The London Wine Competition has announced the first group of judges for its landmark 10th edition, assembling one of the most commercially influential judging panels in the global wine industry. Bringing together 11 Masters of Wine, 5 Master Sommeliers, senior wine buyers, luxury hotel wine directors, restaurant group buyers, specialist importers, and category experts, the 2027 panel reflects the competition's unique approach to evaluating wines through the lens of today's marketplace.

Since its launch, the London Wine Competition has distinguished itself from traditional wine competitions by judging wines not only on quality, but also on value for money and packaging. Every wine is assessed by professionals who actively buy, list, recommend, and sell wines every day. These are the people who decide what reaches restaurant wine lists, retail shelves, hotel beverage programmes, and importer portfolios, making the recognition particularly valuable for wineries seeking commercial success.

As the competition celebrates its tenth edition, the calibre of judges continues to reinforce its reputation as one of the industry's most commercially relevant wine competitions.

A World-Class Panel Of Masters Of Wine

The 2027 judging panel features an exceptional group of Masters of Wine whose expertise spans retail buying, fine wine, education, auctions, criticism and international judging.

The Masters of Wine confirmed include:

Dror Nativ MW — Senior Wine Buyer, Marks & Spencer

Emily Brighton MW — Master of Wine & Head of Technical, North South Wines Ltd

Tim Triptree MW — International Director, Wine, Christie's

Beans Boughton MW — Master of Wine & Buyer, Alliance Wine

Alistair Cooper MW — Master of Wine

Annette Scarfe MW — Master of Wine

Greg Sherwood MW — Master of Wine, Fine Wine Critic, Buyer & International Wine Judge

Demetri Walters MW — Master of Wine

Mike Best MW — Master of Wine

Beverley Blanning MW — Master of Wine, Writer, Educator & Presenter

Sara Muirhead MW — Master of Wine

Together, these Masters of Wine represent decades of expertise across buying, education, journalism, auctions, consulting, and international wine judging, providing wineries with evaluations from some of the most respected palates in the business.

Master Sommeliers Representing Luxury Hospitality

The competition also welcomes some of the UK's leading Master Sommeliers, bringing expertise from luxury hotels, fine dining restaurants and specialist wine importers.

The Master Sommeliers confirmed are:

Matteo Montone MS — Group Wine Director, Gleneagles Hotel

Christopher Delalonde MS — Head Sommelier, The Pembroke Club, London

Yves Desmaris MS — Senior Sommelier, Galvin La Chapelle

Svetoslav Manolev MS — Portfolio Director, Armit Wines

Eric Zwiebel MS — Director of Wine, Bonheur by Matt Abé

Collectively, these professionals oversee prestigious wine programmes and understand exactly what today's premium restaurant guests expect from a world-class wine list.

Buyers Who Shape The UK Wine Market

One of the defining strengths of the London Wine Competition is its focus on judges who actively make purchasing decisions.

The 2027 panel includes senior buyers from some of the UK's most respected retailers, wholesalers, hospitality groups and specialist wine merchants.

Among them are:

Frances Bentley — Wine Buyer, LWC Drinks

Freddy Bulmer — Wine Buyer, The Wine Society

Joshua Castle — Group Head Buyer, Keeling Andrew

Will Hill — Senior Wine Buyer, Ocado Retail

Richard Lewis — Senior Wine Buyer, Berkmann Wine Cellars

Lisa McBain DipWSET — Wine Buyer & Category Management, Fuller, Smith & Turner

Shane McHugh — Group Wine Buyer, Goodman Restaurant Holdings Ltd

Michele Orbolato — Head of Wine, Thesleff Group UK

Chris Howells — Group Director, MUST

These buyers collectively influence purchasing decisions across supermarkets, independent merchants, wholesalers, distributors, restaurant groups and hospitality businesses, making their evaluations particularly meaningful for wineries looking to build distribution in the UK and beyond.

Leaders From Luxury Hotels And Fine Dining

Luxury hospitality remains one of the most influential sectors in premium wine, and the London Wine Competition continues to attract many of its leading wine professionals.

The hospitality judges include:

Emma Denney — Director of Wine, Claridge's

Matteo Furlan DipWSET — Head of Wines, The Dorchester

Federico Moccia — Head of Wine & Operations, London, 67 Pall Mall

Maria Boumpa — Wine Buyer, Da Terra Restaurant; Top 5 Female Sommeliers in the UK and third place in the UK Sommelier of the Year Competition

Marcello Colletti DipWSET — Head Sommelier, Lilibet's Mayfair; DipWSET & CMS Certified

Nicola D'Ascenzo — Senior Sommelier, The London EDITION

Elizabeth Mellish — Head Sommelier, Gleneagles Townhouse; Harper's Wine & Spirit 30 Under 30

Daniele Arcangeli — ASPI Best Sommelier of Italy 2015, Best Sommelier of Tuscany 2012, ASI Diploma Gold and Certified Sommelier, Court of Master Sommeliers

These judges bring first-hand knowledge of luxury hospitality, fine dining, and premium consumer expectations, ensuring wines are assessed from both a quality and commercial perspective.

Recognising Emerging Categories

As the wine industry continues to evolve, the London Wine Competition has expanded its judging expertise to reflect changing consumer preferences.

The panel includes:

Sam Cooklin-Smith — No & Low Alcohol Expert and Co-Founder, Kore Drinks

Irem Eren DipWSET — Regional and Category Expert for Low and No Alcohol

Their inclusion highlights the growing importance of alternative wine categories and demonstrates the competition's commitment to staying aligned with emerging market trends.

Why These Judges Matter

The credibility of any wine competition ultimately depends on the expertise of its judges.

What makes the London Wine Competition different is that its judges are not simply wine experts—they are active decision-makers. Every member of the panel brings practical commercial experience, whether buying wines for a national retailer, creating wine lists for five-star hotels, selecting portfolios for importers, or managing beverage programmes for leading restaurant groups.

This means every medal is awarded by professionals who understand not only how a wine tastes, but also whether it offers value, whether its packaging will attract consumers, and whether it has genuine commercial potential.

For wineries, this provides something far more valuable than a traditional tasting score. It offers recognition from the people who influence what consumers ultimately buy and drink.

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Looking Ahead To The 10th Edition

The 2027 London Wine Competition marks an important milestone as the competition celebrates its 10th edition. Over the past decade, it has established itself as one of the wine industry's most respected commercial competitions by bringing together buyers, sommeliers, Masters of Wine, and hospitality professionals who represent every stage of the wine buying journey.

With judges representing organisations including Marks & Spencer, The Wine Society, Christie's, Alliance Wine, Gleneagles, Claridge's, The Dorchester, 67 Pall Mall, Armit Wines, Fuller, Smith & Turner, Berkmann Wine Cellars, Ocado Retail, Goodman Restaurant Holdings, LWC Drinks, and many more, the 2027 judging panel is one of the strongest ever assembled.

For wineries around the world, the London Wine Competition offers an opportunity to have their wines evaluated by the very people who shape purchasing decisions across retail, hospitality, and the international wine trade. 

As entries open for the landmark 10th edition, the competition continues to reinforce its position as where outstanding wines meet commercial opportunity.

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