DWWA Regional Chair for Veneto: Alessandra Piubello

Alessandra Piubello is the new Regional Chair for Veneto at the 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA).

Alessandra Piubello

Born in Italy’s renowned Valpolicella wine region, Alessandra developed her passion for wine at an early age, helping her father in the family vineyard and winery and even beginning to taste wines at just eight years old. This early connection to her land and its traditions inspired a lifelong career dedicated to telling the story of Italian wine and culture.

She is co-editor of the Guida Oro I Vini di Veronelli, Italy’s first wine guide, established over 40 years ago by the pioneering food and wine journalist Luigi Veronelli. Alessandra is notably the first and only woman to hold this senior editorial role in the guide’s history.

With more than 25 years of experience in wine journalism, Alessandra contributes to leading publications including Decanter, VertdeVin, Civiltà del bere, Bubble’s, WineNews, Cucina & Vini and Sommelier India Magazine. She has also authored several books and holds qualifications from the Italian Sommelier Association (AIS), the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and Bordeaux University.

A long-standing DWWA judge since 2016, Alessandra has led various Italian panels as a Senior Judge for last few years. 2026 marks her first year serving as Regional Chair, bringing her extensive knowledge of Italian wines and deep industry experience to this new leadership role.

For more information, take a look at Alessandra’s website.

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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.