DWWA judge profile: Julie Buckley

Julie Buckley is a judge at the 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA).

Julie Buckley

Julie Buckley discovered a passion for wine whilst working in hospitality in Hong Kong in the late 90’s. She developed this further by returning to the UK to study for the WSET Diploma and a scholarship at the Champagne Academy.

She has worked extensively in PR and buying roles in both the specialist and grocery retail sector. Her recent roles have focused on developing own & tertiary brand propositions where she has worked directly with winemakers and producers across the globe.

Julie is currently the chief operating officer at Winetraders UK Ltd.

See more judges for the 2026 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.