Dimitar Nikolov
Wine professional with 20 years of experience as a sommelier, wine buyer, judge and educator. Based in Bulgaria.
DWWA Senior Judges
In regions with multiple panels, Senior Judges lead individual tasting panels, ensuring rigorous evaluation and alignment with Decanter’s standards. They provide vital leadership and consistency to support the Regional Chairs.
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Ivan Barbic MW
Experienced wine buyer and international consultant for wine producers. Based in Switzerland.
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Vincenzo Arnese
Director of wine at Raffles London at The OWO and Taittinger’s UK Sommelier of the Year 2022. Based in the UK.
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Shane Jones
Wine and sake educator teaching accredited programmes in the UK, France and Germany. Based in the UK.
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Robert Gorjak
Leading figure in Slovenian wine industry, educator & owner of Belvin Wine School. Based in Slovenia.
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Pilar Cavero
Best sommelier in Spain 2013, currently a wine critic for the Spanish newspaper ABC. Based in the UK.
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Nicolas Clerc MS
Portfolio director at Armit Wines and president & founder of the UK Sommelier Academy. Based in the UK.
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Laurent Richet MS
Master sommelier, wine consultant for the oldest wine importing company of the Netherlands. Based in the Netherlands.
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Ieva Markaityte
Independent wine consultant with over 20 years experience in the wine trade. Based in the UK.
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Higgo Jacobs
Renowned sommelier and ground-breaking fine wine entrepreneur. Based in South Africa.
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Elvis Ziakos
Head of wine at Mark's Club in Mayfair. Based in the UK.
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Tamas Czinki MS
Hungary's first and only master sommelier, currently the wine director at Culinaris wholesale. Based in Hungary.
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Robert McNulty
Over 35 years plus working in a wide range of roles within the wine world. Based in Italy.
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Freddie Cobb
Seasoned wine buyer, head of drinks at Vagabond Wines. Based in the UK.
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Rick Fisher
Author and educator on the wines of Spain. Based in the US.
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Regine Lee MW
Industry-recognised master of wine, in the UK importer/distributor sector. Based in the UK.
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Nick Dumergue
Global wine industry veteran based in Santa Monica, California. Based in the US.
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Matthew Forster MW
Award-winning Master of Wine and education professional specialising in Spanish wines. Based in the UK.
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Matthew Wilkin MS
Award-winning Master Sommelier specialising in Loire, Burgundy, Rhône, Spain & South African wines. Based in the UK.
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Maria Valeria Gamper
Educator and sommelier named best sommelier of the Americas 20222. Based in Spain.
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Lenka Sedlackova MW
Experienced brand manager and buyer, specialising in Greek wine. Based in the UK.
