DWWA Veneto Judging Panel

Jane Hunt MW.jpg Jane Hunt MW has had a career in wine which has spanned sales and marketing, buying, education, writing and PR. She and business partner, Tina Coady, now run Hunt & Coady Ltd, a company which organises a variety of trade tastings and the annual Argentina Wine Awards competition in Mendoza. Jane spends several months of the year in Italy where she produces olive oil at her renovated farmhouse in Umbria. Luciana Lynch.jpg Luciana Lynch held senior positions with companies including Hedges & Butler, Findlater Matta, Remy AssociÃ©s and Enotria before setting up her own business and consultancy in the late 1980s. Her entire career has seen her engage in selling and sourcing wines, especially from Italy, although she has also been involved in wine education. She is now retired, having worked in the wine trade for 35 years. Massimiliano Jacobacci.jpg Massimiliano Jacobacci was immersed in the world of fine wines while growing up as both his father and grandfather were respected Oenologists. He studied Biology in his home town of Rome and then after serving as an officer in the Italian navy, he arrived in London. Intrigued by the changing palates of the city, Massimiliano joined a new generation of young chefs and cooked professionally for three years before returning to his roots in the wine industry. Inspired by the Hemingway novel, he set up âA Moveable Feastâ, running wine tasting dinners and consulting for food and wine dot coms. In 2004, Massimiliano founded FortyFive10Â° to import some of Italyâs finest and terroir specific wines, focusing on wholesale and retail markets. Massimo Sacco.jpg Massimo Sacco is the Chef Sommelier at the Fairmont Hotel Monte Carlo. His passion for wine took off in London whilst working at the Dorchester and Halkin Hotels, during which time he also attended the WSET. Named Best Sommelier of Monaco in 2007, Massimo went on to become a semi-finalist in the Worldâs Best Sommelier competition in Greece in 2007. Today he is a member of the Sommeliers' Association of Monte Carlo. He contributes to a few Italian wine magazines, as well as various Italian wine blogs. Michael Garner.jpg Michael Garner has worked in the wine business for more than 30 years and has specialised in Italian Wine for nearly 25 years. He is the co-author of Barolo: Tar and Roses,is a regular contributor to Decanter and has taught for the WSET. He lives in rural Devon with his family and two large Briard dogs. Nick Bielak.jpg After several forays to Italy, Nick Bielak emigrated in 1996 and inevitably became involved in wine, working for a Puglian winery until 2003. He then returned to London to work for Bibendum as an Italian specialist. Since 2006 he has had the privilage of working with Nicolas Belfrage MW, with whom he roams Italy's vast expanse of DOCs and DOCGs, consulting with producers and enologists in an attempt to synthesize the exponential and detailed world that is Italian wine. Nick currently spends half his time in Italy and half in London. Angelo Sabbadin.jpg Angelo Sabbadin, Wine Director Angelo was born and raised outside the city of Padua in northeastern Italy. His interest in wine began when he was stationed to do military service in the hills outside Gorizia, close to the Slovenian boarder, where he fell in love first with the vineyards and consequently with the local wines. After working as a sommelier for twenty years in many of Paduaâs top restaurants, Angelo joined the wine team at Le Calandre in 2006. He gradually worked his way from cellar manager to wine buyer for all six restaurants of the Alajmo family restaurants, including Gran Caffe & Ristorante Quadri in St. Markâs Square, Venice. In January 2010, Angelo revolutionized the wine list at Le Calandre, organizing it by grape variety rather than region and formatting for Ipad. His hard work and dedication did not go unnoticed. He was named Sommelier of the Year in 2011 in Italyâs Espresso Wine Guide. Bruno Besa.jpg Originally from Friuli, Bruno Besa has been living in London since 1986. After almost 20 years working in hotels and restaurants, he founded Astrum Wine Cellars in 2001, along with long term friends and former colleagues Max Folli and Stefano Benato from Stafano Cavallini Restaurant at the Halkin hotel in Belgravia. Bruno is currently Managing Director of Astrum Wine Cellars, representing around 50 wineries and distilleries from Italy and Central Europe. Daniele Cernilli.jpg Daniele Cernilli was born in Rome and graduated with a Masters in Philosophy. He entered the wine trade in 1979 at Vini & Liquori, a monthly magazine. He then co-founded what would become the annual Gambero Rosso Vini dâItalia as an aid to wine lovers in 1987. Daniele has held various editorial positions, including Editor-at-large of Gambero Rosso magazine and Wine Travel Food. In 1988 he was named Editor-in-Chief of Vini dâItalia (also published in English as Italian Wines), where he directed the tastings of wines entered from all over Italy â a few hundred in the first edition to over 18,000 in the 2010 edition. In 1999, Daniele started writing for Rai Sat / Gambero Rosso Channel and, in 2009, he was made Editor-in-Chief of the programme. Daniele has consulted for the Associazione Italiana Sommelier (AIS) and the Worldwide Sommelier Association (WSA), and is currently working on his own Italian & English web magazine, Doctor WIne (doctorwine.it). Elizabeth Ferguson.jpg Elizabeth Ferguson joined the UK wine trade in 2001 after spending three years living in Italy and Greece. She is currently Marketing and Wine Director at Metzendorff and has an incredible passion for Italy and its wines thanks to being married to an Italian and previously working as an Italian Brand Manager. Emily O'Hare.jpg Emily OâHare is the wine buyer at Londonâs River CafÃ©. She also consults for British restaurant chain, Canteen. Emily has been a finalist in the Circle of Wine Writersâ Young Wine Writer of the Year competition and has written for national newspapers and trade titles. Emily runs a Womens tasting group - âWomen! Know your Wines!â, and a wine-focused pop-up restaurant whizzbangpop.com. Gerd Stepp.jpg Gerd Steppâs family has been growing grapes in the Pfalz for generations. He himself has been in the wine trade for 24 years during which time he has worked in Germany, New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Italy and the UK. For ten of those years Gerd was a Winemaker for Marks and Spencer. In 2009 Gerd set up a winery at the site of Stepp Family Vineyards where he now makes wine. He also consults on various wine-related matters. Alex Hunt MW.jpg Alex Hunt MW joined the wine trade as a van driver for Oddbins while studying philosophy and psychology at Oxford, where he captained the varsity blind-tasting team. After graduating in 2000, he joined Mayfair Cellars, holding both sales and buying roles. In 2006, he moved to Berkmann Wine Cellars, where he is currently Purchasing Director. Since February 2012 he has also written a monthly column on taste and tasting for jancisrobinson.com. Alex became a Master of Wine in 2010, winning the Madame Bollinger Medal for excellence in the tasting exam. Andrea Briccarello.jpg Andrea Briccarello is Head Sommelier at La Chapelle, the winner of the Best Wine List at the National restaurants Awards 2011. He was previously Group Sommelier and Wine Buyer for Corrigan's Mayfair, Bentley's Oyster Bar & Grill, and Lindsay House. Andrea has also worked at the Michelin-starred Umu, and was named Sommelier of the Year 2009 by Taste of London, as well as being the winner of the Wines of Roussillon Dessert Trophy in 2010.

DWWA Veneto Judging Panel

Latest Wine News

Angry French grape growers smash bottles outside Lidl

France will uproot 27,500 hectares of vineyards to combat oversupply crisis

Jason Millar: ‘What’s actually wrong with a little throaty roar in a 15% Roussillon red?’

Napa Valley estate once home to ‘Two Buck Chuck’ producer is up for sale

Concha y Toro becomes the largest producer to join the Bottle Weight Accord