Judges 2017

The participating labels are tasted by a jury of more than 90 highly qualified international experts (Master of Wine, Master of Sommelier, WSET graduates, oenologists, journalists, etc.). Currently, the selection is supervised by Ian D’Agata. The jury is further divided into smaller groups. Each group is coordinated by a chairman, and is responsible for tasting a fixed number of wines during each session.

GENERAL CHAIRMEN

SWITZERLAND

Paolo Basso

Association de la Sommellerie Internationale, World’s Best Sommelier 2013.

Paolo Basso, winner of the ASI Best Sommelier of the World Title in 2013, is an internationally active consultant for luxury hotel groups and Air France airline, and helps to promote Swiss wines in collaboration with the organization Swiss Wine Promotion. Born in Italy, he currently lives in Switzerland and he holds double Italian and Swiss citizenship.
Paolo Basso is one of only five sommeliers in the world to have won both the European and global titles for ‘Best Sommelier’ and among the rare few sommeliers to have reached for the eighths time the final level of an international competition. In 2014, the Grand Cru Committee of Italy, the most prestigious wine producers association in the country, crowned him ‘Sommelier of the Year’.
Member of the jury of the most prestigious international tasting competition he also works as lecturer and wine teacher at the School of Wine in Changins and Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne in Switzerland and at the Worldsom Sommelier Academy of Bordeaux, and has been guest speaker at many seminars and gastronomy events.
He currently start a new activity as a wine producer in Switzerland, dedicating his first wine, Il Rosso di Chiara, to his daughter, and launching a line of Italian wines with its own label. He also runs his own wine consulting company Paolo Basso Wine in Lugano, Switzerland.

FRANCE

Bernard Burtschy

Columnist at Le Figaro

Bernard Burtschy is a wine columnist for Le Figaro (a French newspaper and Internet site) and for several magazines in the French press (including Paris-Match, Vigneron, Amateur de Vins et Spiritueux) as well as outside his native France (such as Wands in Japan, Feinschmecker in Germany). He is also President of the French Wine Press and Permanent Member of the Grand Jury Européen, the European wine tasting group. His family has always produced wine, both red and white. Bernard has always been fascinated by wine; he started by taking tasting courses at the Académie du Vin in Paris in 1977, then quickly became a tasting teacher and, from the early 1980s, a main contributor to the Revue du Vin de France, then to Gault & Millau. He also wrote about a number of vintages for the Eponymous Wine guides. Outside the world of wine, Bernard Burtschy is a professor of statistics at the École Supérieure des Télécommunications in Paris.

UK

Robert Joseph

Editorial consultant for Meininger’s Wine Business International

Robert is a wine business consultant and an editorial consultant for Meininger’s Wine Business International, which he helped to launch in 2006. In 1983, after living in Burgundy for five years, he launched the Wine International magazine; set up the International Wine Challenge; became wine writer for the Sunday Telegraph and wrote The Wine Lists, the first of his 25 books. He has chaired and launched over 50 wine competitions in Asia, Europe and the UK. Robert has been in Who’s Who since 2013, and the awards he has received include the Jacob’s Creek ‘Golden Vine’; ‘the Best Wine Guide in the World’; the Glenfiddich (twice); The Wine Guild of the United Kingdom Premier; the Marques de Caceres. He regularly appears on television and radio and has lectured at the Wine & Spirits Educational Trust, Burgundy and Sonoma Wine Business Schools. Joseph is one of the trio behind Hugh Kevin & Robert Wines whose le Grand Noir range now sell over 3.8m bottles per year in over 60 countries. His website is winethinker.com.

BELGIUM

Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW

VIA Italian Wine Ambassador, Master of Wine

Pedro Ballesteros Torres is a Master of Wine. He got his Agrofood Engineer Degree and his Master Degree in Viticulture & Oenology at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. He also got the WSET Diploma, the Weinakademiker certificate, and he followed various other wine specialisation studies. He is columnist at Planeta Vino, Selectus Wineselmundovino.com (Spain), Libre BelgiqueDe MorgenDernière Heure (Belgium), writes regularly for Decanter (UK), and writes occasionally for magazines in Switzerland, Italy, France and USA. He was a co-Chair at Decanter World Wine Awards (UK), and a Chair and Senior judge at many international wine competitions. He was in the Governing Council of the Institute of Masters of Wine, of the Spanish Taster Union, of the International Federation of Wine Journalists, and in the Advisory Board of the Basque Culinary Centre. Expert at OIV for Spain, he has given several hundred lectures and tutored tastings all over the world in Spanish, English, French and Italian.

PANEL CHAIRMEN

USA

Levi Dalton

Host of the I’ll Drink to That! Podcast and Former Sommelier at Some of America’s Most Prestigious Restaurants.

Levi Dalton has had a long career working as a sommelier in some of the most distinguished and acclaimed dining rooms in America. He has served wine to guests of Restaurant Daniel, Masa, and Convivio, all in Manhattan. Levi has also contributed articles on wine themes to publications such as The Art of Eating, Wine & Spirits magazine, Bon Appetit online, Eater and Eater NY. For several years now he has been the host of the I’ll Drink to That! podcast, which has an extensive listenership throughout the world for the in-depth interviews that Levi conducts.

 

USA

Laura De Pasquale MS

Master Sommelier and Vice President and General Manager, Stacole Fine Wines.

Laura De Pasquale, Master Sommelier, is a Leading Executive in Fine Wine Distribution in the USA and an experienced educator and wine competition judge with a long resume of accolades. Her current project is developing a new Fine Wine concept for Southern Wine & Spirits called Artisanal Fine Wines.

 

ITALY

Vincenzo Donatiello

Head Sommielier, Piazza Duomo – Three Michelin Star Restaurant

Vincenzo Donatiello is Manager and Head Sommelier at Ristorante Piazza Duomo at Alba, a Michelin 3-star restaurant. Lucano, Sommelier, class of 1985, he grows professionally between Apulia, where he has attended the Istituto Alberghiero di Vieste, and Romagna, with his first experiences throughout the Adriatic coast. He has been the student of important sommeliers like Gianfranco Bolognesi, Best Sommelier in Italy in 1974, and Roberto Gardini, Best Sommelier in Italy in 1993. Nowadays he is the Restaurant Manager and Head Sommelier of Ristorante Piazza Duomo in Alba, a Michelin 3-star and sixteenth in the The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. He was awarded Best Junior Sommelier in Italy in 2004 and Best Sommelier in Romagna in 2010, Person of the Year 2013 for Italia a Tavola Magazine, Maître of the Year by the Guida Alberghi e Ristoranti del Touring Club 2016 and Maître of the Year in 2018 by the Guida ai Ristoranti d’Italia de L’Espresso.

UK

Andy Howard MW

Master of Wine, Director at Vinetrades Ltd and Decanter Contributing Editor

Andrew Howard became a Master of Wine in 2011. He worked as a buyer for Marks & Spencer in the UK for many years. He left Marks & Spencer in 2013 an now he runs his own wine business, Vinetrades Ltd., which is involved in education, consulting, buying and investment in wine. Andy is a very active wine judge: he is a Regional Chair for the Decanter World Wine, and also judges at The International Wine Challenge and Bacchus. His major focus is now on journalism: he is a Contributing Editor to Decanter magazine as well as writes for Jancis Robinson.

UK

Natasha Hughes MW

Master of Wine

Natasha Hughes graduated as a Master of Wine in 2014, winning four out of the seven prizes awarded that year, including the Outstanding Achievement Award.
Natasha began her wine trade career as deputy editor for Decanter’s website. She left in 2001 to begin freelancing as a journalist, specialising in wine and food, and has written for numerous publications, including Decanter, Square Meal, Imbibe, Australian Gourmet Traveller Wine, Harpers, Off Licence News and Drinks Business. Her online work has been published by jancisrobinson.com, timatkin.com and wine-pages.com.
In 2015, Natasha was a finalist in the inaugural Pio Cesare Food and Wine Writer award, one of the categories of the prestigious Roederer Awards. She was shortlisted for articles focusing on pairing wines with Asian cuisines.
Natasha consults for restaurants, private clients, wine producers and generic bodies. She is a panel chair at the International Wine Challenge and Imbibe’s Sommelier Wine Awards. She has also chaired the judging at Georgia’s National Wine Competition, and been a member of judging panels around the world (France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany and the Czech Republic).
In addition, Natasha hosts wine events, seminars and tutored tastings for private clients and members of the wine trade, and leads trips to wine regions for private clients.

USA

Kathy Morgan MS

Master Sommelier.

Kathy Morgan is a Washington D.C. based Master Sommelier, educator and speaker. She has over 15 years of restaurant sommelier experience, and is a frequent wine competition judge and speaker at wine events worldwide.

UK

Sebastian Payne MW

Master of Wine (and Chief Buyer, The Wine Society).

ITALY

Michele Longo

Curator, Winecult.it (Co-curator Italian Best Wines Guide).

Michele Longo is the curator of Winecult.it and the co-curator of the Italian Best Wines Guide. He writes for the magazine Barolo&Co and he has always been interested in the human side of wine, the stories, the terroir, the traditions and the voices of producers.
Wine writer and certified sommelier, Michele’s first contact with the world of wine came in the late ’90s. He has always been interested in the human side of wine and his interviews have a very personal ring to them.
In 2008, he joined the New Wine Journal, a magazine managed by Ian D’Agata. From 2011 to 2013, he worked – first as a taster, then as deputy-curator– to the D’Agata & Comparini Guide to Italy’s Best Wines. In 2014, he picked up the baton from Ian and now he is the co-curator of the Guide Italy’s Best Wines (Comparini-Longo).
He currently writes for the magazine Barolo &Co, where he covers everything on the historical appellations of Piedmont: the stories, the terroir, traditions and the voices of producers. He is the curator of WineCult.it, a wine and food website borne out of the desire to bring together two passions: wine and culture.  Here he has a column, Wine Voice, where he recounts the thoughts and stories of the wine producers, through their voice and their “music”.

CANADA

Igor Ryjenkov MW

Master of Wine (Category Manager, European Wine Portfolio, Liquor Control Board of Ontario).

Igor Ryjenkov is the Canada’s first Master of Wine, attaining this highly respected credential in 2003. He currently works as a European Wine Buyer for Liquor Control Board of Ontario, Canada.
Igor Ryienkov has been a European Wine Buyer for Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) for 16 years, spending the first seven in retail as a Product Consultant in two largest LCBO locations in Ontario. The next seven years he was one of the buyers for the LCBO fine wine division, vintages, looking after the European portfolio there.
He transitioned into his current role, overseeing the regular wines LCBO portfolio in 2014. Igor has contributed to or edited a number of wine books, judges, mentors and travels to wine destinations and not only on business.

UK

Monty Waldin

Journalist at Decanter and author of 13 books on natural wines

Monty Waldin became the first wine writer to specialize in organic and biodynamic wines. He has worked in vineyards and wineries in both hemispheres, and was the subject of Chateau Monty, the first TV series to follow the making of a biodynamic wine from pruning to bottling for Britain’s Channel Four in 2008. He has written extensively about wine. His books include Biodynamic Wines, which was published in 2004 by Mitchell Beazley as part of its Classic Wine Library series. Monty Waldin’s Wines of South Africa won the 2004 “James Beard Foundation” award for best wine and spirits book. He also wrote the first comprehensive guide in Britain to organic and biodynamic wine, The Friends of the Earth Organic Wine Guide, which features more than 2,000 wines. He has been a regular contributor to The Ecologist, and writes the entries on organic, biodynamic and natural wine for the Oxford Companion to Wine (ed. Jancis Robinson MW OBE).

CANADA

Bruce Wallner MS

Master Sommelier (and Owner, Sommelier Factory)

UK

Michael Palij MW

Master of Wine and Managing Director of Winetraders Ltd.

Michael Palij is an adventurer, businessman, and one of only 313 Masters of Wine worldwide.  A Canadian, Michael emigrated to the UK in 1989 and has worked in the wine trade ever since.  He passed the Master of Wine examination in 1995 and is now a leading authority on the wines of Italy.  Michael lectures around the world but is also an importer, consultant, writer and an accomplished sailor and mountaineer.  Michael’s publisher is Dorling Kindersley.  He lives in Oxfordshire.

SENIOR JUDGES

SWEDEN

Johan Larsson

Sommelier and wine buyer for Systembolaget.

Johan Larsson’s 20 years in the wine trade has involved a variety of positions, including sommelier for Stockholm’s top restaurants, key account and product management at different Swedish wine importing companies, and a year as assistant winemaker at Mas de Daumas Gassac in the Languedoc. He has also been head steward to the King and Queen of Sweden, and he now manages the Royal Wine Cellars, conducts tastings with the King and Queen, and provides advice on food and wine pairing for state banquets. In November 2010, Larsson joined Systembolaget as wine buyer where he currently is responsible for Italy and Austria.

 

AUSTRIA

Luzia Schrampf IWA

VIA Italian Wine Ambassador, Wine Writer for Der Standard et. al. and Wine Educator

Luzia Schrampf is an Austrian journalist and wine educator for Wine Academy Austria (Rust). She passed the Diploma WSET in 2003. Since December 2015 she is Italian Wine Ambassador of Vinitaly International Academy, Verona. Her articles appear in wine publications in Austria and Germany, but also internationally in „Civiltà del Bere“ or „Decanter“.  From 2007 to 2015 she was wine columnist for the Austrian quality daily „Der Standard“. She is author of several books, her latest „111 österreichischer Weine, die man getrunken haben muss“ (emons Verlag, Cologne) co-written with Austrian wine writer Daniela Dejnega, was published in October 2019.  She was technical consultant for a TV programme on Austrian wine (2012) and she also reports on Austria for Jancis Robinson’s World Atlas of Wine, 7th & 8th edition.

UK

Michael Garner

Director at Tria Wines Limited, wine writer

Michael joined the Wine Trade at the end of the 1970s and throughout the 1980s developed an interest in the wines of Italy. He went on to combine with his love of writing and had his first articles published in the Wine Trade press. His first book “Barolo: Tar and Roses”, co-authored with Paul Merritt, was published by Century in 1990. In 2003, Michael and Paul set up Italian specialists Tria Wines. These days, he is a regular contributor to Decanter Magazine and Regional Chair for Northern Italy at the Decanter World Wine Awards. His second book on wine “Amarone and the Fine Wines of Verona” was published by Infinite Ideas in 2017. Michael lives in rural Devon in England’s Southwest with his wife and dogs.

USA

Nicholas Paris MW

Director of Global Sourcing at E.&J. Gallo Winery.

Nicholas Paris is a Director of Global Sourcing of European wines for the E.&J. Gallo Winery in the US. He is also a Master of Wine, Advanced Sommelier and Certified Wine Educator and frequently judges at international wine competitions and educates consumers and trade throughout the world on wines and spirits.

NETHERLANDS

Janna Rijpma

Multiple Wine Book Author and Owner, Ennovision International Media Company

Wine writer and Consultant for over twenty years, Janna Rijpma is the Owner of NOMOH Wine Consulting Web Magazine. She has published five books for the series The Wine Guide for Business People. After a long career as an Executive Producer in Television, Janna Rijpma graduated as a Vinoloog in 1996 at the Dutch Wine Academy. After writing many articles and columns about wine and food in magazines and newspapers, she ‘delivered’ five books of The Wine Guide for Business People for Het Financieele Dagblad. She now mainly writes, consults and creates and is traveling to the wine fields all over the world, where especially upcoming wine areas have her full attention. She teaches often about her favorite wine subjects, burgundy, champagne and northern Italy. Since 2015, she is owner of www.nomoh.nl, the world of the senses that connects wine and food. Her activities includes NOMOH experience, NOMOH activities, NOMOH consultancy & NOMOH concepts. This year she will celebrate her 20 years in the wine business.

ITALY

Massimo Claudio Comparini

Chairman, EarthLab Precision Agriculture and Viticulture (Head of the Best Italian Wines Guide)

Massimo Claudio Comparini is a sommellier and wine writer with more than 25 years of experience. He holds a Master degree in Electrical and Aerospace Engineering and he is graduated in Strategy at GSB Stanford University. Co-manager for many years of the International Wine Academy of Rome, today he is the Director of the Italy’s Best Wines Guide. He has a deep knowledge of Italian wines, French and new world wines and wine marketing, and he teaches technology, innovation management and wine business in many universities in Italy and abroad.

ITALY

Fabio Turchetti

Wine and Food Journalist, Head Wine Columnist of Il Messaggero

Fabio Turchetti is a wine journalist from Rome and a columnist of Il Messaggero wine section. He has been writing for many years for several newspaper headlines, and today is the head of the Lazio section of the Slow Wine Guide, as well as an author of many books about wine.

ITALY

Maurizio Castelli

Winemaker

 

ITALY

Emiliano Falsini

Winemaker

Emiliano Falsini graduated in Viticulture and Oenology from the University of Florence. Thereafter, he had two important post-graduate experiences abroad, first in California at the Robert Mondavi Winery, and then in New Zealand at the Villa Maria Estate. Fundamental for his professional growth was his connection with important professionals such as Attilio Pagli and Alberto Antonini and since 2000, he has been involved with their company the Matura Group. Since 2000 he has been working as an Oenologist Consultant specializing in projects concerning international and native grape varieties within the various Italian regions. He currently works as a consultant in Italy, dealing with new organizations, both start-ups and companies in need of a restyling of their products. He collaborates with organic, biodynamic and conventional companies located in the various regions and territories of Italy.

ITALY

Barbara Tamburini

Oenologist

Barbara Tamburini graduated in Viticulture and Oenology from the University of Pisa in 2002 after having already obtained a University Diploma in Food Technology (Viticulture & Oenology) in 2000. During her time at university she was able to undertake various apprenticeships with Tuscan wine producers and subsequently to initiate her working career as a freelance oenologist in 1999 with some important consultancies. Her consultancies, initially exclusively in Tuscany, have grown year on year to include others in Umbria, Piedmont, Lombardy, Emilia Romagna and Sicily. It was during her periods of study that she had the good fortune to meet Vittorio Fiore, a fellow oenologist of long experience and international repute who she came to consider as her ‘mentor’ and ‘teacher’. It was with him that she began a collaborative working arrangement which continues even today. Enlivened by an intense professional curiosity, she has been able to succeed in a multiplicity of directions passing from viticulture to oenology, from Sangiovese to Pinot Noir, from Merlot to Nebbiolo and Barbera, to Aleatico, from Vermentino to Pinot Blanc and to Ansonica, from Moscato Passito to Vinsanto. Whilst doing this, she pays constant attention to ensure that wines express the character of their provenance both in terms of the individual producer and the area of production whilst still aiming to achieve the highest possible quality and address the expectations of the consumer. Furthermore, she does not ignore market issues. Given her increasing notoriety, she has the advantage of being in regular contact with a wide network of leading experts both in Italy and, increasingly, abroad who have specific experience in the distribution and marketing of Italian wines in the world. As a result, the wine sector press comes increasingly to Barbara for news, for her views and for information considered to be of value and importance. Currently, Barbara Tamburini is consultant oenologist for more than 15 different wine producers and has been the subject of more than 100 interviews and articles.

ITALY

Goffredo Agostini

Winemaker

Winemaker, freelancer. He started working in 1985 at the Ortona Winery in Abruzzo. In 1988 he moved to Cantina Tollo where he stayed working for 15 years and collaborated as the Technical Director. In 2004 he started work as a consultant at the Matura Group. Currently he works as  a Winemaker consultant for Central and Southern Italian Wineries as well as in foreign countries.

ITALY

Franco Bernabei

Oenologist at Enoproject Srl

Franco Bernabei, originally from Abano Terme, took his first steps into the world of wine alongside his father; importer/distributor of French and Italian wine, as well as hotelier and winemaker in the Euganean Hills. In 1978 Bernabei decided to freelance in the Chianti area within the region of Tuscany. He collaborated with various companies and made Sangiovese triumphant by interpreting the territory into the wine, helping to launch this vine to international stardom. In 1978 he began with the Fattoria di Selvapiana, from which a great Sangiovese, in purity, Bucerchiale, was born. In 1981, in collaboration with the Manetti family, through their winery Fontodi, Flaccianello della Pieve was launched on the market. Two years later, from the Fattoria di Felsina, Fontalloro was created.

ITALY

Valentino Ciarla

Winemaker

Once his formal studies were over, he began a period of professional formation, working in Colli di Luni and Cinque Terre, and than making very important experiences in South Africa, Switzerland and France (Saint Emilion),  than he works for Marchesi Antinori.  Since 2004 he is part of Gruppo Matura,  working as consulting winemaker in Tuscany,  Umbria, Puglia, Lazio and Emilia Romagna, having the opportunity to make wine in some of the more interesting Italian Terroir.

LUXEMBOURG

Abi Duhr

Leading Luxembourg Wine Writer, Wine Producer and Journalist for VINO (Luxembourg Wine Magazine)

 

ITALY

Lorenzo Landi

Winemaker

Lorenzo Landi is a winemaker and wine consultant from Italy. Graduated in Agrarian Sciences and holding a Master in Oenology and a University Diploma in Oenology and Viticulture, he worked for ten years as a responsible oenologist for several companies in Tuscany and Umbria, among which Fattoria del CerroColpetrone and La Poderina. Since 2000, he works as a wine consultant across several regions of Italy, such as Tuscany, Umbria, Friuli and Sicily.

 

JUDGES

CANADA

Gurvinder Bhatia IWE

VIA Italian Wine Expert, Editor for Quench Magazine

Gurvinder Bhatia is the editor-in-chief and publisher for Quench Magazine – North America’s longest-running and Canada’s most widely distributed wine and food publication. Although he has written for Quench for over two decades and been on the editorial team for the past 15 years, Gurvinder purchased the magazine in 2021, and is committed to the magazine’s evolution to be a much truer representation of our society. Gurvinder is also the wine columnist for Global Television Edmonton, an international wine judge and the president of Vinomania Consulting.  Gurvinder was the owner/founder of Vinomania wine boutique (opened in 1995, closed in 2016), which was named on numerous occasions among the 20 best wine stores in Canada.  In addition, Gurvinder was the wine columnist for CBC Radio for 11 years and is certified by Vinitaly International Academy as one of only 15 Italian Wine Experts in the world. Gurvinder is a recovering lawyer and in addition to his law degree (JD), he also earned his master’s degree in business administration (MBA) with honours. In 2015, Gurvinder was named by Alberta Venture Magazine as one of Alberta’s 50 Most Influential People. He is actively involved in the community and has served in leadership with numerous community organizations including the Edmonton Community Foundation, the Alberta Social Enterprise Venture Fund, and the Edmonton Shift Lab initiative to reduce racism as it contributes to poverty. Gurvinder developed and moderated a roundtable on ‘The Media and Racism’ as part of the Centre for Race and Culture’s Challenging Discrimination through Community Conversations series.

CANADA

Michaela Morris

VIA Italian Wine Expert, Wine Writer and WSET Educator

Michaela Morris is an international wine writer, educator, judge and speaker based in Vancouver, Canada. She contributes regularly to Decanter and Meininger’s Wine Business International, as well as Canadian publications Quench and Taste. She educates about Italian wine across Canada and abroad. Besides judging Canadian wine shows like the Lieutenant Governor Wine Awards and Judgement of British Columbia, she participates in international competitions such as the Decanter World Wine Awards, the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show and Wines of Portugal Challenge. She holds the Wine & Spirit Education Trust Diploma and is an Italian Wine Expert certified through Vinitaly International Academy (VIA).

 

CANADA

Will Predhomme

Wine Writer and Professional Sommelier, Owner of Predhomme Consulting.

ITALY

Pascal Tinari

Head sommelier, One Michelin star Villa Maiella Restaurant

 

ITALY

Tommaso Mascolo

Head Sommelier at One Michelin Star Indaco Restaurant

 

ITALY

Davide Buongiorno

Head Sommelier, Del Cambio – One Michelin Star Restaurant

Head Sommelier, Del Cambio – One Michelin Star Restaurant. Davide Buongiorno started his career as a Sommelier at the age of 30, entering directly into the world of Stellar Restaurants: Venezia al Met with Corrado Fasolato, then Piemonte La Ciao of Tornavento and also Toscana da Caino, with a brief time at Tirolo with Alfred Millers Schoneck. After having won two awards in London, first at Lansbourgh with Heinz Beck then at The Square, he then moved to Jersey Island where he conquered a Michelin Star restaurant in only 4 months, thanks to a phenomenal team. As a Head Sommelier now for 5 years, Davide is consolidating his managerial and enological dotes with passion and dedication.

ITALY

Alessio Spadone

Head Sommelier, La Bandiera Restaurant

Growing up in the family business, he very soon became interested in discovering the restaurant sector. At first he was wandering alone between the tables then deepened his knowledge about wine and everything that surrounds it. At age 16 he attended the AIS course, and conducted his first experience at Enoteca Pinchiorri. After a year, he returned with a great desire to put into practice all that he had learned. Since 2009 he manages the cellar of the family restaurant and is always careful to include the most sought after news of the market,  tackling, occasionally, educational trips in the most famous Italian and foreign cellars.

ITALY

Matteo Bernabei

Oenologist at Enoproject Srl

He provides consultant activities for some wineries: Santa Maria alla Pieve Bertani and Villa Mosconi – Bertani, La Bioca, Malavasi, Lornano, Cherri e Ruffini, in addition he follows Enoproject in its activities of managing and coordinating all the other wineries professionals and associates. Enoproject consultancies not only offer assistance for what concerns oenology and viticulture, but also for what concerns marketing aspects and the development of a new productive chain. “ We believe that the strength of this consultant activity relies in the teamwork, that involves everybody, from the family to the analyst technicians of our staff, and that through its professionalism, it is able to spread love for the terroir and the vine.” Administrator of Società Riolite Vini Srl, society that selects and distributes italian wine in the world (Canada, USA, Europe, Russia and China).

ITALY

Stefano Chioccioli

Winemaker

Graduated in agricultural sciences in 1984, he defines himself as an agronomist before as a winemaker. During the first years of study at the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Florence, he is attracted by the various disciplines of the world of agriculture. Then comes the shock for viticulture, and for oenology immediately after. He graduated with 110 with honors. Immediately employed as Production Manager by Ruffino, where he will remain for seven years, as first in the establishment of Pontassieve and then in the country to follow the proliferation of corporate ownership. Chioccioli himself defines these seven years as formidable years because they allow him to unravel the complex issues surrounding viticulture and winemaking that will prove to be crucial in his professional experience. Meanwhile, his sons Niccolò and Enrico, were born, today 31 and 27 years old, the first one graduated in viticulture and oenology in Florence in 2009, the second one graduated in law in Milan and Master Distiller. In 1992 Stefano Chioccioli starts to take its first steps alone as winemaker consultant.. It is an exciting period of renewal in the world of wine. He tries to turn the page, to renew the vineyards, to focus on a new approach that brings wealth, value and quality to an area rich in potential but for long time mortified. Since then, the escalation is unstoppable: new consulting and new successes in Italy and abroad, very new wine brands or old brands to be revaluated. Here comes the 1995, an important year, not only for the born of her daughter Ginevra, but also for the begin of new consultings, which still represents nowdays pillars of the italian wine. He has been working for more than 25 years for prestigious estates in Italy, France and Hungary. The wines he signed during his consulting activities have won many awards such as: over 100 wines with three glasses on Gambero Rosso guide, many 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98 points in magazines like Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Wine Advocat, up to the 100/100 is awarded by Robert Parker and Wine Spectator. He is a member of numerous organizations dedicated to viticulture and oenology and various committees of tasting. He is regularly invited to give lectures at the most important universities of enology in Italy and he is a strong voice in the conferences and the events dedicated to the Wine world.

BRAZIL

Diego Dequigiovanni

Owner and Co-founder of Luogo Divino Enoteca

 

UK

Alessandra Fedi

WSET Educator

Italian sommelier and WSET certified educator, Alessandra Fedi lives now between Milan and London, where she earned the Diploma of the Wine and Spirit Education Trust. Alessandra is a brilliant lecturer and speaker and conducts educational show tastings for the consumers at special events in restaurants, theatres and fairs both in English and Italian. She has also expanded her international boutique wine business through her website (www.alessandrafedi.com) into the fields of consultancy and education for the trade and luxury wine tours for the amateur.

JUNIOR JUDGES

BRAZIL

Bernardo Pinto

VIA Italian Wine Ambassador, Technical Director at Zahil Importadora, Instructor at The Wine School, Owner of Prensa Enogastronomia

Bernardo Pinto ha studiato gastronomia in Brasile e ha frequentato una specialistica in Wines and Spirits a Londra. È stato la prima persona in America Latina ad ottenere il WSET Diploma in Wines and Spirits. Technical Director al Zahil Wines a San Paolo, gestisce il portfolio della compagnia. Insegna anche ai corsi WSET e fa da consulente per compagnie e privati in Brasile. Bernardo è un Official Sherry Educator e un Vinitaly International Academy Ambassador, nonchè parte integrante del corpo studentesco dell’Institute of Masters of Wine dal 2012.

CANADA

Jeremy Ennis

Sommelier, Langdon Hall – Relais & Châteaux.

AUSTRALIA

Vanessa Green

VIA Italian Wine Ambassador, Director Crimson Wine, Wine Director at Apples and Pears Restaurant Group.

Vanessa is based in Australia working across Asia Pacific as Managing Director of Crimson Wine and the Apples + Pears Restaurant Group, and Acting CEO of Cliftons Venues. She works as a commercial wine buyer and importer, wine director for the restaurant and venues group, and judges at wines shows in Australia, New Zealand and Europe. Vanessa is a VIA Italian Wine Ambassador, has professional accreditations from WSET and the Australian Wine Research Institute, and is a member of the Commanderie de Bordeaux and Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne. Current projects she is working on include running wine and beverage education and appreciation programs for consumers and trade in Australia and New Zealand, sourcing and importing wines to Australia and developing wine and beverage lists across Asia Pacific.

ITALY

Livia Merlo

Freelance Wine Writer

ITALY

Luca Di Vita

Sommelier and Co-owner of the Osteria alle Testiere

He’s born, lives and works in Venice. Co-owner of the Osteria alle Testiere of Venice since 1997 (The World’s 50 Best Restaurants according to the magazine Restaurant and Top 100 Restaurants Worldwide according to Foodie guide). Professional Sommelier (Italian Association Sommelier awarded). Master of Food beer, olive oil and cheese, courses held by Slow Food Italy. Author of Venice, food and wine (A table, à Venise) published by Lineadacqua. He has contributed to numerous articles and radio broadcasts made by journalists of: The Wall Street Journal Europe, The Sunday Times, Etoile, The New York Times, Der Feinschmecker, Saveur, Gourmet, Travel Telegraph, The Guardian, Sphere, Louis Vuitton City Gude, InTime Magazine, Radio France Culture. Winemaker for passion, leads a tiny vineyard property in Valdobbiadene (TV) and obtains’s Vineyard Ada, 1000 bottles of Prosecco “sur lie”, an honest wine.

ITALY

Simone Romano

Restaurant Manager, Tordomatto

ITALY

Marina Olwen Fogarty

Export Manager, Antonio Vallana e Figlio

Marina is based in Alto Piemonte where she works as export manager for her family’s winery, Antonio Vallana e Figlio. She is a WSET certified wine educator and holds a PhD in philosophy.

ITALY

Fabio Ciarla

Journalist, Sommelier and Blogger, Corriere del Vino, Enoagricola

Born into a family of winemakers, he chose to break with tradition and become a journalist. Life, or fate, brought him back into the world of wine. He is a regular contributor to online newspapers like «Il Corriere del Vino», and he created «Enoagricola Blog», an innovative blog with Italian/English posts and downloadable podcasts. He is a certified sommelier and instructor for FISAR (Italian Sommeliers Federation), and an events and wine tastings planner. He’s come to the conclusion that in this world, after all, he feels at home.

ITALY

Giorgio D’Orazio

Journalist, Le Guide di Repubblica and Slow Wine

Giorgio D’Orazio, born in Abruzzo in 1986, is an independent professional journalist working with many Italian newspapers. He is specialized in cultural journalism and food&wine. He cooperates with Le Guide di Repubblica and Slow Wine writing about wine and wine producers.

 

ITALY

Fabiana Gargioli

Sommelier and Co-Titolare di Armando al Pantheon

Sommelier and Co-Owner of Armando al Pantheon, roman historical restaurant, one of the best addresses representatives of the Roman culinary tradition (3 Gambero Rosso shrimp from 2014 to 2016 and Osteria Slow Food snail awarded from 2013). Sommelier Professional (graduated in 2006 from ‘AIS Italian Sommelier Association). In 2014/2015 she follows and completes the Master course of study Chianti Classico, held by Armando Castagno. Fabiana Gargioli is Armando al Pantheon’s head service and she takes care of the wine list of and is in charge of the winery purchases. Diligently participate in groups of tasting and studying with interest the Italian grape varieties. In her  free  time she continued her professional training, visiting wineries. Love the direct contact with producers , Fabiana Gargioli considers the visit to the vineyard and winery, the first major element of evaluation to choose the wines to be included in the list and recount to their clients. Fabiana is one of the founding member of Fiorano for kids, A nonprofit association that, through the production of a wine, collects funds necessary to support projects related to hospital “Bambino Gesù ” and other facilities.

ITALY

Ramona Ragaini

Maître at Ristorante Andreina Loreto

Since 2009 Ramona Ragaini is maître at Ristorante Andreina Loreto and chef Errico Recanati’s wife. Her passion is born by chance in a very crowded Sunday when she proposed to lend a hand to serve. Her desire to know the world of wine grows and she attended 3 AIS courses and since then, every day, she looks for more new territories and “new emotions that you can give with a chalice.” In fact, besides to welcome guests, she takes care of the wine list Andreina Restaurant and she is Marche delegate at “Noi di Sala”.

ASSOENOLOGI

ITALY

Andreino Addis

Director and oenologist at Cantina Gallura

Andreino Addis is the director and oenologist at Cantina Gallura. He is also President of the commission for the evaluation of the suitability of DOC and DOCG wines at the Sassari Chamber of Commerce. From 2010 to 2019 he was President of Assoenologi – Sardinia Section.

ITALY

Massimiliano Apollonio

Amministratore di Apollonio Casa Vinicola S.r.l.

Massimiliano Apollonio is the chief technical guide of the Apollonio company.  After studying oenology he expanded his professional experience with internships at major Italian, French and Spanish companies. He is in charge of the quality of the wine and all the production operations: the cultivation of the vine, the grape harvest, the vinification and the bottling take place under his supervision, thanks to a level of ability and experience that allow him to to create innovative and superior quality wines. A former delegate of ONAV, former President of Assoenologi for Puglia, Basilicata and Calabria for two terms, today Massimiliano is a member of the Presidential Committee and of the National Council of Assoenologi, as well as an aggregate member of the Georgofili Academy and the Italian Academy of Vine and of wine. Massimiliano is also among the promoters of the chair of Oenology and Viticulture recently established at the University of Salento. He is also a juror in numerous international wine competitions, including the 5StarWines, the Mundus Vini and the Michelangelo Award and current President of the Puglia Wine Tourism Movement.

ITALY

Giuseppe Camilli

Winemaker

ITALY

Carmine De Iure

Winemaker

ITALY

Sandro Cavicchioli

Oenologist

Sandro Cavicchioli is the technical director of Cavicchioli Winery, Italian Wine Group, San Prospero, Modena. In 1990 he founded the Azienda Agricola Castelfaglia in Calino di Cazzago San Martino in Franciacorta, where he is currently the technical director, as well as the owner. Since 2004 he has been the technical director and owner of the Francesco Bellei company in Bomporto (Modena) which produces exclusively wines made with the classic method and the traditional bottle fermentation method. For six years he was a member of the Appeal Commission of the Designations of Origin of Northern Italy, at the Ministry of Agriculture. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Consortium for the Protection of Lambrusco and the Board of Directors of the Consorzio Marchio Storico dei Lambruschi Modenesi.

ITALY

Alessandro Defilippi

Winemaker

ITALY

Federico Defilippi

Winemaker

ITALY

Alessandro Donà

Winemaker

ITALY

Faustini Andrea

Winemaker

ITALY

Stephan Filippi

Winemaker

ITALY

Vincenza Folgheretti

Winemaker and Wine consultant

Sicilian by birth, Tuscan by adoption, she graduated from the University of Pisa in Viticulture and Oenology and furthered her scientific knowledge by obtaining two master’s degrees, one on “High Quality Management in the Wine Production Chain” and one on “Financial Statements and Company Administration”. Before embarking on his career as a Consultant Oenologist, she worked for important companies in the sector, both in Italy and abroad, reaching as far as New Zealand. She has acquired a wealth of experience and knowledge that she now puts at the service of companies. Today she has numerous collaborations, from Friuli to Sicily, passing through Tuscany.

ITALY

Alberto Lazzarino

Winemaker

ITALY

Massimiliano Luison

Winemaker

ITALY

Patrizia Marenco

Oenologist

ITALY

Goffredo Pasolli

Winemaker

ITALY

Paolo Peira

Winemaker

ITALY

Nicolò Poma

Winemaker

ITALY

Josef Romen

Winemaker

ITALY

Loris Vazzoler

Winemaker

ITALY

Pierluigi Zama

Winemaker