DWWA 2013 Slovenia Judging Panel

Caroline Gilby MW DWWA 2013 Regional Chair Caroline Gilby MW has been visiting Hungary for over 20 years since becoming the first major buyer to import the country's wines whilst at Augustus Barnet off-licences. She has a doctorate in plant biology but abandoned life behind the microscope for a career in wine soon after winning the Decanter-Macallan Malt Whisky Taster of the Year Award while still a student. Caroline passed her MW in 1992 and then spent seven years as a senior wine buyer before switching to a career as freelance writer and consultant, specialising in Central and Eastern Europe. She contributes to Hugh Johnsonâs Pocket Wine Guide , and in the past has written for Dorling Kindersleyâs Wines of the World , The Oxford Companion to Wine , The Wine Opus and Tom Stevensonâs Wine Report , as well as to various websites and magazines. Gabor Cseke DWWA 2013 Judge GÃ¡bor Cseke is a Hungarian sommelier who graduated in 2005 from the College of Commerce, Catering and Tourism in Budapest. Following this, he took further sommelier and WSET courses in London and Budapest, where he worked in the famous Lou Lou and CsalogÃ¡ny 26 Restaurants. Between 2007 and 2011, GÃ¡bor lived in England, working at the two-Michelin-starred Pied Ã¡ Terre, Hotel Andaz and the Hotel Great Fosters in Surrey. He represented Hungary at the Meilleur Sommelier d'Europe competition in 2008 and 2010, won Best Sommelier of Hungary in 2010, and in 2009 GÃ¡bor organised a wine tasting at the Hungarian Cultural Centre in London for the press and trade. Transforming himself to a winemaker, he is currently working in Styria, Austria, at Weingut Tement, while also setting up his own domaine in the Zala wine region of South-West-Hungary. Specialising in Central European wines, GÃ¡bor tastes frequently in Austria and Slovenia, and judges regularly in regional wine contests in Hungary. Stephen Skelton MW DWWA 2013 Regional Chair Stephen Skelton MW started his career in wine in 1975. After 12 months at Schloss SchÃ¶nborn in Germany's Rheingau winegrowing region and two terms at Geisenheim Wine School, he returned to the UK in 1977 to establish Tenterden Vineyards in Kent, where he made wine for 23 vintages. He was Winemaker at Lamberhurst Vineyards from 1988â1991. Stephen is a consultant to the English wine industry and is involved with planting vineyards for the production of sparkling wine. He became a Master of Wine in 2003. Sebastian Payne MW DWWA 2013 Judge Sebastian Payne MW joined the wine trade in 1970 at Fred May, a shipper specialising in the wines of France, Germany and Hungary. Three years later he joined The Wine Society as Promotions Manager, responsible for publications, and in 1977 he passed his MW. Sebastian was appointed Chief Buyer in 1985, has travelled to all of the world's major wine regions, and is a Chevalier dans l'Ordre du MÃ©rite Agricole. In 1995, he served as Chairman of the Institute of Masters of Wine, and in 1996 he was Chairman of the Masters of Wine Examiners. Having stepped down as Chief Buyer, Sebastian remains an integral part of The Wine Societyâs buying team and currently sources its Italian, German and Eastern European wines, as well as writing for the Society List and website. David Bird MW DWWA 2013 Judge David Bird MW started his working life as an Analytical Chemist for Colmans of Norwich. A promotion to Quality Control Manager of the new wine department in 1973 sparked a huge interest in wine, leading to David passing the MW in 1981, and in the same year winning the Tim Derouet Award and becoming a Chartered Chemist. He was instrumental in the development of the bag-in-box whilst working for Stowells of Chelsea as Quality Assurance Manager and in 1994, David set up his own consultancy to provide a service of quality management to ISO9001 and wine production audits around Europe. The author of Understanding Wine Technology , first published in 2000 and re-published in 2010, David is past Chairman of the Technical Committee of the WSTA, and is Technical Advisor to both The Wine Society and the Royal Tokaji Wine Company. Igor Sotric DWWA 2013 Judge After graduating with a degree in Microbiology, Igor Sotric moved to the UK and entered the wine industry 18 years ago. Qualified to WSET Diploma level, he is Head Sommelier and Wine Buyer at China Tang at the Dorchester, and has prior experience with Asian restaurants, including Cocoon and the St Martins Lane Hotel. Igor also acts as consultant to several restaurants, and since 2009 he has been making his own Chardonnay in Goriska Brda, Slovenia, with his friend Marijan Simcic. Elizabeth Gabay MW DWWA 2013 Judge Elizabeth Gabay MW has specialised in the wines of south-eastern France since the 1980s. Starting as an independent wine merchant and consultant, she became a Master of Wine in 1998, and since moving to south east France in 2002, she has been writing, teaching, holding masterclasses and judging. Elizabeth writes on Provence, Hungary and northern Italy for several magazines, has contributed to winetravelguides.com and updates the Provence section for both Oz Clarkeâs Pocket Guide and Jancis Robinsonâs World Atlas of Wine . Passionate about history, Elizabeth lectures on the history of wine at academic conferences and is writing the definitive history of punch.

DWWA 2013 Slovenia Judging Panel

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