Meet
the wine experts
Masters of Wine and wine experts co-host Chief Wine Officer events to give you an unforgettable wine tasting experience. Their unparalleled knowledge and passion for everything wine-related makes for an endlessly interesting and engaging tasting session.
There are only 414 Masters of Wine in the world, while our wine experts all boast a wide range of qualifications and achievements.
Amy Christine MW
Anne Krebiehl MW
Cees Van Casteren MW
Christian Holthausen
Christy Frank
Edouard Baijot MW
Eugene Mlynczyk MW
Harriet Tindal MW
Jane Rakison
Jonas Röjerman MW
Julian Chamberlen
Libby Brodie
May Matta-Aliah
Peter McCombie MW
Richard Hemming MW
Robin Kick MW
Sam Caporn MW
Sheri Morano MW
Amy Christine MW
Master of Wine | USA
Amy Christine has been a Master of Wine for ten years and, when she achieved the title in 2013, was one of only 13 female Masters of Wine in the entire United States. She also works for Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant and is a partner at Wine Ring, the leader in personalization software in the wine and spirits industry.
Amy and her husband, Peter Hunken, also co-own and operate Holus Bolus Winery in the Santa Barbara Valley, where they produce and release small-batch, refined wine created with time-honored and notable varieties.
I will drink Champagne at any time, on any occasion, with any type of food. Taco truck burritos and Champagne are a favorite pairing at our house!
Anne Krebiehl MW
Master of Wine | UK
Anne Krebiehl MW is a widely published freelance wine writer and lecturer. She is the editor for Germany, Alsace and Austria for Vinousmedia.com, regularly judges international wine competitions and is a panel chair at the International Wine Challenge. She completed her WSET Diploma in 2010 and was admitted to the Institute of Masters of Wine in September 2014.
She has harvested and helped to make wine in New Zealand, Germany and Italy. Her first book, The Wines of Germany, published in Infinite Ideas’ Classic Wine Library, appeared in September 2019 and won the Domaine Faiveley International Wine Book Of The Year 2020 award at the Louis Roederer International Wine Writers’ Awards.
I love high-acid wines, especially Pinot Noir, Riesling and traditional method sparkling wines.
Cees van Casteren MW
Master of Wine | Netherlands
Cees is a consultant, wine writer and freelance journalist. In his previous role, he was globally responsible for Enological specialities like yeasts, enzymes and bacteria for the winemakers the Enology Group.
But now he writes about all things wine, having held the editorship of wine magazine Proefschrift in 2003 and of Perswijn’s Supplements from 2004 to 2009.
He has a weekly column in De Gelderlander and is a correspondent for Meininger’s Wine Business International. He also teaches WSET and other wine courses at Wijnstudio, Winefields, and has authored over ten books on wine.
When you pour a glass of Champagne, about 80% of the carbon dioxide escapes invisibly through the liquid’s surface. The rest forms the near one million bubbles in a Champagne flute.
Christian Holthausen
Sommelier | France
Expert en vin avec plus de 20 ans d’expérience, Christian a une carrière très impressionnante. Après avoir travaillé chez Veuve Clicquot, AR Lenoble et Piper-Heidsieck & Charles Heidsieck en Champagne, il a également géré le portefeuille de vins de Rémy Cointreau aux États-Unis.
Par ailleurs, Christian est aussi un écrivain renommé spécialisé dans le vin, ayant contribué à Meininger’s Wine Business International, Decanter, The Guardian, www.jancisrobinson.com et The World of Fine Wine.
En 2017, Christian a été présélectionné pour le titre de ‘Emerging Wine Writer of the Year’ aux Louis Roederer International Wine Writers Awards. Il dirige maintenant Westbrook Marketing Partners en tant que fondateur.
Christy Frank
Wine expert | UK
Christy has served on the New York Times “Wine of the Times” Tasting Panel, Wine & Spirits tasting panels and has served as a judge at the TexSom Awards. Her shops have been recognized by publications such as the Financial Times, the New York Times, Grub Street, and Food & Wine.
She is an Advanced Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers, holds a WSET Diploma, is a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier, and was The Roots Foundation’s 2023 Mentor of the Year.
Edouard Baijot MW
Master of Wine | France
Edouard Baijot est né à Reims et a grandi dans un petit village près de Vertus, dans la Côte des Blancs, où il a découvert la beauté de la Champagne dès son plus jeune âge. Il est entré dans l’industrie du vin en 2002 lorsqu’il a rejoint le vignoble E & J Gallo Winery en France.
Il a commencé en tant que représentant des ventes pour la Bretagne, où il a relevé le défi de vendre des vins californiens aux Français. Seize ans plus tard et après plusieurs promotions au sein de l’entreprise, il dirige désormais son activité pour l’Europe. Il a obtenu le titre de Maître du Vin en 2019.
Le vin c’est avant tout des rencontres humaines, l’adhésion à une philosophie et à des pratiques viticoles ancrées dans le paysage local mais surtout des moments de convivialité et de partage.
Eugene Mlynczyk MW
Master of Wine | USA
Eugene Mlynczyk is one of the Canadian wine industry’s most celebrated professionals. He has held the hard-earned Master of Wine qualification since 2015 and is a Diploma Instructor at the Independent Wine Education Guild, where he was Diploma Program Coordinator for five years.
He has won several prestigious awards, including the Robert Mondavi Winery award issued by the Institute of Masters of Wine. Eugene also heads up national sales at Principle Fine Wines, selling a global range of the finest wines across the country.
The next time you’re tasting wine with your friends, think about how the wine feels in your mouth texturally. Is it super crisp, is it mouth-filling or is it really soft and silky?
Harriet Tindal MW
Master of Wine | Ireland
Based in Ireland, Harriet is Director of Wine at Tindal Wine Merchants. She has been instrumental in building a strong portfolio and has played a pivotal role in the company’s expansion and success. Harriet’s keen ability to discern and appreciate the finest of wines has earned her accolades and respect among her peers.
When it comes to sustainability and innovation within the category, Harriet consistently encourages and adopts practices that ensure the long-term well-being of vineyards and the broader environment. Her forward-thinking approach is indicative of her commitment to leaving an enduring, positive impact on the wine industry.
Where would we be without wine? Where else can you literally taste the vineyard in a glass. There is no other drink or food that brings this sense of place, almost majesty to the consumer.
Jane Rakison
Wine expert | UK
Jane Rakison is an award-winning journalist, actor, and broadcaster, best known for being the wine expert on BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen Live.
She’s currently the Wine Club Editor for Metro newspaper, and Editor of luxury sustainable magazine Cherry. She’s a recipient of the IWSC Communicator of the Year Award and won the Chairman’s Award at the Louis Roederer International Wine Writers’ Awards for a collection of articles on Champagne.
The ‘room temperature’ advice for serving red wine comes from days of old, before central heating. This means our houses are now much warmer in general which means there’s too much warm red wine about!
Jonas Röjerman MW
Master of Wine | Sweden
Jonas is the MD of Vitis Wines, importing and selling wine on the Nordic markets. He lives in Stockholm with his wife and children. Jonas was destined for the wine industry, after encountering some of the classic left bank Premier Crus at the Grythyttan university restaurant in the early 90s.
In 1992, he received a scholarship for best in class, including time in Bordeaux where his grape picking skills – ankle deep in mud – were perfected. In 2001, a WSET Diploma led to lecturing at various wine and sommelier schools in Sweden, and to the opportunity to judge various wine competitions all around the world.
Julian Chamberlen
Wine expert | UK
A wine expert with over 30 years’ experience, Julian loves nothing more than sharing his extensive wine knowledge with our guests. He is a partner in Farthinghoe fine wine, a former Sales Director at Goedhuis, and previously at Layton’s, Bibendum and Veuve Clicquot.
Julian is a dedicated vinophile, spending his time picking vines, making wine, and travelling to countless European and Australian vineyards.
This wonderful wine we deal in has been in existence for many hundreds of years. We get to meet, eat, and drink with some extraordinary individuals. All full of energy, ideas and enthusiasm and with a shared love of the grape.
Libby Brodie
Wine expert | UK
Libby Brodie is a qualified wine consultant, founder of Bacchus & Brodie Wine Consultancy and City AM’s wine columnist with her regular ‘Wine Down Wednesday: Wine Without the Snobbery’ page.
Shortlisted as Emerging Wine Communicator of the Year, Libby writes for many publications, including Club Oenologique and Cosmopolitan, and has presented on TV, radio, and various podcasts.
May Matta-Aliah
Wine expert | USA
May is a New York based wine and brandy educator and President of In the Grape. She is a seasoned presenter, an accredited educator, a long-time instructor at the International Wine Center and brings 20 years of experience and knowledge to all her work. In her teachings, May leverages her wide breadth of knowledge, her hands-on industry experience along with insights gained from her extensive travel to the worlds’ wine regions.
May represents several wine and spirits regions as their regional ambassador guiding their strategic and educational initiatives stateside. She has also helped launch several Lebanese wines in the highly competitive New York market.
[My job is] what most people do for fun! I taste delicious wine, I eat amazing food, I meet passionate people that inspire me with what they do, and I get to travel to some of the most beautiful places in the world, and I get to call all of this work!
Peter McCombie MW
Master of Wine | UK
Peter is one of only 414 Masters of Wine in the world, but wine was not his first love, and something he only took an interest in later in his life. After working in hospitality in his native New Zealand, he went to London to undertake his Wine & Spirit Education Trust Diploma, and decided, ‘I fancy the challenge’ of becoming a MW.
For over 30 years, Peter has enjoyed consulting, training, teaching, speaking and judging wine.
The best thing is helping people understand their own taste. It’s not about having “great” taste, it’s about understanding what you like and why.
Richard Hemming MW
Master of Wine | Singapore
Richard has worked in the wine trade for 20 years, ever since beginning his career in the retail arm of Majestic Wines. Since then, his passion has led him by the nose to roles to roles in both the northern and the southern hemisphere and virtually every aspect of making, selling and appreciating the world’s best wine.
In 2019, he made the move from London to Singapore to become Head of Wine, Asia for 67 Pall Mall where he delivers exceptional wine experiences for distinguished guests from across the globe.
When matching wine with Southeast Asian cuisine, anything sweet and sparkling usually works... For white, Vouvray demi-sec is a versatile semi-sweet style made from Chenin Blanc. For red, lightly-chilled Rioja is a good middle-ground option.
Robin Kick MW
Master of Wine | USA
Originally from the Chicago area, Robin is presently based in Lugano, Switzerland where she works as an independent buying consultant, educator, journalist, wine judge and tour guide. Following an intensive course at France’s renowned l’Université du Vin in the Rhône Valley, Robin began her wine career in 1999 as a wine specialist for Christie’s auction house in Beverly Hills, California.
For four years, she appraised cellars, advised clients on collecting, organised wine events and tasted through thousands of rare and collectible bottles, before spending seven years in London as the wine buyer Goedhuis & Co. Now a qualified Master of Wine, she spends her time living in Switzerland and touring the wine regions of Italy and Burgundy.
Sam Caporn MW
Master of Wine | UK
Sam has been in the wine trade for over 20 years, having travelled the world and worked with a wide range of retail brands in that time. She achieved her Master of Wine qualification in 2011 and is one of only 414 people in the world to hold that title. She also received the Madame Bollinger Medal for Outstanding Achievement in the Practical Paper portion of her Master of Wine exam.
Sam also has her own wine consultancy, Mistress of Wine, is a wine consultant for one of the UK’s largest retailers, and is a Co-Chair at the International Wine Challenge.
I am a huge advocate of just drinking what you enjoy, whatever that is. I think there is no such thing as a wine guilty pleasure!
Sheri Morano MW
Master of Wine | USA
Sheri is based in North Carolina and earned the esteemed title Master of Wine in 2003, becoming the youngest American woman to achieve the designation.
She is a senior partner at Wine Ring, consults for a number of wine companies, and also judges at wine competitions around the world. In her spare time, she enjoys running, gardening, travelling, cooking and cheering for her beloved Duke Blue Devils.
You don’t need to be an expert to know that you like something. You can trust your own preferences and have confidence in your choices. That’s actually the beauty of wine – there is truly something for everyone, every palate and every budget!
Discover more
Taste wine like a master
If you're new to the world of wine-tasting, or just want to brush up on the basics, our experts have prepared the ultimate wine tasting guide to help you hone your senses.
Find an event that suits you
Chief Wine Officer events bring global technology leaders together for unforgettable evenings of networking and wine tasting. There may just be one with your name on it.
What to expect at a CWO event
Exclusive industry insights, senior peer networking, and world-class wine tasting are standard.