Helen Masters

Dave Brookes is a freelance wine journalist with over 25 years of experience, covering Tasmania, the Barossa & Eden Valleys and a large slice of New Zealand for the annual Halliday Wine Companion. He is a regular contributor to Wine Companion and Selector magazines and his work has appeared in Wine Enthusiast, Wine & Spirits, Gourmet Traveller WINE, The Adelaide Review, Fairfax media, and the in-flight magazines for Emirates and Qantas.

Dr Chandré Honeth is a senior lecturer and researcher at The Eastern Institute of Technology. She attained a PhD in Viticulture from the University of Stellenbosch and subsequently moved to Hawke’s Bay to focus on education in the field.

Emma Jenkins MW abandoned her science training for a more sociable career in wine. She writes on a freelance basis for a number of trade and general publications, including New Zealand coverage for Decanter.

Warren is considered one of New Zealand’s most accomplished and influential winemakers, with a career spanning more than three decades and has a reputation for crafting some of New Zealand’s most acclaimed wines.

Michael Brajkovich MW was New Zealand's first Institute of Masters of Wine member and has played a defining role in establishing Kumeu River Wines Chardonnay among the world's finest. A respected wine judge, he was recognised in 2024 as a Fellow of New Zealand Winegrowers and received the Winemakers' Winemaker award.

Julia Harding is a distinguished wine writer, editor, and Master of Wine, renowned for her expertise and attention to detail. With a Cambridge degree in Modern Languages, she initially worked as an academic book editor before her fascination with wine led her to a second career in wine writing. In 2004, she became a Master of Wine, passing first time and winning the Robert Mondavi Award for top theory papers, a distinction for her dissertation and the Tim Derouet Memorial Prize for overall excellence. For over 20 years, she has been Jancis Robinson’s senior editor at JancisRobinson.com.