Academy Chair at The World’s Best Vineyards, Member of the GWC International Experts Panel, Country Ambassador of International Wine Challenge, Executive Director of Global Women of Wine and South American producer of Tim Atkin MW Laura is a well-known sommelier in Argentina and an international wine judge (IWC, Mundus Vini, Pinnacle Wine Awards, among others). She is a founder of Winifera, a company specialising in wine consulting, PR and marketing. Laura is also the co-founder of Club de Mujeres del Vino (Wine Women Club), a non-profit organisation for professional women in the Argentine wine industry. A former vice-president of the Argentine Sommelier Association and Member of the Education Committee at Association de la Sommellerie Internationale. Laura is a qualified sommelier (Diploma Association de la Sommellerie Internationale, WSET’s Advanced Certification, Certified Sommelier of the Court of Master Sommeliers, Diploma WorldSomm in Bordeaux, France, Certified in Wine Management at San Francisco Wine School, the USA and a student at Advanced Sommelier Exam in the US and Diploma WSET in the UK). She is also the producer of Tim Atkin’s South America reports, Descorchados Argentina wine guide and Wine Curator of South America Wine Guide.

Sarah Heller MW is a wine expert, content creator and visual artist based in Hong Kong and at 30 is the youngest female and Asia-Pacific’s youngest Master of Wine.

Cathy started her wine journey on a bicycle: she asked her husband to ride SA’s famed Cape Town Cycle Tour with her; he accepted on the condition she attended a wine course with him. She has since notched up more than 21 tours – and passed the prestigious Master of Wine examination in 2005.

Christy Canterbury was the seventh woman in the US to earn the Master of Wine title, receiving the Villa Maria Award for Outstanding Performance in the Viticulture Examination. She is a New York based journalist, speaker and critic.

Natasha Hughes MW, graduated as a Master of Wine in 2014, winning four out of the seven prizes awarded that year, including the Outstanding Achievement Award.