DWWA 2013 Spain Judging Panel

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. 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. Cristina Alcala DWWA 2013 Judge Cristina AlcalÃ¡ is a qualified sommelier, wine consultant, and taster based in Spain. Holding degrees in Sociology, Human Resources, and Winemaking and Viticulture, Cristina is the Director of Vinum and MiVino magazines and a regular columnist for El PaÃs and other Spanish specialist publications. Since 2005, she has been the wine expert on Radio Nacional de EspaÃ±a, and has also published two books on wine. In 2011, Cristina became Technical Director of Iberwine, a wine fair that takes place in Spain and Miami. 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. Ben Henshaw DWWA 2013 Judge Ben Henshaw joined the wine trade in 2002 to work on the sales and marketing of Domaine Saint Hilaire, his familyâs newly acquired Languedoc vineyard. He set up Indigo Wine the following year, focusing initially on importing artisanal wines from southern France, and since then Ben has built up the most diverse list of Spanish wines of any UK importer. 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. Barbara Philip MW DWWA 2013 Judge Barbara Philip MW is a portfolio manager at the British Columbia Liquor Distribution Branch (BCLDB) in Canada and is responsible for selecting European wines for the BC Liquor Store chain. Her career has included working as a Sommelier and Wine Educator for many years, and she passed the MW in 2007. In addition to her role at the BCLDB, Barbara also works as a freelance lecturer, radio columnist and wine judge through Barbariain Wine Consulting, a company she runs with her husband Iain. Juan Carlos Rincon DWWA 2013 Judge Juan Carlos RincÃ³n is a professional wine taster, broadcast journalist, presenter and blogger. Also a wine consultant for Latin-American markets and a translator for French wineries and wine organisations, he is based in London, previously developed the Spanish website for the Conseil des Grands Crus ClassÃ©s en 1855, and was the wine expert for the Spanish Americas Department of the BBC World Service for eight years. A Commandeur of the Commanderie de Bontemps du Vins de MÃ©doc, Graves, Sauternes and Barsac, and a Vigneron d'Honneur of La Jurade de Saint Emilion, Juan Carlos loves wines with great character. Tom Forrest DWWA 2013 Judge Edinburgh-born Tom Forrest first fell in love with wine, and especially Pinot Noir, at the age of 18 when he was given a bottle of Nuits-St-Georges by a hotel manager. Following a career in hotel management, he began teaching wine & spirits to hospitality students in 1982, and is currently the Executive Manager for Wine Experience and Education at Vinopolis, where he has been working since 1999. A member of the Institute of Wines and Spirits and an accredited WSET Wine Educator, Tom oversees the WSET education programme and the calendar of master classes at Vinopolis, which includes the âMeet the Expertsâ series where Oz Clarke regularly features. He has judged at various international wine competitions since 1997, is the author of The Complete Wine Course, and in 2007 he won the UK Champagne Ambassador competition and was a European finalist. Tom has appeared on TV shows including This Morning, the Daily Politics Show and Come Date With Me, as well as on various local radio stations in London and the South East. Nick Dumergue DWWA 2013 Judge Nick Dumergue started his career as a Sommelier in his native New Zealand in 1990. From there his career progressed to working a dozen vintages around the world, working for many years in London learning about the commercial side of the industry, and holding several sales and managerial roles in Europe, Asia and Australia. In wine buying positions, Nick selected fine wines on Super Yachts in the Mediterranean and Caribbean, worked as part of the team at Harrods and for an importer in Hong Kong. A certified educator for the WSET and a former tasting co-ordinator for Decanter, Nick currently divides his time between a wine ambassador role, consulting for Indonesiaâs largest importer and working in London and France several times a year. The rest of the time, Nick can be found surfing in Bali, where he currently resides. Annette Scarfe DWWA 2013 Judge Annette Scarfe MW consults for restaurants in London, Hong Kong and Singapore including Alan Yauâs Princi and Bettys. She has previously consulted for Sake No Hana and runs regular training sessions for the on-trade at several restaurants in London. Annette is a regular member of magazine tasting panels, educates on the topic of Bordeaux and is a WSET certified educator. Simon Woods DWWA 2013 Judge Simon Woods abandoned a career in computer systems design in 1988 to join the wine trade, thus indulging his two hobbies of wine and writing. In his 25 years of communicating about wine, Simon Woods has been co-coordinator of the International Wine Challenge, columnist for The Financial Times' âThe Businessâ magazine and five-times editor of the annual Which? Wine Guide . He was voted International Online Wine Columnist of the Year at the Louis Roederer International Wine Writersâ Awards 2010 for his work on simonwoods.com , a site which offers a combination of tasting notes, rants and videos. Simon is also an in-demand presenter, and his books include the award-winning I Donât Know Much About Wine But I Know What I Like . Beverly Tabbron MW DWWA 2013 Judge Beverly Tabbron MW graduated from Kings College London in 1979 with a BA joint honours degree in German and Latin. Since passing her MW in 1996, Beverly has been responsible for purchasing at Hallgarten Druitt, where she looks after its extensive portfolio, a role which involves a great deal of travel around the world visiting producers, and finding that there is always something new to discover in the world of wine. Liz Thach MW DWWA 2013 Judge Dr. Liz Thach MW is a management and wine business professor at Sonoma State Universityâs Wine Business Institute, where she teaches in both the undergraduate and Wine MBA programs. Following her passion, Liz has visited most of the major wine regions of the world, and more than 35 countries. In addition, she has published over 90 articles and 5 wine textbooks, including Wine â A Global Business and Wine Marketing & Sales . A fifth generation Californian, Liz finished her Ph.D. at Texas A&M, and now lives on Sonoma Mountain where she tends a small hobby vineyard and makes 'garagiste' wine. She also works as a wine judge in various competitions, and has served on many non-profit wine boards. Ben Stephenson DWWA 2013 Judge Ben Stephenson is the Managing Director and founder of hangingditch wine merchants in Manchester. He has spent over 15 years in the wine industry, starting with stints as Shop Manager for Oddbins and Harvey Nichols, and as an Account Manager at Pagendam Pratt Wine Cellars, Domaine Direct and Willoughby's Wine Warehouse. In 2001, Ben obtained his WSET Diploma, and in 2004 he was a UK semi-finalist for the Ruinart Sommelier of the Year competition. Benâs talents not only lie in wine, however, as he also holds an Art Foundation and BA in Graphic Design from the Glasgow School of Art. Christine Parkinson DWWA 2013 Judge Christine Parkinson started her career in the kitchen, spending 3 years as Head Chef. She then moved into management, eventually gaining responsibility for 39 restaurants, at which point she decided to follow her passion and concentrate on wine. In 2001 Christine created the first wine list for Hakkasan, and then became Wine Buyer for the groupâs restaurants including Sake No Hana, HKK and Michelin-starred Hakkasan and Yauatcha, with sites worldwide. She is a regular judge at competitions including New Wave Spanish Wines, Decanter World Wine Awards and the IWC Sake Awards. Christine has been called âone of the most creative wine buyers in the UKâ by Jancis Robinson MW, and has won awards including âWine list of the year 2011â, âTaste On-Trade Influencer 2009â and âImbibe Restaurant Personality of the Year 2011â. Mike Harrison DWWA 2013 Judge Michael Harrison has been in the wine trade for 33 years and is currently Head Sommelier at the Hotel du Vin chain, who he has previously consulted for. His areas of expertise are Champagne, Australasia and South America, as well as the English wine industry. Michael is a regular judge for major wine events and a frequent wine magazine tasting panellist. Stephen Skelton MW DWWA 2013 Regional Chair Stephen Skelton MW started his career in wine in 1975. After 12 months at Schloss SchÃ¶nborn in Germany's Rheingau winegrowing region and two terms at Geisenheim Wine School, he returned to the UK in 1977 to establish Tenterden Vineyards in Kent, where he made wine for 23 vintages. He was Winemaker at Lamberhurst Vineyards from 1988â1991. Stephen is a consultant to the English wine industry and is involved with planting vineyards for the production of sparkling wine. He became a Master of Wine in 2003. Ed Adams MW DWWA 2013 Judge Ed Adams MW joined the wine trade in 1983 after dabbling with radio journalism in his home city of Bristol, England. Starting off working for an old Bristol wine firm, Howells, Ed eventually moved to the bright lights of London, where he found his passion for Spanish wine and all things Spanish rekindled by Vinos de EspaÃ±a. Ed then spent seven years as a buyer for the Co-op in Manchester, after which he became Quality Control and Purchasing Director for Western Wines for 12 years until 2006. Since then, Ed has been working on the BÃ¡scula Spanish wine project with South African winemaker Bruce Jack, where they are working with some of the top Spanish producers. Matthieu Longuere MS DWWA 2013 Judge Matthieu Longuere MS is originally from Bordeaux and studied catering at college for six years before coming to England in 1994. Since then he has worked as Head Sommelier at Lucknam Park near Bath, Hotel du Vin in Bristol and La Trompette in Chiswick. In 2000, Mattieu won the UK Sommelier of the Year Competition TrophÃ©e Ruinart, and he repesented the UK as a semi-finalist in the Best Sommelier of Europe Competition in 2010. Mattieu became a Master Sommelier in 2005 and speaks French, Spanish, English and basic Swedish. Jennifer Docherty DWWA 2013 Judge Jennifer Docherty is a wine buyer at Liberty Wines and is currently studying for her Master of Wine. Originally from Canada, she joined the wine trade six years ago, giving up a career in fashion, and has worked in sales as well as buying. Lindsay Talas DWWA 2013 Judge Lindsay Talas joined Thierry's in 2004 as Buying Director for Italian, Iberian, South African and South American wines, later venturing further afield to Croatia, and India. In November 2012 Lindsay moved to a new venture, Watermill wines, and now combines buying these areas with selling to key accounts. Starting her wine career in 1988 during a gap year spent working for Oddbins, Lindsay then moved to Bordeaux to take a bilingual European Business Studies degree and followed this up with the WSET Diploma, during which she was awarded the Italian Scholarship. Lindsay has spent 12 years in the multiple grocer sector where she worked as a Senior Buyer for Sainsburyâs and later, as Senior Product Development Manager at Tesco, where she was responsible for the launch of the Finest* wine range. Passionate about Italian and Spanish wines, Lindsay has judged in major wine competitions for more than 10 years. Joan Torrents DWWA 2013 Judge Joan Torrents is the fourth generation of a wine business family and by the age of 19 he had become a Chevalier of Cava. Since completing his MSc in Chemistry and Winemaking Studies, Joan has been involved in business development in European and Asian markets, and for four years he headed wine buying for Mitchells & Butlers' 1700 restaurants. In 2011, Joan became a member of the Champagne Academy and, since 2012, he has been Director of Buying at Enotria, heading a team of four buyers at the awarded wine importer. In 2007, Joan was nominated for Young Achiever in the UK by Drinks Business Magazine . Helen McEvoy DWWA 2013 Judge After studying French and Business at university, Helen McEvoy joined the Sainsburyâs Graduate Training Scheme as a Trainee Buyer in the Wine Department and was instantly hooked on wine. After spending eight years buying wine for various UK retailers, Helen took a sabbatical break to work the 2012 vintage in New Zealand. Upon her return to the UK, she re-joined Direct Wines to manage the Wine Buying Team. At the start of 2013 she moved into the role of Head of Retail for Laithwaiteâs Wine, where her knowledge and experience in the wine trade is being put to great use with store staff and customers alike. Matt Walls DWWA 2013 Judge Matt Walls is a freelance wine writer and regularly contributes to publications such as Decanter , timatkin.com , Harpers Wine & Spirit and Imbibe . His first book, Drink Me! How to choose, taste and enjoy wine , was published in 2012 by Quadrille, and in the same year he was shortlisted for IWSCâs Blogger of the Year for mattwalls.co.uk . Previously, Matt was Fine Wines Manager at Mentzendorff and also set up, managed and bought wines for the flagship store of The Sampler. When heâs not writing, Matt creates wine lists for restaurants such as The Table in London Bridge, hosts tastings, and judges at the IWC and IWSC. David Vareille DWWA 2013 Judge David Vareille was raised in Chablis, and his career began at the age of 16, when he worked in the Michelin starred La Salamandre, spending much of his time in the cellars establishing a love for fine wine. A career working with some of the best Chefs in Burgundy, Bordeaux and Spain followed. David moved to the UK in 2004 as Head Sommelier at LâEnclume in the Lake District and has since worked at the Hotel du Vin group and the Bleeding Heart before, in 2010, joining Bar Boulud as Head Sommelier for the opening of Chef Daniel Bouludâs first UK restaurant. With a focus on Burgundy and the RhÃ´ne Valley, as well as new world selections, this was a natural move for David, taking him back to his roots. David believes Bar Boulud is a combination of his three great passions: fantastic food, fantastic wines and the best guests you can dream of. Giles Cooke MW DWWA 2013 Judge Giles Cooke MW graduated with a degree in History but realised early on that he was more skilled at eating and drinking than at being an historian. He subsequently worked at Majestic Wine until the lure of returning to his native Scotland saw him join Alliance Wine. In the 19 years since, Giles has worked in all areas of the business, including on- and off-trade sales, buying and marketing, and is credited with being an integral part of the growth of Alliance Wine from a regional supplier to an increasingly international player. Giles is currently the company's Marketing Director, passed his MW in 2001, and is passionate about the wines of Spain and JamÃ³n ibÃ©rico - so much so that he has been known to travel with a leg of JamÃ³n in the boot of his car. Giles is also involved with various production projects around the world (particularly in Australia) on behalf of Alliance, and spends much of his time building the international distribution for these. Victor Amaro DWWA 2013 Judge Victor Amaro has over 20 yearsâ experience as a professional sommelier. He started his profession in Boston working for Locke-Ober, once one of Bostonâs power restaurants frequented by JFK, Ogden Nash, and the bluebloods of Boston, before returning to his native Portugal to take on the position of Head Sommelier at the Michelin-starred Hotel Fortaleza do Guincho. Following this, Victor moved to the UK, and he currently works at the Hotel du Vin, Tunbridge Wells, previously being part of the hospitality teams at the company's Cheltenham branch and The Bath Priory Hotel. Victor holds qualifications from both the WSET and the Court of Master Sommeliers and judges regularly at both national and international wine competitions. Allan Cheesman DWWA 2013 Judge Allan Cheesman has been in the UK wine trade for 42 years, spending 31 of them at Sainsburyâs, where he was Trading Director. As he was responsible for the supermarket's own-label development in the 1970s and 1980s, Allan is attributed with demystifying and popularising wine in the UK. Now semi-retired, he is a non-executive and consultant for several global wine businesses, a member of the Gran Orden de Caballeros del Vino, and sits on the board for the WSET and London Wine Trade Fair. Also an Officier dans lâOrdre du MÃ©rite Agricole, Allan has lifetime achievement awards from Off Licence News and the IWSC and, in 2011, he was awarded the Order of Isabel the Catholic by the King of Spain, the country's highest civil award, for services to Spanish wines. Igor Ryjenkov DWWA 2013 Judge Igor Ryjenkov MW was born in Russia but moved to Canada shortly after graduating with a degree in journalism. He became interested in the wine industry after a visit to the Niagara Peninsula, which led to a period of studying, tasting and travelling. From 1995 to 2003 he completed WSET courses to Diploma level and achieved his MW, during which time he was twice awarded the North American Scholarship and also received the Henkell-Sohnlein Award for Best Dissertation. Igor "turned pro" in 1999, working first in on-trade sales for a wine agency and then as a retail product specialist with the LCBO. As seven years on the front line in Ontarioâs two largest retail locations, Igor was promoted to European Wines Product Manager for Vintages, the premium wine division of the LCBO. Igor has contributed to a number of wine books and manuals, has judged in several international wine competitions, and regularly travels to the key wine producing areas for business or as a part of educational MW visits. 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. Chris Murphy DWWA 2013 Judge Chris Murphy has worked at Marks & Spencer all his life, and has spent the best part of the last three decades sourcing wines from around the world. For the past six years he has concentrated on the M&S Wine Club, âWine Onlineâ, and has judged at wine competitions both at home and abroad. Chris has tried to adhere to the advice given him by Christopher Tatham when he was first starting out, that âthe first duty of a wine is to be deliciousâ. Joao Pires MS DWWA 2013 Judge JoÃ£o Pires is the Head Sommelier at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in London. Born in Portugal, he moved to the UK in January 2005, and has worked as a sommelier for over 20 years in Paris, Lisbon, Montreal, Toronto and the United Kingdom. Prior to joining Blumenthalâs Dinner, JoÃ£o worked at Gordon Ramsayâs Royal Hospital Road, and was Wine Director for the Vineyard at Stockcross in Berkshire and the Capital Hotel in London. JoÃ£o is currently studying to become a Master of Wine. Jane Parkinson DWWA 2013 Judge Jane Parkinson is one of the UKâs youngest award-winning wine writers. Working freelance, she contributes regularly to a variety of magazines and newspapers, but is also the wine editor at large for Restaurant magazine, the wine expert for Stylist magazine, and the wine columnist for Tesco Magazine . Jane has been the wine expert on BBC radio programmes and she hosts tastings at fairs such as the BBC Good Food Show and the Ideal Home Show, as well as privately for restaurants and wine merchants. She has been the Chair of Judges for the Rising Stars Trophy, a national competition in search of the best young sommelier and chef team in the UK, and is a member of The Wine Gang, a group of five experts who host consumer fairs and review wines every month on thewinegang.com . Jane also has her own website janeparkinson.com , on which she blogs, posts her published features, recommends wines, and writes restaurant reviews. Goran Klintberg DWWA 2013 Judge GÃ¶ran Klintberg has been involved in the Swedish wine industry for 26 years, with roles including: bartender, sommelier, and manager for numerous restaurants. In 2006, he was elected President of the Swedish Sommelier Association and in 2009 became a Wine Buyer for the Swedish off-trade monopoly, Systembolaget, where he is responsible for wines from Argentina and Portugal as well as for Sake and Swedish GlÃ¶gg. When he is not doing something wine-related, GÃ¶ran enjoys a secondary career as a singer/songwriter and has released a number of CDs. Paulo Brammer DWWA 2013 Judge Paulo Brammer began his wine career in London 11 years ago at Bank Aldwych and Just Saint James as Head of Bars. He then moved to become Head Sommelier for the three Michelin-starred chefs Pourcel brothers at WâSens. In 2008, he made the move out of fine dining to take on a new challenge as Group Wine Buyer at ETM Group, where he designs wine lists for ten very different sites. As group wine buyer, Paulo travels to the Languedoc every year to blend ETM Groupâs house wines, hand selecting the best grape varieties in order to create excellent value house wines. Paulo is currently launching a wine and spirits academy, Eno Cultura, in his native Brazil, which will provide and certify WSET Levels 1, 2 and 3.

DWWA 2013 Spain Judging Panel

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