New judging panel for Decanter World Wine Awards 2017

Friday, 9 December, 2016
Decanter Staff
Entries are now open for the Decanter World Wine Awards 2017 and there is a new judging panel in place. Read about the changes to the chairmanship of DWWA and see the new Regional Chairs below.

Decanter is delighted to announce the chairmanship of the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) 2017 will be shared between Sarah Jane Evans MW, Michael Hill Smith MW and Gerard Basset OBE MS MW.

The three will take on their new roles as Chairs of the competition to oversee and lead all Regional Chairs and judges to blind taste wine entries received during judging week.

There are also new Regional Chair appointments for the 2017 competition:

  • Huon Hooke – Australia Co-Chair alongside Anthony Rose
  • Justin Howard-Sneyd MW – Languedoc-Roussillon Co-Chair alongside Bernard Burtschy
  • Michael Garner – Regional Italy Co-Chair alongside Jane Hunt MW
  • Ferran Centelles – Spain Co-Chair alongside Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW
  • Markus Del Monego MW – Germany Regional Chair
  • Fiona McDonald – South Africa Regional Chair
  • Andy Howard MW – Southern Italy Regional Chair

Steven Spurrier, Decanter consultant editor and Chairman of the DWWA since its launch in 2004, will become Chairman Emeritus and aid the Chairs in an advisory capacity.

To read more online, click here.