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The DAWA 2015 judging panel

Decanter Staff Decanter Staff

The Decanter Asia Wine Awards (DAWA) was set up in 2012 to offer wine lovers across Asia a reliable source of wine recommendations. Since the launch of the competition, Decanter has recruited a judging panel of Asia’s most influential and expert wine palates.

Coming from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Singapore, India, Indonesia, Korea, and Taiwan, the DAWA 2015 judging panel consists of over 40 judges, ranging from sommeliers to wine writers, wine educators to importers. The panel is chaired by Steven Spurrier, and led by a group of experienced and internationally renowned vice-chairs including Shinya Tasaki, Li Demei, Andrew Jefford, Michael Hill Smith MW, Gerard Basset MS MW, and Ch’ng Poh Tiong. The entire panel’s extensive experience of the wine industry in Asia makes them ideally placed to taste and score the wines entered into the Decanter Asia Wine Awards in order to give recommendations to wine lovers across Asia.

Over 2,500 wines are entered into the Decanter Asia Wine Awards each year. Wines are then carefully organised in flights, according to style and price. All wines are rigorously blind tasted and each wine is discussed individually by a panel of judges. Wines can win commended, bronze, silver, and gold awards. The very best of the gold medal winners from a particular region are awarded regional trophies, and the very best of the regional trophies go on to win international trophies.

The results are released on Decanter.com in October each year and are supported by a series of retail promotions and special events. Results include detailed wine information and are published alongside available stockist information so that readers wanting to enjoy the wines themselves know where to purchase them.

Read more about the credentials of individual Decanter Asia Wine Awards judges.

DAWA vice-chair: Shinya Tasaki

Shinya Tasaki is the President of the Japanese Sommelier Association and the A.S.I. Best Sommelier of the World 1995.

DWWA Judge profile: Li Demei

Li Demei is a DecanterChina.com contributor and a professor and director of Enology Engineering at Beijing Agriculture College.

DAWA vice-chair: Andrew Jefford

Andrew Jefford who has been writing about wine since the 1980s, contributes a column every month to Decanter magazine.

DAWA judge profile: Elliot Faber

Elliot Faber, Beverage Director at Yardbird, Ronin, and Sunday's Grocery restaurants in Hong Kong, is a judge at the Decanter

DAWA judge: Ying Guo

Ying Guo, senior sommelier for Four Seasons hotels in China, is a judge in the Decanter Asia Wine Awards (DAWA).

DAWA vice-chair: Hiroshi Ishida

Hiroshi Ishida, three times winner of Best Sommelier of Japan, joins the Vice Chair team at the 2019 DAWA.

DAWA judge profile: Hayato Kojima

Hayato Kojima CWE, a certified wine educator and specialist from Japan, is a judge in the Decanter Asia Wine Awards

DAWA judge profile: Denis Lin

Denis Lin, a wine and food journalist based in Shanghai, is a judge at the Decanter Asia Wine Awards 2019

DWWA judge profile: Eddie McDougall

Australian fine wine producer, founder of modern-era négociant The Flying Winemaker and Greater China business expert. Based in Macau.

DAWA judge profile: Chris So

Chris So, from winelist.hk, a wine media, education, and consultancy company in Hong Kong, is a judge at the Decanter

DAWA judge profile: Yin How Wong

Yin How Wong, Managing Director of Vintry Group Wine Bars and Restaurants in Malaysia, is a judge at the Decanter

DWWA judge profile: Catherine Yen

Wine educator & judge, works very closely with the Chevalier du Tastevin Burgundy association. Based in Hong Kong.

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