DWWA Regional Chair for the Balkans, Central & Eastern Europe, and Croatia & Slovenia: Dr Wojciech Bońkowski MW
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Dr Wojciech Bońkowski MW is the Joint Regional Chair for the Balkans, Central & Eastern Europe, and Croatia & Slovenia at the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) 2026.
Dr Wojciech Bońkowski MW
Dr Wojciech Bońkowski MW, a wine writer & consultant from Poland, is the joint Regional Chair at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2026. He became Poland’s first Master of Wine in 2023, notably obtaining the the Outstanding Achievement Award and Madame Bollinger Medal for excellence in tasting.
He obtained an MA in Italian literature and PhD in musicology from the University of Warsaw. His book on Chopin’s favourite food and wines, Chopin Gourmet, was published in English by the Chopin Institute in 2015.
Simultaneously he developed a career in wine, working in London for a year before returning to Poland where he published eight books and founded the country’s leading wine website, Winicjatywa (2012), and wine magazine, Ferment (2017). The Ferment media group now also includes a wine events agency, wine school, and publishing house.
Wojciech is active internationally as a writer, wine market consultant & judge and currently focuses on the wines of Italy, Greece, Central and Eastern Europe, Jerez, Port, Madeira, and Champagne.
2016 was Wojciech Bońkowski’s first year as a DWWA judge.
Follow Wojciech on X @polishwineguide
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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.