Judges

Chair of Judges

Cameron Douglas MS– Master Sommelier, New Zealand

Cameron is New Zealand’s first and only Master Sommelier.

Cameron is an experienced wine writer, commentator, judge, reviewer, presenter and consultant.

He lives his life around his enthusiasm for all things beverage – writing, travelling, tasting and speaking. He judges and presents wine regularly in the USA, UK, Australia and Asia. He is the wine and beverage feature writer for MiNDFOOD and Style magazines and contributes to a number of other publications. His reviews of wines are available through his website, as a courtesy to the industry and interested public.

Cameron is the Group Beverage Manager for Rodd and Gunn and The Lodge Bar Dining – a position that encompasses their global operations, currently focussed on NZ and Australia.

2024 Judging Panel

JUDGES

Andrea Pritzker MW  – Wine Writer & Educator, NSW – Panel Chair

Andrea Pritzker is the founder of Wine inTuition, a wine education and corporate events business in Sydney.  A certified WSET educator, she also works as an independent wine writer, consultant, wine judge and public speaker. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, she obtained a Diploma in Wine Commerce in Bordeaux, France, before moving to Australia in 2003. Andrea’s diverse career in the wine trade has spanned wholesale, retail, fine wine auction, digital marketing and buying for Qantas Wine. She became a Master of Wine in 2015.  Andrea is Australia’s Burgundy Wine Ambassador. She is also an Ambassador for the VDP in Australia. Andrea has recently joined the Vintage Journal as a contributor. From 2017-2022 she co-coordinated the MW Education programme in Australasia and is now a member of the governing Council for the Institute of Masters of Wine. She is also co-chair of the IMW Symposium to be held in Adelaide in 2026. In November 2022, she was awarded the prize for Dux at the Len Evans Tutorial.

Tim Pelquest-Hunt Chief Winemaker, Orlando Wines, SA – Panel Chair

Tim Pelquest-Hunt is the Chief Winemaker at Orlando Wines, with Riesling being one of his specialities. Chasing his winemaking dream he moved to Christchurch to complete his graduate studies in Viticulture and Oenology at Lincoln University. From there he worked as a travelling hands-on winemaker completing vintages in New Zealand, the Hunter Valley, Tasmania, West Sussex (UK), Rheinhessen (Germany), Napa Valley (US), and of course the Barossa Valley which he is proud to call home. Tim is a Dux of the Australian Wine Research Institute’s (AWRI) Advanced Wine Assessment Course and regularly judges in wine shows. Out of winemaking, Tim is obsessed with Rugby Union and loves spending time with his family.

Cate Looney  – Winemaker,  Brown Family Wines , VIC

2020 Winemaker of the Year at the Women in Wine Awards, Cate Looney is the Senior Winemaker with the Brown Family Wine Group, at Milawa in Victoria’s King Valley. A graduate in Wine Science from Charles Sturt University, Cate has been with the  Brown Family Wine Group for over 17 years managing a team of four winemakers producing over 1M bottles of wine per year.  Cate has extensive experience as a wine show judge, is the Secretary of the Australian Sparkling Wine Show Committee and sits on the Charles Sturt University Wine Courses Industry Advisory Committee.

Stephen Wong MW Wine Consultant, New Zealand

Born in Malaysian Borneo, Stephen’s wine journey began in Central Otago while at university in NZ.  After seven years as a sommelier he moved into wine consulting working with hotels and restaurants in New Zealand and Singapore. He now runs a small hospitality support and education co-operative in Wellington, called Wine Sentience; hosting classes and organising wine events for industry and public. Outside of his day jobs, he is active in the IMW, lectures at Le Cordon Bleu NZ, writes about wine for various publications, speaks at conferences, judges wine shows and provides taste and market advice. Stephen is the NZ Ambassador for Germany’s VDP Estates and provides en-premise fine wine support for French importer Maison Vauron, specialising in Burgundy, Rhône and Loire wines.

Marie Clay   Senior White & Sparking Winemaker, Treasury Wines Estates, SA

With over 20 years of winemaking experience, Marie has worked with a range of wine styles and regions in Australia as well as international vintages in Tuscany and Burgundy. As Senior White and Sparkling Winemaker at Treasury Wine Estates in the Barossa she works closely with the winery team as well as having a specific focus on the Riesling portfolio. She feels honoured to craft the Leo Buring range of Rieslings working with fruit from the Clare and Eden Valleys as well as Northern Tasmania. Her first taste of wine show judging was in 2004 which fueled a passion she has upheld since. She enjoys judging at both capital city and regional wine shows along with guest judging at the Advanced Wine Assessment Course and was a scholar of the Len Evans tutorial in 2015

Brock Harrison  –  Winemaker, Elderton Wines, SA

Prior to moving to Elderton Wines in 2019 Brock spent 13 years with Pernod Ricard developing his skills as a wine maker working with red, white, and sparkling wines.

With a passion for Riesling and winemaking in general, Brock seeks to use his versatility across a wide range of wine styles to collaborate and mentor within the team aiming to innovate and improve throughout the winemaking supply chain.

Dux of the 2012 AWRI Advanced Wines Assessment Course, Brock has broad experience as a wine show judge including the Royal Adelaide and Royal Melbourne wine shows. Brock’s philosophy on wine is simple “you are only as good as your next wine”, which drives him to always strive for continuous improvement in everything wine making.

ASSOCIATE JUDGES

Andrew Kenny – Winemaker, Kenny Wines, winner 2022 Encouragement Award, SA

Jarrad Steele  –  Winemaker, Paulett Wines, winner 2023 Encouragement Award, SA

Emma Shaw –   Collector Wines,  ACT