Judges Revealed for LWF Judgement of London Tasting

The anticipation is building as the London Wine Fair's Judgement of London approaches, set to kick off the show next week. This modern homage to Steven Spurrier's legendary Judgement of Paris promises a thrilling update with an innovative format. In this event, judges will taste pairs of European icon wines alongside their non-European counterparts—starting with eight pairs of white wines followed by eight pairs of reds.

The selection of judges is a who's who of the UK wine industry, with over 70% holding the prestigious titles of Master of Wine (MW) or Master Sommelier (MS). These esteemed judges are known for their deep expertise and influence in the wine world:

• Elliot Awin, Partner at ABS Wine Agencies
• Isa Bal MS, Consultant Sommelier, Trivet Restaurant
• Richard Bampfield MW, Wine Consultant
• Stephen Brook, Contributing Editor of Decanter and Author
• Alistair Cooper MW, Writer, Consultant, and Judge
• Dawn Davies MW, Buying Director, Speciality Drinks
• Gearoid Devaney MS, Director of Flint Wines and Cabotte
• Sarah Jane Evans MW, Wine Writer
• Tina Gellie, Content Manager for the Decanter brand
• Aleesha Hansel, Wine Writer
• Daniel Illsley, Founder of Theatre of Wine
• Anne Krebiehl MW, Wine Writer
• Kathrine Larsen-Robert MS, Head of Fine Wine, Enotria
• Adam Lechmere, Publishing Director, Académie du Vin Library
• Regine Lee MW, Managing Director, Indigo Wine
• Margaret Rand, Wine Writer and general editor of Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book
• Laura Rhys MS, Head of Wine – Communications, Education and Style, Gusbourne
• Jancis Robinson MW OBE, Wine Writer of The FT and JancisRobinson.com
• Patrick Schmitt MW, Editor-in-Chief, The Drinks Business
• Matt Wilkin MS, Director, H2Vin
• Clem Yates MW, Founder of English Pink rosé

The event has been meticulously curated by Ronan Sayburn MS, CEO of The Court of Master Sommeliers, and Sarah Abbott MW, MD of Swirl Wine Group. They will guide the tasting and unveil the results on Centre Stage, alongside Hannah Tovey, Head of London Wine Fair, on Tuesday, 21st May at 16:45.

Hannah Tovey shared her excitement: "We are delighted with the response we have had from those invited to join our judging panel. The fact that we have such a high calibre of judges and that this tasting has become something of a 'hot ticket' is testament to the longevity of the original 1976 Judgement and the appetite for this updated version almost half a century on."

This Judgement of London is set to be a landmark event, celebrating both the heritage and the evolving diversity of the wine world. As wine enthusiasts eagerly await the results, the London Wine Fair continues to solidify its reputation as a premier event in the global wine calendar.