DWWA judge profile: Laura DePasquale MS

Laura DePasquale MS is a judge at the 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA).

Laura DePasquale MS

Laura DePasquale MS began her hospitality career as a teenager, working for a fast food chain, but quickly moved into fine dining. Her first serious introduction to wine was in New York City, where she worked as a bartender at Arizona 206, followed by a stint as beverage director at the Royalton Hotel.

In the early 1990s, she moved to Miami and worked as an award-winning sommelier at Norman’s restaurant until she was recruited by Palm Bay International in 2001 as Florida state fine wine specialist.

In 2004, Laura achieved the Master Sommelier Diploma and has been an active educator, examiner and speaker for CMS-Americas.

After a series of promotions within Palm Bay over the course of 10 years, Laura left Palm Bay with the role of vice president of fine wine development under her belt. In 2011, she was recruited by The Country Vintner specifically to lead the turn-around of Stacole, the company’s fine wine distribution division in Florida which she developed into a leading fine wine distributor over 3 years.

Currently, Laura is the senior vice president of artisanal wines Southern Glazer’s Wines and Spirits USA.

Laura DePasquale MS was first a judge at the DWWA in 2015.

See more judges for the 2026 DWWA.