DWWA judge profile: Alan Bednarski
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Alan Bednarski is a judge at the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA).
Alan Bednarski
Alan Bednarski is an independent wine consultant and judge. He currently works as group head sommelier at Main Square Hospitality Group and as brand manager at House of Champagne in Poland.
Alan has held head sommelier positions in his native Poland, and he is now an advanced sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers.
In 2015, his first job in London was at the Michelin starred restaurant City Social by Jason Atherton.
Later, he was appointed as head sommelier to the City’s famous wine bar 28-50 in Fetter Lane and Maddox Street.
His next position was head sommelier and wine buyer in the Michelin starred restaurant Texture, working closely with executive chef Aggi Sverrinsson. Together with head chef Karl O’Dell, they won the Chef & Sommelier competition Copa Jerez, successfully representing the UK in the international final in Spain.
Alan finished 3rd in UK Sommelier of the Year competition in 2019 and was head sommelier in World’s Best Private Member’s Club Annabel’s in London 2019 – 2021.
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Alan joined DWWA for the first time as a judge in 2019.
See more judges for the 2025 DWWA.
Born and raised in India, Shivani is the awards manager at Decanter, managing the 300-strong cohort of worldwide judges for the world's largest wine competition, the Decanter World Wine Awards, ensuring a seamless judging process and driving the competitive integrity of the awards. After earning a master’s in wine management from the Burgundy School of Business, she moved to London in 2016 and completed her WSET diploma. While Burgundy holds a special place in her heart, Champagne is her go-to bottle. Alongside her full-time role, she has been dipping her toes into wine writing, relishing the opportunity to bring wine stories to the surface. She serves on the Drinks United Advisory Council board.