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
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
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
Chief winemaker for Sacred Hill in Hawke’s Bay, Tony Bish crafts wines that have received accolades both here and internationally.
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
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
With a wealth of experience in the New Zealand winemaking industry, Jeff Clarke is chief winemaker for ARA Wine Estate in Marlborough.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
From a distinguished Auckland winemaking family, Michael Ivicevich heads up the winemaking team at Auckland wine company Delegat’s
Sam Kim
Author of the wine-review publication Wine Orbit, Sam Kim is also an experienced senior wine-show judge.
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
Accomplished winemaker Olly Masters (ex-Ata Rangi) produces the wines for Central Otago-based Misha’s Vineyard.
Larry McKenna
Wairarapa pinot noir legend Larry McKenna is synonymous with Escarpment Vineyard Martinborough.
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
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
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
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
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)
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 is Cuisine’s New Zealand wine writer.
