João Pires MS
João Pires MS
(Image credit: Credit Unknown)

João Pires MS, Director of Wine at Melco Resorts & Entertainment in Macao, is a judge at the Decanter Asia Wine Awards 2019

João Pires MS

João Pires MS is Director of Wine for Melco Resorts & Entertainment’s properties in Macao: Altira Macau, City of Dreams Macau and Studio City Macau.

Portuguese Pires has worked as a sommelier in Paris, Lisbon, Montreal and Toronto. He then moved to the UK in January 2005 where worked at various establishments including the Capital Hotel in London; as wine director for the Vineyard at Stockcross in Berkshire; at Gordon Ramsay’s Royal Hospital Road and as Head Sommelier at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in London.

Pires is currently studying to become a Master of Wine and has been a judge for the Decanter Asia Wine Awards since 2015.

Natalie Earl
Natalie Earl
Regional Editor for France (excluding Bordeaux & Burgundy)
It was during her time studying for a French and Italian degree that Natalie began her foray into wine: tutoring French in exchange for WSET lessons in her spare time (she now realises who got the better deal!). She moved to the Languedoc after graduating to work for a vineyard tour company, before returning to the UK in 2016 to join the tastings team at Decanter.