DWWA 2013 Sherry Judging Panel

Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW DWWA 2013 Regional Chair Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW has studied around the world, including at the renowned wine regions of Jerez, Beaune, Napa Valley and Bordeaux, and holds a degree in Agrofood Engineering and a masterâs in Viticulture & Oenology among his qualifications. A columnist at Spainâs PlanetaVino and Vino y GastronomÃa magazines, as well as Vino! magazine in Belgium, Pedro works in four languages, is active in the fields of promotion and education, and is also on the governing board of the Spanish Taster Union. Sarah Jane Evans MW DWWA 2013 Regional Chair Sarah Jane Evans MW started drinking Spanish wine â Sherry to be specific â as a student of Classics and Social and Political Sciences at Cambridge. This started a lifelong love affair for Sarah Jane with the countryâs wines, food and culture, leading to her appointment as a member of the Gran Orden de Caballeros de Vino for services to Spanish wine. In 2006 she became a Master of Wine, writing her dissertation on Sherry and winning the Robert Mondavi Winery Award. She is currently Deputy Vice Chairman of the Institute of Masters of Wine, also dividing her time between contributing to leading reference books, judging wines internationally and writing about wine, fine chocolate, coffee, tea and cheese. Mel Jones MW DWWA 2013 Judge Mel Jones MW is a wine writer running QuaffersOffers.co.uk , a website giving details of special offers at wine retailers. as well as providing tasting notes, and forum discussions on great wine buys. She is also half of the Birds with Bottle duo on YouTube, a weekly fun wine programme, and has a weekly wine slot on BBC Radio Gloucestershire. Mel joined the wine trade shortly after leaving school, and has been running wine courses and writing about wine since the mid-1990s. In her spare time, Mel is a performance poet. Nick Room DWWA 2013 Judge Nick Room joined Waitrose in 1987, initially buying beers and spirits before moving into wine. Passing the WSET Diploma in 1992, Nick worked in wine mail order for five years before returning to the main Waitrose wine buying office in 1998. Nick specialises in South America, Spain, Portugal, Sweet and Fortified. In 2005, 2006, 2010 and 2013, Waitrose won awards for its Iberian List, while its fortified wines are widely recognised as market-leading. Invested in 2006 for services to the Spanish wine industry, Nick is currently serving as Chairman of the Gran Orden de Caballeros del Vino, and over the years he has spearheaded a number of initiatives designed to enhance the standing and reputation of the Organisation. Jamie Hutchinson DWWA 2013 Judge Jamie Hutchinson is the Managing Director and co-founder of independent wine merchant The Sampler. After a career in venture capital, Jamie opened The Sampler in Islington in 2006, followed by a South Kensington branch in 2011, and plans to open other shops in the future. Jamieâs passions are Sherry, traditional Rioja, grower Champagne and Beaujolais, while his weaknesses are for wines with personality and that go against normal commercial conventions. Jamie is also the holder of the WSET Rafael Balao Lustau Memorial Trophy and won the WSET Cava and Penedes Wine Institute Bursary.

DWWA 2013 Sherry Judging Panel

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