DWWA judge profile: Sietze Wijma
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Sietze Wijma is a new judge at the 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA).
Sietze Wijma
Sietze Wijma is a wine educator based in the Netherlands. Through his company, The Art of Tasting, he delivers tasting courses built around a distinctive methodology in which wines are presented with added flavour compounds. This approach helps wine professionals develop confidence in identifying flavours and recognising faults.
The Art of Tasting flavour vials are used by wine educators around the world and have become a widely adopted tool in sensory education. Sietze holds an MSc in Sensory Science, the WSET Diploma, and is an Advanced Cicerone®.
In 2025, he presented a wine faults masterclass to judges at the Decanter World Wine Awards, which was very well received. He joins the Decanter World Wine Awards judging panel for the first time in 2026.
Follow Sietze on Instagram.
See more judges for the 2026 DWWA.
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Born and raised in India, Shivani is the awards manager at Decanter, managing the 300-strong cohort of worldwide judges for the world's largest wine competition, the Decanter World Wine Awards, ensuring a seamless judging process and driving the competitive integrity of the awards. After earning a master’s in wine management from the Burgundy School of Business, she moved to London in 2016 and completed her WSET diploma. While Burgundy holds a special place in her heart, Champagne is her go-to bottle. Alongside her full-time role, she has been dipping her toes into wine writing, relishing the opportunity to bring wine stories to the surface. She serves on the Drinks United Advisory Council board.