Wine Personality
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Instead of common selection criteria for the entire list, notability of people involved should be checked against the description of each sector. Sectors are arranged from cultivation through processing, starting from vineyards to consumption advised by sommeliers.


Vineyard owners

Included are owners of well-known or sizable vineyards. Excluded are managers (CEOs) of public holding companies as owners and persons owning vineyards as a hobby, being notable for other reasons. Many vineyard owners are also winemakers as well. *
Jean-Charles Boisset Jean-Charles Boisset (born 1969) is a French vintner and the proprietor of the Boisset Collection, which operates 28 wineries in California, France, and Canada. Boisset comes from a viticultural family. His father and mother founded a winery in ...
– head of Boisset Family Estates, Burgundy's largest wine producer * Jean-Michel Cazes – French manager of estates such as
Château Lynch-Bages Château Lynch-Bages is a winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. Château Lynch-Bages is also the name of the red wine produced by this property. The wine produced here was classified as one of eighteen ''Cinqui ...
and Château Les Ormes-de-Pez *
Cecil O. De Loach, Jr. Cecil O. De Loach Jr. (born September 14, 1938, Montgomery, Alabama) is a California grape-grower and winemaker in the Russian River Valley AVA who has contributed to the reputation and notoriety of Sonoma County viticulture. Personal history Pr ...
– Sonoma County grape grower and winemaker * Franco Biondi Santi – Winemaker whose family invented
Brunello di Montalcino Brunello di Montalcino is a red DOCG Italian wine produced in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montalcino, in the province of Siena, located about 80 km south of Florence in the Tuscany wine region. Brunello, a diminutive of Bruno (" ...
*
Paul Champoux Champoux Vineyard is a grape growing estate located in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA of Washington state. Grapes grown in the vineyard have been used to produce some of the most critically acclaimed Washington wines with the name Champoux regularly b ...
– Washington wine grower * Marie-Thérèse Chappaz – Swiss organic wine grower * Noemi Marone Cinzano – Italian businesswoman, and wine grower * Francesco Marone Cinzano – Italian businessman, and vineyard owner * Ernest Gallo – largest American wine producer * Richard Graff – pioneer California winemaker * Randall Grahm – original
Rhone Ranger The Rhone Rangers are a group of American winemakers who promote the use of grape varieties from the Rhône Valley. They are mostly based on the West Coast, particularly California, and have created a not-for-profit organization for the promotion ...
, owner and winemaker Bonny Doon Vineyard *
Mike Grgich Miljenko "Mike" Grgić (born April 1, 1923) is a Croatian-American winemaker in California. He was born into a winemaking family in the town of Desne on Croatia's coastal region of Dalmatia. He is notable for being the winemaker behind the 197 ...
– winemaker of the Chateau Montelena wine that won the white wine competition, the "Judgment of Paris" * Agoston Haraszthy – ''Father of Modern Winemaking in California'', see Sonoma Valley AVA * Sir James Hardy – Australian winemaker, businessman and Olympic Games sailor; member of the Hardy's winemaking family. *
Donald M. Hess Donald M. Hess (born 1936) is a Swiss winemaker and art collector. Life Donald Marc Hess inherited a brewery close to Bern from his father. His father passed away when he was 20 years old. After learning the brewing tradition in Bavaria as an ...
– Swiss vintner in different countries and founder of the ''Hess Collection'' ('' Contemporary art'') * Jean HugelAlsatian wine producer * Jess Jackson – American wine producer *
Henri Jayer Henri Jayer (1922 – 20 September 2006) was a French vintner who is credited with introducing important innovations to Burgundian winemaking. He was particularly known for the quality of his Pinot noir.M. Frank "Burgundy Loses Master Winemake ...
– French vintner, credited with introducing important innovations to Burgundian winemaking * Kathryn Kennedy – one of the first women to own a California winery * Charles Krug – founded the first commercial winery in the Napa Valley * Baron Pierre Le Roy – co-founder of the '' Institut National des Appellations d'Origine'' (INAO) and owner of Château Fortia *
May-Eliane de Lencquesaing May-Éliane de Lencquesaing (born circa 1925) is a French winemaker, for over 30 years the owner and managing director of the Pauillac winery Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. She supervised the 1982 and 1983 productions, regarded ...
– owner of
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande (commonly referred to as Pichon Lalande or Pichon Comtesse) is a winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is also the nam ...
; Bordeaux wine ambassador * Alexis Lichine – wine writer and château-owner * Zelma Long – oenologist and pioneer of women winemaking in California *
Ernst Loosen Ernst Loosen is a German winemaker and owner of the wine producer Weingut Dr. Loosen, located just outside Bernkastel in the Mosel wine region. With over 130,000 annual bottle production, he is one of the larger producers in the Mosel region. He ...
– renowned German winemaker * David Lowe – Australian winemaker; owner of Lowe Wines; past President of NSW Wine Industry Association; Vice President of Australian Winemakers Federation *
Alberico Boncompagni Ludovisi Fiorano was an Italian wine-producing estate owned by Alberico Boncompagni Ludovisi, a prince of Venosa of the Ludovisi family, active during a period from the late 1940s to 1995. Fiorano is situated in the vicinity of Rome near the Via Appia ...
– late Italian prince and winemaker of Fiorano *
Giorgio Lungarotti Giorgio Lungarotti (1910–1999) was an Italian agricultural entrepreneur and viticulturalist who operated in Torgiano, a medieval town in the Perugia area (Umbria), located at the heart of a large area dedicated to grape-growing at the confluence ...
– Italian agricultural entrepreneur and viticulturalist, founder of
Cantine Lungarotti Winery {{Infobox Winery , winery_name = Cantine Lungarotti Winery , winery_logo = Cantine Lungarotti Winery logo.svg , location_city = Torgiano, Umbria , location_country = Italy , appellation = Torgiano DOC, Torgiano Rosso Riserva DOCG, Umbria IGT ...
*
André Lurton André Lurton (4 October 1924 – 16 May 2019) was a French winemaker and winery owner. It is also the name of his eponymous winemaking group in Bordeaux which was mostly owned by him and after his death only by his children. Lurton originates fr ...
– instrumental in creating Pessac-Léognan as a separate appellation of Graves *
Bernard Magrez Bernard Magrez, born 1936, is a French wine magnate who predominantly owns Bordeaux wine estates, including Château La Tour Carnet, Château Pape Clément, Château Fombrauge and Clos Haut-Peyraguey but also a large number of wine producing propert ...
– French and global wine estate tycoon * Thierry Manoncourt – French winemaker and owner of
Château Figeac Château-Figeac is a wine estate in the Saint-Émilion appellation of Bordeaux. , it is one of two chateaux to carry the highest rank (Premier Grand Cru Classé A) in the official Classification of Saint-Émilion wine (2022 classification, val ...
*
Henri Martin Henri Martin may refer to: *Henri Martin (historian) (1810–1883), French historian *Henri-Jean Guillaume Martin (1860–1943), French impressionist painter *Henri Martin (French politician) (1927–2015), French communist leader *Henri Martin (Am ...
– French mayor of Saint-Julien, owner of
Château Gloria Château Gloria is an unclassed Bordeaux wine from the Saint-Julien appellation. The winery is located in the central part of France’s Bordeaux wine region Haut-Médoc, in the commune of Saint-Julien-Beychevelle. Regarded as a well-made wine ...
and Château Saint-Pierre * Margrit Mondavi – organizer of cultural events at vineyards in the Napa Valley (founder of Copia (museum)) * Robert Mondavi – a leading California vineyard owner; pioneered technical improvements and labeling and marketing wines varietally *
Bill Moularadellis Bill Moularadellis (born 1964) is an Australian winemaker and is the son of Greek emigrates Sarantos and Constantina Moularadellis. Bill Moularadellis is the founder and Managing Director of Kingston Estate, which is a South Australian Riverl ...
– owner, winemaker and Managing Director of Kingston Estate wines * Christian Moueix – French president of Établissements Jean-Pierre Moueix and winemaker * Egon Müller – producer of fine Saar-Riesling * Gustave Niebaum – founder of
Inglenook Winery Inglenook is a winery that produces estate bottled wines in Rutherford, California, in the Napa Valley. History The winery was founded in 1879 by a Finnish Sea Captain Gustave Niebaum. Niebaum's employee Hamden McIntyre was not an architect ...
*
John Patchett John Patchett (1797–1876) was the first person to plant a commercial vineyard and build a commercial wine cellar in the Napa Valley in California. Patchett planted his vineyard in 1854 and started making wine in 1857. Patchett established hi ...
– first person to plant a commercial vineyard in the Napa Valley * Michel Rolland – oenologist and winery consultant * Nathaniel de Rothschild – founder of the French wine-making branch of the
Rothschild family The Rothschild family ( , ) is a wealthy Ashkenazi Jewish family originally from Frankfurt that rose to prominence with Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744–1812), a court factor to the German Landgraves of Hesse-Kassel in the Free City of F ...
* Philippe de Rothschild – member of the Rothschild family *
Miguel A. Torres Miguel A. Torres (born 1941) is a Spanish winemaker, author and businessman. He is President and Managing Director of Bodegas Torres, and is a member of the fourth generation of this family business. He also manages the company’s vineyards in Ch ...
– pioneering Catalan winemaker and President of family wine company
Bodegas Torres Founded in 1870 by Jaime Torres, Bodegas Torres (''Miguel Torres'' SA) is a historical wine growing company located in Pacs, some from Vilafranca del Penedès, where the company has its head office. Torres is the family winery with the most ex ...
*
Bob Trinchero Sutter Home Winery is one of the largest family-run independent wineries in the United States, and is the estate known for the creation of White Zinfandel. It is located in St. Helena, Californiacalwineries.coBob Trinchero/ref> and owned by Trinch ...
– inventor of White Zinfandel * Aubert de Villaine – French wine expert and co-owner of the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti *
Robert G. Wilmers Robert George "Bob" Wilmers (April 20, 1934 – December 16, 2017) was an American billionaire banker. He was the chairman and CEO of M&T Bank from 1983 until his death in 2017, except for an 18-month break in 2005 - 2006.Joe NoceraThe Good Banker ...
– owner of Château Haut-Bailly, Crus Classé de Graves in Pessac Léognan, Bordeaux *
Warren Winiarski Warren Winiarski (born 1928) is a Napa Valley winemaker and the founder and former proprietor of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars. Winiarski owns and operates Arcadia Vineyards in the Coombsville AVA of Napa Valley, which produces Chardonnay, Cabernet ...
– winemaker of the
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Stag's Leap Wine Cellars is a winery founded by Warren Winiarski in 1970 and based in the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley, California. The winery achieved significant international recognition in 1976, four years after its establishment ...
wine that won the Cabernet Sauvignon competition at the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976


Viticulturists

Cultivation and harvesting of grapes. *
John Adlum John Adlum (April 29, 1759 – March 14, 1836) was a pioneering American Viticulture, viticulturalist who was the first to cultivate the Catawba (grape), Catawba grape. He is known as "the father of American viticulture" (grape-growing). He also se ...
– father of American viticulture * Helmut Becker – German viticulturist *
Andy Beckstoffer William Andrew "Andy" Beckstoffer is a California vineyard owner, with holdings in Napa, Lake County, and Mendocino. Biography Beckstoffer was a resident of Richmond, Virginia, and went to Virginia Tech on a football scholarship. He graduated ...
– California viticulturist * Romeo BragatoNew Zealand wine pioneer * James Busby – widely regarded as the "father" of the Australian wine industry *
Jules Chauvet Jules Chauvet (1907-1989) was a wine ''négociant''. He worked from La Chapelle-de-Guinchay in the Beaujolais. Jules Chauvet was a winemaker and a taster. He also possessed the skills of a chemist, which he obtained at the school of chemistry at ...
– French chemist, considered the "father" of French natural winemaking *
Henri Enjalbert Henri Enjalbert (1910 – June 19, 1983) was a French professor of geography at the University of Bordeaux. He was considered an eminent specialist in wine geology, whose expert opinion frequently overlapped into the fields of oenology, and win ...
– French professor of geography and specialist in wine geology * Konstantin Frank – "father" of vinifera wine growing in the Eastern United States * Pierre Galet – French ampelographer and author * Hermann Jaeger – Swiss-American viticulturist, created over 100 new grape varieties, notable hybrid was ''Jaeger 70'' * Carole Meredith – geneticist who discovered the parentage of
Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Sauvignon () is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebanon' ...
,
Chardonnay Chardonnay (, , ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern French wine, France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from English wine, Englan ...
,
Syrah Syrah (), also known as Shiraz, is a dark-skinned grape variety grown throughout the world and used primarily to produce red wine. In 1999, Syrah was found to be the offspring of two obscure grapes from southeastern France, Dureza and Mondeuse B ...
and
Zinfandel Zinfandel (also known as Primitivo) is a variety of black-skinned wine grape. The variety is grown in over 10 percent of California vineyards. DNA analysis has revealed that it is genetically equivalent to the Croatian grapes Crljenak Kaštel ...
* Hermann Müller (Thurgau) – Swiss oenologist, developed the Müller-Thurgau grape variety * Abraham Izak Perold – developed the Pinotage grape variety *
Oscar Renteria Oscar Renteria is an American viticulturalist and California winemaker who specializes in the Napa Valley (wine), Napa Valley. Along with his father Salvador, Renteria runs Renteria Vineyard Management Co. which manages for 27 wineries and Renter ...
– Californian viticulturalist *
Albert Seibel Albert Seibel (1844–1936) was a French physician and viticulturist who made hybrid crosses of European wine grapes (''Vitis vinifera'') with native North American grapes. His crosses are known as Seibel grapes. Biography Seibel was born in Aub ...
– French hybridist (1844–1936) who made " Seibel grapes", which are hybrids of ''Vitis vinifera'' and ''Vitis riparia'' * Dr. Richard Smart – Australian viticulturalist *
Gil Wahlquist Gil Wahlquist (1927–2012) was an Australian journalist and "pioneer organic wine producer"Huon HookePioneer organic wine producer has died at 85 therealreview.com. Retrieved 11 April 2022. who was largely responsible for re-establishing the M ...
– Australian pioneer organic winemaker


Oenologists

The science and study of wine and winemaking. *
Alberto Antonini Alberto Antonini (born 10 June 1959) is an Italian oenologist and grower-producer and a consultant to a large number of wineries in various countries including Italy, the U.S., Argentina, Canada, Chile, Uruguay, Armenia and Australia. Career Alb ...
– Italian oenologist and winery consultant *
Walter Clore Walter J. Clore (July 1, 1911 – February 3, 2003) was a pioneer in wine growing and agricultural research in Washington state and has been formally recognized by the Washington State Legislature as the "Father of Washington Wine". Among his c ...
– "father of Washington wine" *
Jean-Luc Colombo Jean-Luc Colombo is a French wine producer and ''negociant'' in the Rhône Valley. While Colombo produces several ''Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée'' (AOC) wines in the Rhône, such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Hermitage, he is most noted for bei ...
– Rhone Valley oenologist and winemaker* *
Denis Dubourdieu Denis Dubourdieu (July 1, 1949 – July 26, 2016) was a French winemaker and professor of oenology at the University of Bordeaux. He managed or co-managed several properties in Bordeaux, including Château Reynon, Château Doisy Daëne, Château ...
– winemaker, professor of oenology at the University of Bordeaux *
Max Léglise Max Léglise (1924–1996) was a French oenologist. Most of his career was spent working at the ''Station œnologique de Bourgogne'' ( INRA, Beaune), where he entered in 1948, and that he directed from 1962 to 1984. Departing from the dominant co ...
– French oenologist *
Thomas Munson Thomas Volney Munson (September 26, 1843 – January 21, 1913), often referred to simply as T.V. Munson, was a horticulturist and breeder of grapes in Texas. In 1888, Munson was the second American, after Thomas Edison, to be named a Chevalier ...
– his proposal saved European wine industry from extinction *
Ann C. Noble Ann C. Noble is a sensory chemist and retired professor from the University of California, Davis. During her time at the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology, Noble invented the "Aroma Wheel" which is credited with enhancing the public ...
– inventor of the Aroma Wheel * Dom PerignonBenedictine monk incorrectly credited with the invention of Champagne * Émile Peynaud – renowned French oenologist *
Jacques Puisais Jacques Puisais (8 June 1927 – 6 December 2020) was known worldwide as a French oenologist and taste philosopher. Life and career Puisais was born in Poitiers, France, on 8 June 1927. He held a PhD in chemistry, and directed the ''Laboratoire D ...
– French oenologist and taste philosopher


Winemakers

*
Kristen Barnhisel Kristen Barnhisel is an American winemaker. She is Quality Control manager at Inglenook. She specializes in making pinot noir and Cabernet Sauvignon wines. Personal life and education Kristen Barnhisel was raised in Santa Rosa, California in th ...
– California winemaker *
Heidi Peterson Barrett Heidi Peterson Barrett is an American winemaker and entrepreneur who has been responsible for some of California's most notable cult wines. Her career has included stints at Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle Vineyards, Paradigm Winery, Grace Family ...
– winemaker of California cult wines, called by Robert Parker "the first lady of wine" *
A. W. Baxter A.W. Baxter (1928 – March 7, 2005) was a Californian winemaker who founded Veedercrest Vineyards which competed in the Judgment of Paris wine tasting. The Veedercrest entrant was Baxter's first commercial vintage Chardonnay. He began buying grap ...
– winemaker of
Veedercrest Vineyards The Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, also known as the Judgment of Paris, was a wine competition organized in Paris on 24 May 1976 by Steven Spurrier, a British wine merchant and his colleague, Patricia Gallagher, in which French judges carried out tw ...
, which competed in the "Judgement of Paris" * Ntsiki Biyela – first black female winemaker in South Africa * Cathy Corison – winemaker and consultant *
Didier Dagueneau Didier Dagueneau (1956 – 17 September 2008) was a winemaker in the Loire Valley who received a cult following for his Sauvignon blanc wines from the Pouilly Fumé appellation. He died on 17 September 2008, in an ultralight plane crash in the C ...
– Loire winemaker of
Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned grape variety that originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French words ''sauvage'' ("wild") and ''blanc'' ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in ...
cult wine * Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin-Cliquot – Champagne and namesake of
Veuve Cliquot Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin () is a Champagne house founded in 1772 and based in Reims. It is one of the largest Champagne houses. Madame Clicquot is credited with major breakthroughs, creating the first known vintage champagne in 1810, and ...
*
Stéphane Derenoncourt Stéphane Derenoncourt is a French ''vigneron'' working as a consultant for numerous estates in Bordeaux and other wine producers worldwide. With his wife, Christine Derenoncourt, he runs Vignerons Consultants and owns Domaine de l'A in the Côt ...
– French winemaker and winery consultant * Paul Draper – winemaker of Ridge Vineyards * Peter Gago – Australian winemaker and writer *
Mia Klein Mia Klein is a Californian winemaker and entrepreneur, founder of Selene Wines in Napa, California. Her career has spanned decades in the food and wine industry in both Northern and Southern California. Before studying enology at the University ...
– California winemaker *
Robin and Andréa McBride McBride Sisters Wine Company is a Black-owned, female-led wine company in the United States. The company was founded in 2005 by African American winemakers Robin and Andréa McBride, who first met as adults and bonded over a shared passion for ...
– African American winemakers and founders of McBride Sisters Wine Company *
Justin Meyer Justin Meyer (born Raymond Meyer, 11 November 19386 August 2002) was an American vintner, enologist, and monk of the Christian Brothers. He was the founder along with Raymond Twomey Duncan of Silver Oak Cellars in 1972, a successful winery based ...
– monk and winemaker at Christian Brothers * Maurice O'Shea – Australian pioneer winemaker * Eben Sadie – South African winemaker of the Sadie Family * Max Schubert – leading winemaker and creator of Penfolds Grange *
Carol Shelton Carol Shelton is an American winemaker and entrepreneur. She has been called the most awarded winemaker in America and was the '' San Francisco Chronicle's'' Winemaker of the Year in 2005. Personal life and education Shelton was raised in Roche ...
– California wine producer and pioneer * Kay Simon – Washington wine producer and pioneer *
Lane Tanner Lane Tanner is an American winemaker and consultant. She was the second woman winemaker in Santa Barbara County when she started working in the industry in 1981. She goes by the nickname "Pinot Czarina." Personal life and education Tanner grew ...
– California winemaker *
André Tchelistcheff André Tchelistcheff (Russian: Андрей Викторович Челищев; December 7, 1901 – April 5, 1994) was America's most influential post-Prohibition winemaker. Tchelistcheff is most notable for his contributions toward defining ...
– "Dean of American Winemakers" * Sean Thackrey – American experimental winemaker * József Törley – founder of József Törley & Co., Hungary's most successful sparkling wine producer * Helen Turley – California winemaker and consultant


Wine merchants

* Lalou Bize-Leroy – Burgundian wine producer and former co-manager of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti *
Louis Bohne Louis Bohne (died 1821), born in Mannheim, Germany, was the sales agent for Veuve Clicquot whose exploits during the French invasion of Russia (1812), French invasion of Russia and subsequent fall of Napoleon I of France, Napoleon substantially incr ...
– famous sales agent of Veuve Clicquot * Pierre Castel, French wine industry leader *
Christian Delpeuch Christian Delpeuch is president emeritus of the French Conseil Interprofessionel du Vin de Bordeaux (CIVB). He won support for Plan Bordeaux, an effort to save the wine industry of Bordeaux. The plan calls for growers to reduce yields, decrease ...
– wine official and Plan Bordeaux promoter * Georges Duboeuf – innovative and large Beaujolais bottler *
Charles Heidsieck Charles Camille Heidsieck (1822–1893) was a French Champagne merchant who founded the Champagne firm '' Charles Heidsieck'' in 1851. He is credited with popularizing Champagne in the United States and was known as "Champagne Charlie" during his ...
Champagne house founder * Claude Moët – Champagne house founder * Jean-Rémy Moët – Champagne merchant *
René Renou René Bernard Renou (16 June 1952 – 19 June 2006) was president of the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO) at the time of his death and was "one of the most influential men in French winemaking.". Renou argued that France's ...
– French wine industry leader * Hardy Rodenstock – wine collector and alleged wine fraud, subject of ''The Billionaire's Vinegar'' *
Jean-Claude Rouzaud Jean-Claude Rouzaud served for over 30 years as president of Champagne Louis Roederer. He was Decanter's man of the year 2001. He is well known for organizing a celebration in 1997 to celebrate his 30th anniversary as president of the well-known ...
– Champagne executive * André Simon – wine merchant, gourmet, and wine writer * Steven Spurrier – British wine authority, organized the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976


Wine critics

Included are wine professionals at an elevated level compared with ''Wine writers'', being authorities on wine tasting, having established rating systems or written reference works. * Pierre Brejoux – Inspector General of the Appellation d'Origine Controlee Board * Michael Broadbent, MW – influential British wine critic and auctioneer *
Jeb Dunnuck Jeb Dunnuck is an American wine critic based in Colorado. He reviews wines from the Rhône Valley (North and South), Southern France, Bordeaux, Washington, and California for his website. Career An aerospace engineer by training, Dunnuck gre ...
– reviewer for '' The Wine Advocate'' and eRobertParker.com *
Gerhard Eichelmann Gerhard Eichelmann (born in 1962) is a leading German wine critic with an international influence on German wine. Biography Eichelmann was born to a family of part-time wine growers in the German wine region of Franconia. He was educated at the ...
– German wine critic *
Robert Finigan Robert Finigan (September 22, 1943 – October 1, 2011) was an American wine and restaurant critic based in San Francisco, California. Finigan exerted his greatest influence as a wine critic in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with his monthly newsle ...
– American wine and restaurant critic *
Patricia Gallagher Patricia Gastaud-Gallagher was a director at the Académie du Vin, a impetus, with Steven Spurrier, behind the 1976 Judgment of Paris wine tasting event and participated as one of its eleven judges. She was also on the Copia panel that oversaw t ...
– judge at the "Judgement of Paris" tasting * Antonio Galloni – American wine critic, formerly of '' The Wine Advocate''; founder of Vinous * Joshua Greene – American wine critic, publisher and editor-in-chief of ''
Wine & Spirit ''Wine & Spirit'' was a British monthly magazine on wine, spirits, beers and cocktails, directed at both consumers and the drinks industry. The magazine also organized the annual "International Wine Challenge" and "International Spirits Challenge" ...
'' *
Huon Hooke Huon Hooke is an Australian wine writer and critic. Hooke is the Chair of the Vin de Champagne Awards and judge of the Australian Winemaker of the Year. He tastes wines blind and writes for The Real Review, Decanter and Gourmet Traveller Wine ...
– Australian wine critic * James Laube – American wine critic of ''Wine Spectator'' * Jeannie Cho Lee – first Asian Master of Wine *
Gian Luca Mazzella Gian Luca Mazzella (born in Rome) is an Italian executive consultant, former journalist, wine and food expert, documentarian. He has been a consultant for various renowned realities within the wine sector, and sometimes also for other sectors as ...
– international wine critic, journalist and documentarian * Allen Meadows – American wine critic of Burgundy and Pinot Noir wine with the Burghound.com newsletter *
Jasper Morris Jasper Morris (born 27 December 1957) is a British Master of Wine since 1985. An expert on the wine of Burgundy, with a strong interest in other pinot-producing countries such as New Zealand, he has taken a strong interest in the nascent wine ...
, MW – British wine expert *
Robert M. Parker, Jr. Robert McDowell Parker Jr. (born July 23, 1947) is a retired U.S. wine critic. His wine ratings on a 100-point scale and his newsletter ''The Wine Advocate'' are influential in American wine buying and are therefore a major factor in setting th ...
– American wine critic, referenced in the term
Parkerization of wine Robert McDowell Parker Jr. (born July 23, 1947) is a retired U.S. wine critic. His wine ratings on a 100-point scale and his newsletter ''The Wine Advocate'' are influential in American wine buying and are therefore a major factor in setting t ...
*
Lisa Perrotti-Brown Lisa Perrotti-Brown is a wine critic, author and Master of Wine based in Napa, California. She reviews the wines of Bordeaux, Napa Valley and Sonoma County for ''The Wine Advocate'' and RobertParker.com, the independent wine publication and websit ...
- American wine critic for The Wine Advocate, Master of Wine *
Jancis Robinson Jancis Mary Robinson OBE, ComMA, MW (born 22 April 1950) is a British wine critic, journalist and wine writer. She currently writes a weekly column for the ''Financial Times'', and writes for her website JancisRobinson.com, updated daily. She ...
, MW – wine writer and educator from the UK *
David Schildknecht David Schildknecht is an American wine critic, a full-time member of "Vinous", and previous member of ''The Wine Advocate'', contributor to recent editions of Robert Parker's ''Wine Buyer’s Guide''. An authority on the wine of Germany and Austr ...
– American wine critic * Ricky Schraub – California wine critic * Stephen Tanzer – American wine critic and editor *
Jon Winroth Jon Winroth Broneer (born November 13, 1935 in Athens, Greece; died July 15, 2006 in Tours, France) was an American wine critic who lived and worked in France. Biography Second son of Oscar Broneer, a Swedish immigrant to the United States who ...
– American wine critic and educator


Wine writers

Included are media professionals who published about wines in major newspapers, on important TV channels, wrote books or created corresponding websites. Excluded are persons who are mainly known for other reasons and might have published about wine as minor activity. *
Eric Arnold Eric Arnold is an American journalist and author, formerly a news editor of ''Wine Spectator'' and wine and spirits writer and lifestyle editor for ''Forbes.com''.Shaw, Lucy, ''Decanter.com'' (September 30, 2009)First Big Crush to be made into a ...
– American author, former wine columnist of '' Forbes.com'' * Eric Asimov – American wine columnist of '' The New York Times'' * Tim Atkin – Master of Wine, journalist, broadcaster, judge * Ausonius – frequently cited by historians of winemaking, as his works give early evidence of large-scale vineyards and viticulture in France * Robert Lawrence Balzer – pioneering American wine writer; organizer of the New York Wine Tasting of 1973 * Nicolas Belfrage, MW – British wine writer, Italian wine expert * Edward Behr – publisher/editor of ''The Art of Eating'' *
Jacques Berthomeau Jacques Berthomeau (1948-2022) was a wine consultant commissioned by the French Ministry of Agriculture to prepare a report in 2001, now known as The Berthomeau Report, to "establish the goals and means to be deployed in terms of people, regulatio ...
– wine writer, author of ''The Berthomeau Report'' * Michel Bettane – French wine writer *
Jon Bonné Jon Bonné is an American wine writer, columnist for the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' since 2006, and senior contributing editor foPunch He has been a wine columnist for msnbc.com and ''Seattle Magazine'', and has written for publications such as ' ...
– American wine columnist of '' San Francisco Chronicle'' *
Tom Cannavan Tom Cannavan is a Scottish author and a wine journalist. He is considered a pioneer presence on internet of the British wine writing establishment. Biography In his youth Tom had a foretaste of fame as lead vocalist and guitarist in the budding ...
– Scottish wine journalist and internet wine site pioneer * Laura Catena – founder of Catena Institute of Wine, author * Oz Clarke – British wine writer and TV personality *
Clive Coates Clive Coates (21 October 1941 – 26 July 2022) was a British wine writer and Master of Wine, best known for his books about the wines of Burgundy.winepros.com.au. Biography Born in Wimbledon, London on 21 October 1941, Coates worked for T ...
, MW – British wine writer *
Katherine Cole Katherine Cole is an American wine writer and journalist based in Oregon. She is a contributing editor at SevenFifty Daily and the executive producer and the host of a James Beard-award-winning food and beverage podcast, The Four Top. She is the ...
– American wine writer, and journalist * Tyler Colman – American author and wine blogger publishing under the pen name Dr.Vino.com *
Patrick Comiskey Patrick Comiskey is an American wine critic and a senior correspondent for ''Wine & Spirits'', chief critic for non-California domestic wines, and writes about wines of California, Oregon and Washington.zesterdaily.coPatrick Comiskey Comiskey cont ...
– American wine writer of '' Wine & Spirits'' and '' Los Angeles Times'' * Julia Coney – Wine writer and creator of ''Black Wine Professionals'' database * Tullio De Rosa – Italian author * Andrew Dornenburg – wine columnist of '' The Washington Post'' *
Michel Dovaz Michel Dovaz (born August 14, 1928 in Geneva, Switzerland) is a Swiss wine critic and food writer. He started his career as a journalist in Paris, France and later taught wine courses at the Academie du Vin in Paris when he served as a judge at ...
– wine teacher and writer * Len Evans – central figure in Australian wine industry *
Mary Ewing-Mulligan Mary Ewing-Mulligan is an American author, wine educator and Master of Wine, the first American woman to achieve this accreditation.Matasar, Ann B. (2006). ''Women of wine: the rise of women in the global wine industry''. University of California Pr ...
, MW – American author and wine educator *
Joe Fattorini Joe Fattorini (born 5 September 1969) is a British radio and television presenter and wine expert. Journalism Fattorini wrote a weekly wine column for The Herald for over fourteen years. He has also contributed to ''Harper's Wine and Spirit'', T ...
– British wine expert and television and radio personality * Alice Feiring – American wine writer and " natural wine" advocate * Doug Frost, MW, MS – American author and wine consultant *
Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher are American journalists, authors, and wine critics, wife and husband who jointly wrote the wine column "Tastings" in ''The Wall Street Journal'' between 1998 and 2009.Maker, Meg Houston, ''Palate Press'' (February ...
– former wine columnists of '' The Wall Street Journal'' * Rebecca Gibb, MW – British journalist, editor and Master of Wine * Paul Gillette – American author and wine writer, an early host of wine show on television *
Malcolm Gluck Malcolm Gluck is a British author, broadcaster and wine columnist. Career Initially an advertising copywriter for Collett Dickenson Pearce, Doyle Dane Bernbach, a founder employee of Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO and later creative director for Lin ...
– British wine writer * Jamie Goode – British writer and blogger * Jilly Goolden – British wine critic, journalist and television personality *
Paul Gregutt Paul Gregutt is an American wine writer whose focus is the wine of Oregon and Washington. Gregutt publishes a column titled "Wine Adviser" in ''The Seattle Times'', and contributes to publications such as ''Vineyard & Winery Management'', ''Yakima ...
– wine columnist for ''The Seattle Times'' and Pacific Northwest editor of ''Wine Enthusiast Magazine'' *
Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl is a food and wine writer, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Personal life Dara Moskowitz was born and raised in New York City and graduated from Stuyvesant High School in 1988. She got her start in the world of food as a di ...
– American wine writer * James Halliday – Australian wine critic and winemaker * Anthony HansonMW – British Burgundy wine expert *
Steve Heimoff Steve Heimoff is an American wine writer and communicator, former wine critic and California wine expert. He was the West Coast Editor for ''Wine Enthusiast Magazine'' from 1994 until 2014, and previously from 1989 to 1994 a contributor to ''Wine S ...
– American wine critic of '' Wine Enthusiast Magazine'', author and wine blogger *
Andrew Jefford Andrew Jefford (born 1956) is an English journalist, poet, and writer, the author of various books and columns on wine, whisky, travel and perfume. Education The son of a Church of England clergyman and the eldest of three brothers, Jefford gr ...
– English author and editor of wine books * Hugh Johnson – British wine writer * Marilyn Johnson – Bordeaux wine writer * Robert Joseph – British wine writer *
Richard Juhlin Richard Juhlin (born 1962) is a Swedish writer on Champagne and is a freelance journalist Education Juhlin is a physical education teacher by training, and was educated at the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences in Stockholm St ...
– Swedish writer focusing on Champagne, one of the leading Champagne connoisseurs in the world *
André Jullien André Jullien (1766 at Chalon-sur-Saône, Saône-et-Loire – 1832 of cholera in Paris) was a French vintner and pioneering wine writer. Wine historian Hugh Johnson (wine), Hugh Johnson describes Jullien's work as "the foundation-stone of mode ...
– French wine writer *
Odette Kahn Odette Kahn (, 1923–1982) was a leading authority on wine and editor of the ''La Revue du vin de France'' (Review of French wine) and of ''Cuisine et Vins de France'' (Food and Wines of France). She was a judge at the historic Paris Wine Tasti ...
– leading wine writer and authority in France * Matt Kramer – American wine writer and columnist of '' The New York Sun'', '' The Oregonian'' and '' Wine Spectator'' * Monica Larner – Italian reviewer for The Wine Advocate *
John Livingstone-Learmonth John Livingstone-Learmonth is a British wine writer. He has published four books on Rhône wine The Rhône wine region in Southern France is situated in the Rhône valley and produces numerous wines under various ''Appellation d'origine contr ...
– British wine writer, world expert on Rhone wines * Kermit Lynch – American wine merchant, author * Peter Liem – American wine writer in Champagne, publisher of ChampagneGuide.net * Will Lyons – British wine columnist for '' The Wall Street Journal'' *
Natalie MacLean Natalie MacLean is an accomplished Canadian Wine Expert, winner of the James Beard Award and author of New York Times Best Selling book 'Red, White and Drunk All Over' (a wine review) and others books. In spring 2023 her latest book 'Wine Witch on ...
– Canadian wine writer and subscription website publisher *
Karen MacNeil Karen MacNeil (born 1954) is an American author, journalist, wine educator and consultant. Career MacNeil's first article, on the subject of the best butter on offer in New York delis, was published in ''The Village Voice.'' She transitioned to wi ...
– American author, journalist and wine educator * Neal Martin – reviewer for '' The Wine Advocate'' * Campbell Mattinson – Australian wine writer, editor and author *
Elin McCoy Elin McCoy is an American wine and spirits columnist for ''Bloomberg Markets'', international wine judge, and a contributor to publications such as '' Food & Wine'', ''The New York Times'', '' House & Garden'' and ''Zester Daily''. Education McCoy ...
– American author, ''Bloomberg Markets'' wine journalist, biographer of Robert M. Parker, Jr. * Jay McInerney – American novelist and author of ''A Hedonist in the Cellar'' *
Georges J. Meekers Georges J. M. Meekers (born 1965 in Sint-Truiden, Belgium) is a wine writer and educator based in Malta. His writing career began in the 1990s, when he wrote a wine column for ''Malta Today''. He continues to contribute to The Times (Malta), ''The ...
– wine writer, educator and founder of
Wine Campus Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...
*
Debra Meiburg Debra Meiburg MW is an multi-media wine journalist, wine educator, wine judge and a first recipient of the Master of Wine title in Asia. She is also founding director, along with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, of the Cathay Hong Kong In ...
, MW – Hong Kong based wine educator, journalist and wine judge *
Remington Norman Remington Norman is a wine merchant and author who has written books on Burgundy and Rhone style wine. He is a two-time winner of the Andre Simon Prize. Biography Remington Norman was educated at Harrow School and Oxford University where he obt ...
– British wine writer * Kerin O'Keefe – American wine critic and author * Mark Oldman – author and columnist for The Food Network *
Jeremy Oliver Jeremy Oliver (born 29 December 1961) is an Australian wine writer, commentator, educator and presenter. Self-published with over 25 years experience, Oliver is the author of the wine guide, ''The Australian Wine Annual'' (first published 1997). ...
– independent Australian wine writer * Lawrence Osborne – British journalist, novelist, and author of ''The Accidental Connoisseur'' * Karen Page – wine columnist of ''The Washington Post'' * Edmund Penning-Rowsell – British wine writer * David Peppercorn, MW – British wine writer * Stuart Pigott – British Germany-based wine critic of ' and ''Weingourmet'' *
Frank J. Prial Frank J. Prial (November 4, 1930 – November 6, 2012) was a journalist and author, and the wine columnist for ''The New York Times'' for 25 years, writing the weekly "Wine Talk" column largely since 1972 until his retirement in 2004.Asimov, Eric ...
– wine columnist for '' The New York Times'' * John Radford – author of wine books, and Spanish wine enthusiast *
Daniel Rogov Daniel Rogov (October 30, 1935 – September 7, 2011) was an Israeli food and wine critic. The author of ''Rogov's Guide to Wine'', the most authoritative guide to Israeli wine, as well as a columnist for both Haaretz and ''The Jerusalem Post'', h ...
– Israeli wine critic *
Arne Ronold Arne Ronold is a Norwegian Master of Wine, a journalist and editor of the Norwegian wine publication ''Vinforum'', and considered an expert on Italian and Burgundy wine. Career Ronold was from 1993 until 2008 the only MW of Norway,Dalheim, Ulf, ''A ...
, MW – Norwegian wine writer and educator * Anthony Rose – British wine writer for '' The Independent'' * Frank Schoonmaker – wine writer who promoted labeling wines by grape variety * Joanna Simon – British wine writer for '' The Sunday Times'' *
Pat Simon Stanley Patrick Evelyn Simon (14 March 1920 – 22 May 2008) was a veteran English Master of Wine, wine-merchant and writer on wine. Career After six years at Gresham's School, Holt (1931–1937), and military service during the Second World War, ...
, MW – British wine writer and importer *
Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan is deemed the best American wine educator, consultant and Master of Wine.mastersofwine.orgMasters of Wine, Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan profileRobinson, Jancis, JancisRobinson.com (September 6, 2008/ref>Weekes, Claire, ''Harpers ...
, MW – American wine educator/lecturer * Olly Smith – British wine expert, present, author and columnist *
Mike Steinberger Michael Steinberger is an American author and journalist, who served as the wine columnist of the internet magazine ''Slate (magazine), Slate'' from 2002 to 2011.Colman, Tyler, drvino.com (August 25, 2011)The budgetary ax cuts Slate’s wine colu ...
– American wine columnist of ''
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'' *
Kilien Stengel Kilien Stengel (born 1972 in Nevers ( Nièvre)), is a French gastronomic author, restaurateur, and cookbook writer. He has worked at Gidleigh Park, Nikko Hotels, Georges V Hotel in Paris, and in a number of Relais & Châteaux restaurants (incl ...
– author of wine books * Tom Stevenson – British wine writer and Champagne specialist *
James Suckling James Suckling (born September 29, 1958) is an American wine and cigar critic and former Senior Editor and European Bureau Chief of '' Wine Spectator'' as well as European Editor of '' Cigar Aficionado''. Suckling is internationally regarded as ...
– American wine critic formerly of '' Wine Spectator'' * Serena Sutcliffe, MW – British wine writer and the head of Sotheby's International Wine Department * George M. Taber – American wine writer * Tammie Teclemariam, American wine journalist *
Anthony Terlato Anthony Terlato (May 11, 1934 – June 29, 2020) was an Italian-American wine executive who was chairman of Terlato Wines, a Lake Bluff, Illinois-based wine importer, producer and marketer. He has been called "The Father of Pinot Grigio" for his ea ...
– American wine expert * Bob Thompson – American wine writer and California specialist * Keith Wallace American wine expert and founder of the Wine School of Philadelphia * Tom Wark – California wine PR executive and blogger of "Fermentation" * Alder Yarrow – American wine blogger of Vinography.com * Franco Ziliani – Italian journalist and wine critic of VinoWire.com


Sommeliers

A trained and knowledgeable wine professional, normally working in fine restaurants, who specializes in all aspects of wine service as well as wine and food pairing. Somebody with a ''Master Sommelier Diploma'' issued by the ''Court of Master Sommeliers'' or a French ''Maître Sommelier'' can be included in this list. *
Benoît Allauzen Benoit Allauzen is a prominent French sommelier living in Hong Kong. Biography He is currently studying Mandarin at BLCU after being the sommelier at the prestigious restaurant L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Hong Kong, awarded two stars by th ...
– sommelier *
Gerard Basset Gerard Francis Claude Basset OBE, MS, MW, MBA, OIV MSc (7 March 1957 – 16 January 2019) was the owner of Hotel TerraVina, a New Forest Hotel near Southampton in Hampshire, United Kingdom. At the time of his death, he was the only person in ...
, MW, MS – British hotelier and world sommelier championship holder *
Jamie Drummond Jamie Drummond (born November 7, 1971) is a Canadian sommelier, wine consultant, and writer who acts as Senior Editor and Director of Programs for Toronto not-for-profit Good Food Revolution. Drummond was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is a f ...
– Scottish/Canadian sommelier * Andreas Larsson – Swedish sommelier and world sommelier championship holder * Jonathan Nossiter – American filmmaker and sommelier, director of '' Mondovino'' * Andrea Immer Robinson – wine expert *
Shinya Tasaki Shinya Tasaki ( Japanese name: 田崎真也 born: 21 March 1958) is a Japanese sommelier who was named best sommelier in the world in 1995 by the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale. Tasaki is the only Asian national ever to win the title ...
– Japanese sommelier and world sommelier championship holder * Alpana Singh, MS – American sommelier, youngest woman ever to achieve the Master Sommelier designation * Giuseppe Vaccarini – Italian sommelier and world sommelier championship holder *
Christian Vanneque Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρισ ...
– sommelier, French wine expert


Others

* Ted Allen – television personality and food and wine expert * Pancho Campo – Spanish/Chilean event organiser and former MW * William Vere Cruess – American food scientist who led the rebirth of California wines after the end of Prohibition in 1933 * Prince
Leo Galitzine The House of Golitsyn or Galitzine was one of the largest princely of the noble houses in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire. Among them were boyars, warlords, diplomats, generals (the Mikhailovichs), stewards, chamberlains, the richest me ...
– founder of Russian wine-making industry ( Massandra, Novyi Svet, Abrau-Dyurso) * Rudy Kurniawan – collector and convicted wine counterfeiter *
Eric LeVine Eric A. LeVine (born November 8, 1969) is an American entrepreneur based in Seattle. He has been the founder and CEO of CellarTracker since 2003. He has been a Council Member at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum since September, 2016. ...
– creator of the wine database software CellarTracker, now GrapeStories *
David Lynch David Keith Lynch (born January 20, 1946) is an American filmmaker, visual artist and actor. A recipient of an Academy Honorary Award in 2019, Lynch has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, and the César Award for Be ...
– American wine writer, restaurant wine director * Raymond Oliver – restaurant owner; judge in Paris Wine Tasting of 1976 *
Nello Olivo Nello Olivo is an estate California vineyard operator whose award-winning wines brought global recognition for the wines of the El Dorado in California. Biography Nello Olivo was born in Santa Clara County, California to a family of 16 children. H ...
– California wine maker who brought recognition to the El Dorado AVA wine region outside of Napa Valley * Roger Scruton – British philosopher, wine columnist of the '' New Statesman'' and lecturer on wine philosophy *
Charles F. Shaw Charles Frank Shaw Jr. (born September 15, 1943) is an American businessman and former winery owner whose name is used for Charles Shaw wine, a brand of inexpensive table wines. Born in Michigan, Shaw graduated from the United States Military Acad ...
– wine marketing innovator * Pierre Tari – Secretary General of the Association des Grands Crus Classés * Gary Vaynerchukvlog wine critic of ''Wine Library TV'' *
Jean-Claude Vrinat Jean-Claude Vrinat (12 April 1936 – 7 January 2008) was the owner of the Taillevent (restaurant), Taillevent restaurant founded by his father André Vrinat in Paris. This Michelin Guide, two star restaurant, named after the court chef to King Ch ...
– French wine expert and owner of the restaurant Taillevent *
William Charles Winshaw William Charles Winshaw (1871-1968), was an American physician who created Stellenbosch Farmer's Winery (SFW) in South Africa in 1935. He was born in Kentucky, USA on 21 November 1871 and died in South Africa on 11 March 1968. He also co-owned the ...
– pioneer South African vintner * Kevin Zraly – American wine educator and author


See also

* List of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wine professionals Lists of people by occupation * *
Personalities Personality psychology is a branch of psychology that examines personality and its variation among individuals. It aims to show how people are individually different due to psychological forces. Its areas of focus include: * construction of a ...
* *