MEET THE JUDGES
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2023 was not only HK IWSC’s 15th anniversary, but it also marked the return of the competition’s Asian judges after a 3-year hiatus.
Wine Judges
The judging teams were excited to welcome VIP International Wine Judge, Craig Stansborough. Craig is the Group Premium Winemaker for Accolade Wines in Australia and New Zealand. With over 35 years of winemaking experience, his insights and knowledge were highly valued and appreciated. The HK IWSC also saw the return of its Asian judges including: Joao Pires MS (Macau), Kenichi Ohashi MW (Japan), Della Tang (Shanghai), Gerald Lu (Singapore), Thomas Ho (Taiwan), Stephen Notman (Shanghai), Thomas Ling (Malaysia), and Xiao Pi (Shanghai). Talented new local additions included: Pierre-Marie Pattieu MS, Terence Wong, Sebastien Chevalier, Mike Tse, and Carlito Chiu. With over 65 judges, the Arca Hotel was a hotbed of discussion and debate throughout judging week!
Anty Fung
Billy Yeung
General Manager & Co-Founder HIP Cellar & AnOther Place & Mato Coffee Wine Hong Kong
Head Sommelier Grand Hyatt Hong Kong
Bernice Liu
Cecilia Wong
Wine Director Ando Hong Kong
Wine & Spirits TV Host/ Critic/Blogger CC Wine Voyage Hong Kong
Cherish Ho
Danny Ng
Director Wines AUOR Hong Kong
Beverage Manager The American Club Hong Kong
WINE & SAKE JUDGE Corinne Mui Founder CorVino Wine School Hong Kong
David Wong Executive Director Food & Beverage Academy Wynn Macau Macau
Accolade Wines, Group Premium Winemaker Australia/New Zealand
Born in Gawler, on the edge of the Barossa Valley, Craig grew up with the wine industry all around him. He started as a cellar hand with B Seppelt & Sons in 1983, firstly at Chateau Tanunda and then later at historic Seppeltsfield Winery.
Craig is highly regarded for his talent, strong leadership, inquisitive mind, and unrelenting passion for winemaking. Craig is renowned for his contribution to some of Australia’s most respected wines – Meshach, The Holy Trinity, Shadrach, and the highly regarded Filsell. He is justifiably proud of their development and has crafted a solid reputation for excellence and conveying the true values of the Barossa. A passionate ambassador for the Barossa, craig is proud to serve on the Barossa Wine Show Committee for 10 years as well as being a part of the inaugural Barossa Technical committee. He also had the honour of being named Barossa Winemaker of the year in 2014. Craig travels internationally for the company promoting the values and messages which have made Australian regions famous. Being a vineyard owner as well as winemaker, Craig knows the nuances of the region intimately, the seasons, the soil, the varieties and is committed to maintaining the healthy environment to hand to future generations. His involvement with the company’s viticultural team is greatly respected, where his knowledge transfers to influencing the management of each year’s harvest. Craig’s discerning palate earned him a role as a panellist and judge on the Barossa Wine Show, National Wine Show, Australia Greatest Red and as a tasting panellist for the Australian Research Institute. 8
SPIT JOURNAL 2023
General Manager Links Concept Hong Kong
Carlito Chiu
VIP WINE JUDGE: CRAIG STANSBOROUGH
Craig joined Grant Burge Wines in 1993 as Assistant Winemaker, Winemaker in 1995 and Senior Winemaker in 1997 and continued that role until 2019. In 2019 Craig took on the role of Group Premium Winemaker within Accolade Wines, this has allowed winemaking experience in multiple Australian regions including McLaren Vale, Coonawarra, Adelaide Hills, Yarra Valley as well as regions within Western Australia to Tasmania.
Bojan Radulovic
Artiste/ Celebrity Winemaker Bellavizio Wines/ Winemaven.io Hong Kong
Della Tang Group Sommelier Savor Group Shenzhen
Davy Leung Director Aquaseason Professionals Hong Kong
Derek Li Beverage Manager HKGTA Townclub Hong Kong
Gerald Lu Director Liquidity Group Singapore
Jose Lau Head of Sales Berry Bros & Rudd Hong Kong
Chair of Judges Debra Meiburg MW Director, HK IWSC & Meiburg Wine Media Hong Kong CATHAY HK IWSC 2023
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