The London Wine Competition has expanded its Regional and Category Experts Program for 2027, bringing together its first batch of specialists across key wine regions and categories.

The London Wine Competition welcomes Marinela Ardelean, Sam Cooklin-Smith and Irem Eren as Regional and Category Experts, alongside Mario Lazzaro as a Regional Ambassador for Argentina.

Why the Regional and Category Experts Program?

The Regional and Category Experts Program is designed to feature some of the industry’s leading experts and professionals with deep expertise in specific wine regions, countries, markets, or beverage categories.

The program has been developed to add deeper regional and category context to the competition and awareness, particularly as producers navigate changing buyer expectations, distribution challenges and emerging consumer trends.

The initiative also gives each expert and ambassador a platform to represent their specialist region or category, helping drive education, participation and awareness across key global markets.

Marinela Ardelean

Regional Expert – Romania

Wine Expert, Author and Ambassador of Romanian Wines

Marinela Ardelean is one of the most prominent international advocates for Romanian wine and will represent Romania as a Regional Expert for the London Wine Competition.

Born and raised in Maramureș, Transylvania, Marinela developed an early connection with Romania’s viticultural traditions and wine culture. Her professional and academic journey has since taken her across Romania and Italy, building an extensive multidisciplinary background spanning wine, business, marketing and international trade.

She holds qualifications in law, psychology, economic and administrative sciences and an Executive MBA from MIB School of Management in Trieste. She also completed a doctoral degree in marketing at the West University of Timișoara, with research focused on the relationship between the Romanian country brand and Romanian wine brand equity.

Her specialist wine education includes a sommelier diploma from the Associazione Italiana Sommelier, training at L’École du Vin de Bordeaux and certification as a Certified Scotch Professional from the Council of Whiskey Masters.

Throughout her career, Marinela has worked extensively in international business development and wine promotion. She was involved in the development of international markets for what is today known as Ethica Wines and later founded RO-Wine – The International Wine Festival of Romania, one of the country’s leading premium wine events.

She is also the creator of Wines of Romania, an ecosystem promoting Romanian wineries and wines internationally, and founder of the NGO Romania, The Land of Wines.

Her experience includes advisory and ambassadorial roles across the Romanian and international wine industry, including collaborations with Carrefour Romania, Foss Marai Spumanti and Brâncoveanu Vinars.

Marinela is also the author of several books dedicated to Romanian wine and wine culture, including The Wine Book of Romania series, Țara și Vinul and 50 vini di Romania incontrano 50 piatti italiani d'eccellenza.

Through the Regional Experts Program, Marinela will bring producers and the wider London Wine Competition community closer to the evolution, potential and international positioning of the Romanian wine industry.

Sam Cooklin-Smith

Category Expert – No & Low Alcohol

No & Low Alcohol Expert and Co-Founder, Kore Drinks

Sam Cooklin-Smith joins the London Wine Competition as a specialist No & Low Alcohol Category Expert.

As Co-Founder of Kore Drinks, a specialist distribution business focused on premium low and no alcohol beverages, Sam works closely with producers, hospitality operators, retailers and drinks buyers to develop commercially successful alcohol-free beverage programs.

His expertise covers a broad spectrum of the category, including:

- Alcohol-free wines
- No and low alcohol spirits
- RTDs
- Sparkling teas
- Functional drinks

With more than 14 years of drinks industry experience, Sam has worked across the beverage supply chain, from wineries in Australia to portfolio development and commercial strategy in the UK.

A major part of his work has centred around helping operators and retailers successfully position No & Low products through stronger menu development, pricing strategies, consumer understanding and premiumisation.

The No & Low category continues to evolve rapidly as moderation becomes increasingly important to consumers. Sam's practical market experience gives producers access to an expert perspective on how alcohol-free products can move beyond simply replacing traditional drinks and instead develop strong identities and propositions of their own.

As a London Wine Competition judge, Sam also evaluates products from both a quality and commercial perspective, looking at factors such as quality, value, packaging and market readiness.

Through the Experts Program, Sam will help provide producers with greater insight into one of the fastest-changing areas of the modern beverage industry.

Irem Eren

Category Expert – Low & No Alcohol | UK & USA

Low and No Alcohol Category Specialist

Irem Eren joins the London Wine Competition as a Low and No Alcohol Category Expert, bringing an international perspective spanning both the UK and USA markets.

With professional experience across Europe and the United States, Irem combines a scientific, commercial and wine-focused background.

A chemist by training, she also holds a Master's degree in International Business and Marketing and the WSET Diploma. She is currently pursuing the prestigious Master of Wine qualification.

Her career in the wine industry has covered multiple functions, including production, sales, marketing, business development and wine buying. Prior to specialising further in the No & Low category, she worked with leading wine producers including Familia Torres.

Irem is currently Head of Sales & Market Development at BORN ROSÉ Barcelona and is actively involved in the development of the No & Low alcohol category.

Alongside her commercial work, she is also involved in wine education and editorial activities with WSET and regularly judges at international wine competitions.

Her multidisciplinary experience allows her to look at the category from several perspectives — technical, commercial, educational and consumer-driven.

As the Low & No category continues to gain momentum in major international markets, Irem will bring valuable insight into category development, product positioning and changing consumer expectations across the UK and USA.

Mario Lazzaro

Regional Ambassador – Argentina

Regional Ambassador for Argentina.

Mario's career in wine began in 1979, when he worked as a consultant for a traditional Mendoza winery and vineyard company focused on the domestic market.

As Argentine wine began expanding into international markets during the 1990s, Mario became actively involved in global trade, facilitating exports of wines and concentrated grape must from Mendoza producers into markets including the United States, China and Russia.

In 2002, he founded Finca del Valle Inc., producing wine for export to China and the United States. He subsequently developed the American market through import and distribution activities.

Following the global financial crisis, Mario worked with multiple Mendoza wineries as a consultant, helping them expand exports across the United States, Europe and Asia. His work has also included acting as a purchasing representative for US wine importers.

From 2015 until early 2024, Mario served as General Manager and Director of ProMendoza, the organisation responsible for supporting and promoting exports from the province of Mendoza.

Today, he is a partner at Thinkick Ltd., specialising in international trade consultancy.

As Regional Ambassador for Argentina, Mario will help strengthen the London Wine Competition's engagement with Argentine producers while sharing his extensive knowledge of exports, international market development and the evolution of Argentina's wine industry.

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Celebrating 10 Years of the London Wine Competition

The 2027 London Wine Competition marks the 10th edition of the competition, representing an important milestone in its journey of connecting wine producers with real-world trade expertise.

From day one, the London Wine Competition has focused on evaluating wines from the perspective of today's wine buyer and consumer.

Entries are assessed not only on their quality, but on the combination of:

- Quality
- Value
- Packaging

This approach reflects the realities of today's competitive wine market, where producers need more than technically excellent wines; they need products that buyers can confidently list, retailers can successfully sell, and consumers will want to purchase again.

As we approach our tenth edition, the Regional and Category Experts Program will further strengthen this philosophy by connecting producers with experienced professionals who understand specific markets, categories, and regions at a deeper level.

Throughout the coming months, we will be sharing interviews, insights, regional perspectives, and category intelligence from our newly appointed Experts and Ambassador.

Stay tuned to learn more about Marinela Ardelean, Sam Cooklin-Smith, Irem Eren, and Mario Lazzaro, and the expertise they will bring to the 10th edition of the London Wine Competition.

Header Image: First Batch of London Competition’s Regional & Category Experts and Ambassadors

Also Read:
How London Wine Competition Judging Really Happens: Quality, Value and Packaging Explained
The Complete London Wine Competition Entry Guide: From Registration to Results
London Wine Competition Unveils World-Class Judges For Landmark 10th Edition