DWWA 2013 Southern Italy Judging Panel

Ian D'Agata DWWA 2013 Regional Chair Ian DâAgata is one of Italyâs best known wine experts and was named Italyâs best wine journalist 2012 by the Comitato Grandi Crus dâItalia. Ian writes on the wines of Italy, Bordeaux and Canada for Stephen Tanzerâs International Wine Cellar , and is a regular Decanter contributor. He is the author of The Ecco Guide to the Best Wines of Italy and an annual, bilingual Guide to Excellence in Italian Wines , published in Italy. He is Co-Director of the Rome International Wine School, and lectures on Italian food and wine cultural history for New York Universityâs Food Sciences Masterâs program. He also directs the Italian language New Wine Journal and is regularly invited to present on wine and health at international wine conferences. Prior to his wine career, Ian studied medicine, graduating in pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition. Angelo Sabbadin DWWA 2013 Judge Wine Director of three Michelin-starred Le Calandre restaurant, Angelo Sabbadin was born and raised outside the city of Padua in north-eastern Italy. His interest in wine began when he was stationed in the hills outside Gorizia, close to the Slovenian boarder, where he fell in love first with the vineyards and consequently with the local wines. After working as a sommelier for twenty years in many of Paduaâs top restaurants, Angelo joined the wine team at Le Calandre in 2006 and gradually worked his way up from Cellar Manager to Wine Buyer for all six of the Alajmo family restaurants, including Gran Caffe & Ristorante Quadri in St. Markâs Square, Venice. In January 2010, Angelo revolutionized the wine list at Le Calandre, organizing it by grape variety rather than region, and formatting for the iPad. His hard work and dedication did not go unnoticed as he was named Sommelier of the Year in 2011 in Italyâs Espresso Wine Guide. Mary Gorman MW DWWA 2013 Judge Born and educated in Ireland but now living in New York, Mary Gorman MW is an independent wine consultant with a major focus on education and business strategy. She is also the wine columnist for lifestyle blog and website Apartment Therapy , speaks at seminars and conferences, and holds tastings for both private and corporate clients. Mary decided to follow her passion for wine in 2002, and in 2011 she became a Master of Wine (winning the Vina Errazuriz Award for excellence in the Business of Wine exam paper) and is currently a member of the Instituteâs North American Education committee, as well as sitting on the board for the Society of Wine Educators. Prior to 2002, Mary worked for 17 years in the fields of international marketing, business development and management consulting. Gerd Stepp DWWA 2013 Judge Gerd Steppâs family has been growing grapes in the Pfalz for generations and he himself has been in the wine trade for 25 years. For 10 of those years, Gerd was a Winemaker for Marks & Spencer and has worked in Germany, New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Italy and the UK. In 2009, Gerd set up a winery at the site of Stepp Family Vineyards, where he now makes wine. He also consults through WeinWerk on various wine-related matters. Janna Rijpma Meppelink DWWA 2013 Judge For almost two decades, Janna Rijpma Meppelink has been one of Hollandâs foremost wine experts. After a 15-year career as an Executive Producer in television, she started working with wine in 1996, and currently writes columns and articles for both print and online publications. Also regularly appearing on television, Janna hosts top wine and food events at national and international levels, and is an enthusiastic public speaker and teacher. Along with fellow wine writer Hubrecht Duijker, Janna has written 4 editions of Wijngids Voor Het Zakenleven (Wine Guides for Business People) â these feature interviews with a range of prominent people about their favourite wines and food. Andrea Sturniolo DWWA 2013 Judge Italian Andrea Sturniolo moved to London in 1994 and studied for the WSET examinations whilst helping open the London section of the Associazione Italiana Sommelier. Heading back to Italy in 2002, he set up and taught the wine-culture/wine-tasting courses at the International Wine Academy of Rome as Vice-Director. During this time he began working with an Italian wine guide and various press and web publications. Andrea has been back in London since 2006 and has now opened his own catering company, Fins & Trotters Kitchen, and is also a consultant for Pall Mall Fine Wine, as well as continuing to contribute to magazines both abroad and in the UK. Christy Canterbury MW DWWA 2013 Judge Christy Canterbury MW is a journalist, speaker, judge and educator based in Manhattan, New York. Her articles have been published in Decanter , Wine Enthusiast , Food Arts , Beverage Media and TASTED , among other magazines and blogs, and she is the Italy Editor for the Professional Wine Reference and Consulting Editor of recently released book Rock and Vine . As a frequent public speaker, Christyâs 2012 appearances included the European Wine Bloggersâ Conference in Izmir, the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair, the Women in Wine Leadership Symposium, TEXSOM, and the Mediteraneo Festival in Belgrade. Upon becoming a Master of Wine, Christy received the Villa Maria Award for Outstanding Performance in the Viticulture Examination. Ben Robson DWWA 2013 Judge Ben Robson has always worked in the wine trade. In 1994 he opted for self-employment when he established Bat and Bottle, which he still owns. Through this company Ben imports wines from artisan Italian estates, as well as more intermittently from France, Spain and Portugal. Ben is an occasional WSET educator, a regular visitor to Italy and has not missed a Vinitaly since 1996. Marcia Waters MW DWWA 2013 Judge Marcia Waters MW works for The Oxford Wine Company, consults to the trade and is Chair of the Education and Examination Board at the Institute of Masters of Wine. She became a Master Of Wine herself in 1990, and in the past Marcia has worked as a buyer for Victoria Wine and Tesco, run the UK office of Vergelegen and Boschendal, as well as working for Rothschild Wine at Waddesdon Manor. Bruno Besa DWWA 2013 Judge Originally from Friuli, Bruno Besa has been living in London since 1986. After almost 20 years working in hotels and restaurants, he founded Astrum Wine Cellars in 2001, along with long term friends and former colleagues Max Folli and Stefano Benato from Stafano Cavallini Restaurant at the Halkin hotel in Belgravia. Bruno is currently Managing Director of the company, representing around 50 wineries and distilleries from Italy and Central Europe.

DWWA 2013 Southern Italy Judging Panel

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