Cuisine Wine

Cuisine wine judges

The Cuisine wine panel consists of three judges and an associate judge. The panel chair is John Belsham, highly respected international judge, winemaker and owner of Foxes Island Wines in Marlborough, as well as a wine consultant to Air New Zealand.

Australian wine authority Ralph Kyte-Powell joins the panel three times a year to judge and write up tastings for Australian Shiraz, NZ Cabernet and Merlot blends, Champagne, and international sparkling wines. Ralph has worked in the wine and hospitality industries for more than 30 years, and has travelled extensively. He writes a regular a column in The Age and is a former co-author of the Penguin Good Australian Wine Guide. The Cuisine panel also includes guest winemakers and wine specialists from New Zealand and Australia. Tasting notes for New Zealand wines are prepared by Cuisine’s NZ wine writer John Saker, also an associate judge.

John Belsham – Cuisine wine panel chair

John Belsham

Highly respected international judge and owner of Foxes Island Wines in Marlborough, John Belsham began his winemaking career in the Medoc region of Bordeaux, France, in 1977 and brings to the panel more than 35 years of experience in the wine industry.

 

Ralph Kyte-Powell – Australian wine judge and writer

Ralph Kyte-Powell - Australian wine judge and writer

Melbourne-based Ralph Kyte-Powell judges our Australian Shiraz, NZ Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and our Champagne and international sparkling tastings. He is the weekly wine columnist in The Age.

Tony Bish

Tony Bish

Chief winemaker for Sacred Hill in Hawke’s Bay, Tony Bish crafts wines that have received accolades both here and internationally.

Jane Boyle

Jane Boyle

A senior wine-show judge, Jane Boyle brings to the role more than 25 years of experience in many facets of the wine industry in New Zealand and Australia.

 

Michael Brajkovich MW

Michael Brajkovich MW

Winemaker at Kumeu River Wines, his family-owned vineyard and winery, and current chairman of the Air New Zealand Wine Awards, Master of Wine Michael Brajkovich is a respected wine judge in Australia and New Zealand.

Jeff Clarke

Jeff Clarke

With a wealth of experience in the New Zealand winemaking industry, Jeff Clarke is chief winemaker for ARA Wine Estate in Marlborough.

Peter Cowley

Peter Cowley

Winemaker at Hawke’s Bay’s Te Mata Estate for almost 30 years, Peter Cowley is now Te Mata’s technical director, responsible for all aspects of wine production from vine to bottle.

Mike DeGaris

Mike Degaris

Australian wine consultant and international judge Mike DeGaris has accrued many years of experience in winemaking and judging on both sides of the Tasman.

Dan Dineen

Dan Dineen

Riesling and pinot noir devotees and senior wine-show judges Sarah-Kate and Dan Dineen are the talented husband-and-wife winemaking team behind Wanaka’s Maude Wines label.

Sarah-Kate Dineen

Sarah-Kate Dineen

Riesling and pinot noir devotees and senior wine-show judges Sarah-Kate and Dan Dineen are the talented husband-and-wife winemaking team behind Wanaka’s Maude Wines label.

Cameron Douglas MS

Cameron Douglas MS

New Zealand’s only Master Sommelier, senior wine-show judge and writer Cameron Douglas is also a senior lecturer at AUTUniversity and consultant to a number of restaurants and hotels.

Rod Easthope

Rod Easthope

Former chief winemaker for CraggyRange, senior wine-show judge Rod Easthope is co-owner (with his winemaker wife Emma) of Easthope Wines in Hawke’s Bay.

Anna Flowerday

Anna Flowerday

Husband-and-wife winemaking team and aromatic white-wine specialists Anna and Jason Flowerday own the oldest boutique winery in Marlborough, Te Whare Ra.

Warren Gibson

Warren Gibson

Winemaker for Trinity Hill in Hawke’s Bay, Warren Gibson and his winemaker partner Lorraine Leheny also produce their own boutique label Bilancia.

Ben Glover

Ben Glover

After 15 years as winemaker at Wither Hills, Ben Glover is group winemaker for NZ Vineyard Estates, owners of the Mud House and Waipara Hills labels.

Michael Ivicevich

Michael Ivicevich

From a distinguished Auckland winemaking family, Michael Ivicevich heads up the winemaking team at Auckland wine company Delegat’s

Sam Kim

Sam Kim

Author of the wine-review publication Wine Orbit, Sam Kim is also an experienced senior wine-show judge.

Alastair Maling MW

Alastair Maling MW

Described in 2003 by the UK’s Decanter magazine as one of five new-generation Kiwi winemakers to watch, Master of Wine Alastair Maling is Villa Maria GM Winemaking and Winemaking and Viticulture

Olly Masters

Olly Masters

Accomplished winemaker Olly Masters (ex-Ata Rangi) produces the wines for Central Otago-based Misha’s Vineyard.

Larry McKenna

Larry McKenna

Wairarapa pinot noir legend Larry McKenna is synonymous with Escarpment Vineyard Martinborough.

Simon Nunns

Simon Nunns

A champion of alternative grape varieties, such as arneis, albarino and viognier, acclaimed winemaker Simon Nunns has notched up a swathe of successes in his years at Auckland winery CoopersCreek.

Nick Picone

Nick Picone

Villa Maria senior Auckland winemaker Nick Picone is also the first Kiwi to win the prestigious Australasian Young Winemaker of the Year title, which he did in 2012.

Kate Radburnd

Kate Radburnd

Pask winemaker and managing director Kate Radburnd is one of New Zealand’s most acclaimed winemakers, with a distinguished record in wine-show judging.

Steve Smith MW

Steve Smith

Director of Wine and Viticulture and a founding director of CraggyRange, Steve Smith is also the only specialist viticulturist in the world to hold a coveted Master of Wine qualification.

Steve Voysey

Steve Voysey

With many years under his belt producing quality bubbles from Gisborne’s Champagne-like clay soils, sparkling wine “encyclopaedia” Steve Voysey is regional winemaker for Indevin.

Andrew Parkinson – Associate Judge (non-scoring)

Andrew Parkinson - Associate Judge (non-scoring)

Long-time associate Cuisine judge Andrew Parkinson is the fine-wine and on-premise manager for Negociants NZ.

John Saker – Associate judge (non-scoring)

John Saker

John Saker is Cuisine’s New Zealand wine writer.