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Expert Judges

Decanter World Wine Awards recruits hundreds of the world’s leading wine experts to ensure your wines are judged by top specialists in their field. Have your wines tasted by the most influential people in the wine world with a meticulous and internationally trusted judging process.

DWWA judging statistics:

  • 237 international wine experts
  • 70 Masters of Wine and Master Sommeliers
  • 54 countries entered

We have colleagues at DWWA who are winemakers, Master Sommeliers, retailers, wine buyers, distributors, writers and Masters of Wine — each one of them is assessing the wines from a slightly different aspect, and out of that what we get is a brilliant independent decision. – Sarah Jane Evans MW, Co-Chair


Wines are judged on a regional basis in carefully organised flights by country, region, colour, grape, style, vintage and price point to ensure wines are judged in flights against their peers. Learn more about the rigorous judging process here →

DWWA Co-Chairs

 

DWWA Co-Chair: Sarah Jane Evans MW


Sarah Jane MW, award-winning journalist, is one of four Co-Chairs at the Decanter World Wine Awards.

DWWA Co-Chair: Andrew Jefford


Andrew has been writing and broadcasting about wine since the 1980s, winning many awards for his work.

 

DWWA Co-Chair: Michael Hill Smith MW


Michael, wine producer, international wine judge, wine consultant, and occasional wine writer, is a DWWA Co-Chair.

DWWA Co-Chair: Ronan Sayburn MS


Ronan joins DWWA 2022 as the official fourth Co-Chair.

He is the CEO for the Court of Master Sommeliers European chapter, head of wine at 67 Pall Mall in London, and runs his own consultancy. 

 

DWWA Regional Chairs

 

DWWA Judges