DWWA judge profile: Neil Bernardi
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Neil Bernardi is a judge at the 2024 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA).
Neil Bernardi
Neil Bernardi is a dual American/Italian citizen born and raised in Northern California. After living briefly in Florence, Italy, he attended UC Davis to study Italian. At Davis, Neil fell in love with winemaking, and during which he spent three years in the lab of renowned sensory scientist Dr. Ann Noble, he soon expanded his studies to include enology and viticulture.
After earning his B.A. in Italian and B.S. in Viticulture and Enology, Neil went to New Zealand to deepen his understanding of winemaking and the effects of geography and climate on grape growing.
Neil is a seasoned executive with over twenty years of leadership experience in the wine industry. He spent 15 years with The Duckhorn Portfolio, where he held numerous leadership positions, including winemaker for Migration winery, general manager for Sonoma County winegrowing, and vice president of winemaking.
Neil Bernardi is now Chief Operating Officer of Colgin Cellars, in the heart of the Napa Valley.
In 2018, the magazine Wine Enthusiast recognized Neil as one of the “trailblazers shaping the future of wine in America” when he was named a “Top 40 Under 40 Tastemaker.” Neil is currently a stage three Master of Wine student.
See more judges for the 2024 DWWA.
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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. She serves on the Drinks United Advisory Council board.