Jury 2025 – VINARIUM

16/042025

Jolanta Smičienė

Jolanta Smičienė has been working in the wine industry since 1998 and is a wine and travel journalist as well as a wine lector and consultant.

She is Judge in International Wine Competitions.

A specialist in wines from Lithuania, she writes for several international publications and also frequently presents reports on the wine regions and wine market. Jolanta also has a specialization in Champagne and is a member of The Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne.

Jolanta also regularly arranges tastings, dinners and lectures for connoisseurs and professionals. One of her main activities is training the staff of import companies and HORECA employees. Another part of her cooperation with import companies is consulting and arranging the wine portfolio.

04/042025

Valeriu V COTEA

Professor at University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Iași. Scientific Secretary of the OIV Oenology Commission. OIV taster and delegate to numerous international wine competitions under the auspices of the OIV. Expert wine taster since 1997. Corresponding member of the Romanian Academy.

04/042025

Elisabeth RABEN

Project Manager Berliner-, Portugal-, and Asia Wine Trophy

Project Manager Wine Fair Berlin

Student of Enology University BOKU in Vienna

28/032025

Michel BLANC

 Director of projects and development at Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine producers Union
 Creator and administrator of Vinadea (Wine house) from Châteauneuf-du-Pape
 President of Châteauneuf-du-Pape Oenology (laboratory)
 Graduated from Aix Marseille University
 Administrator of « Sites remarquables du goût » national federation
 Founder of « Slow Food Châteauneuf-du-Pape »
 Vine grower in AOC Luberon et Ventoux at Arnia Estate
 Member of various wine contests

28/032025

Malgorzata PARTYKA

Wine journalist and educator based in Warsaw, Poland. Holds a PhD in biochemistry. Writes
about wine in Polish (Ferment) and international publications (Trink), with two entries in the
Jancis Robinson Wine Writing Competition (2017 and 2020). Member of the Polish
association Kobiety i Wino (Women and Wine). WSET Level 3, currently pursuing the
WSET Diploma in London.

25/032025

Agostinho PEIXOTO

Agostinho Peixoto, is from the city of Braga, Northern Portugal. He graduated in Tourism, Postgraduate in “Local and Regional Development”, MBA in Tourism Destination Management. He teaches at several professional and higher education establishments in the areas of Tourism, Gastronomy and Wine. He is a “Madeira Wine Educator”, “Certified Port Educator”. He is also, trainer certified by the Portuguese Institute of Employment and Vocational Training. He is coordinator of the Gastronomy and Wines department of the Regional Tourism Entity of Porto and Northern of Portugal, where he operates. He is a judge in several national and international wine competitions. He writes for the largest wine magazine in Portugal – “Vinho Grandes Escolhas” – about WineTourism. He writes about Tourism, Gastronomy and Wines for “O Escanção” Magazine. He is President of the Abade Gastronomic Brotherhood. He is a member of the Marketing Council of the Trás-os-Montes Wine Commission. He specializes in Wines and mainly in Sparkling Wines. He is also Vice President of the World Organization of Tourism Professionals. He is above all passionate about life, Wine, Gastronomy and Tourism.

25/032025

Per KARLSSON

Per Karlsson is co-founder of BKWine together with his wife Britt. They are wine journalists, authors and wine tour operators.

Per is editor and publisher of BKWine Magazine, an online wine magazine and the newsletter the BKWine Brief. The couple started Sweden’s first wine website in 1996 and now operate bkwine.com, probably Sweden’s biggest wine website, also available in English and read in more than 100 countries. Per is co-owner of BKWine Tours, one of the world’s leading wine tour operators that has been named “World’s Top Wine Tours” as well as “World’s Best Wine Guide” organising wine tours in France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile as well as several other countries. He is, together with Britt, contributor to Forbes.com in the US where they cover the global wine scene based on their extensive travel to wine regions. They have written thirteen books on wine that have won several literary awards from e.g. the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) and Gourmand International. They are frequently called on to be judges in international wine competitions and have as such participated in competition juries on four continents. They are editors for all subjects on wine for the National Encyclopaedia in Sweden.

25/032025

Mihai Popescu

Mihai Popescu is an experienced wine professional with a WSET Level 4 diploma and four years of experience as a juror at Sélections Mondiales des Vins Canada. Mihai co-founded the Salon des Vins Roumains Montréal, organizing the first Romanian wine fair in North America and promoting over 100 Romanian wines in Canada. As a wine consultant, he manages sales for renowned Romanian brands in the SAQ wine monopoly network.

25/032025

Manuel A CAPOTE PEREZ

Expert in heroic viticulture and enoturism.

Enologist, technical director in several international wineries.

Master’s degree in progress.

Vice-President of CERVIM.

Member of the COMEX (Executive Committee) of VINOFED.

VINOFED Observer for VINARIUM 2025.

24/032025

Cristian TUDOR

Oenologist, winemaking consultant, wine and spirits taster, ADAR member.