Trust at Plumpton College (University of Brighton). Professional memberships include the Circle of Wine Writers UK and the Gran Orden de Caballeros del Vino in Spain. ‘Anything which gives the consumer more opportunities to try and enjoy the wines of Spain is something which can count on my wholehearted support.’
Written by
