DWWA judge profile: Dee Blackstock MW

Dee Blackstock MW is a judge at the at the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA)

Dee Blackstock MW profile:

Dee Blackstock MW began her career in the wine trade through Gerard Harris Wines in Aston Clinton, the wine side of the Relais & Chateau hotel, The Bell Inn. She joined Waitrose in 1991, spending over 20 years with the company as a buyer, specialising in Australia, Burgundy, Languedoc-Roussillon, New Zealand, sparkling wines and Champagne.

In 1992, she passed the Master of Wine exams at the first attempt, securing a bursary scholarship for the marketing paper. She then went on to study for the Institute of Grocery Distribution diploma and was awarded a scholarship for overall marks. In recognition of her services to French wine in her buying role she was made a Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mérite Agricole. Blackstock sits on the Government Wine Committee, which selects wines for visiting heads of state and other dignitaries, and is qualified to teach up to WSET Diploma level. Having retired from Waitrose she now acts as a consultant through Rootstock & Barrel.

Dee Blackstock was first a DWWA judge in 2006.