The IWC Americas Co-Chairs are highly respected professionals, bringing decades of experience to the inaugural IWC Americas competition.
This November, the International Wine Challenge (IWC) brings its rigorous, panel-based judging to Mendoza for the inaugural IWC Americas. Leading the judging will be three new regional Co-Chairs - Christy Canterbury MW for North America, Matías Prezioso for Argentina, and Patricio Tapia for Chile, Brazil and Uruguay - whose combined expertise spans decades of wine tasting, writing and industry leadership.
Christy Canterbury MW takes on the role of Co-Chair, North America, following more than a decade as an IWC Panel Chair. "I strongly believe in the integrity of the meticulous, tiered, blind-tasting process that is at the heart of the IWC's commitment to finding the best quality wines," she said.
"By moving the competition closer to the vineyards, we are inviting more entries to tune in more precisely to the regions' qualities, uncover hidden gems and be more inclusive of the regions' broader winemaking landscapes."
A Contributing Editor to Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy, covering Burgundy and the USA, Christy has also written for Wine-Searcher, TimAtkin.com, Wine Enthusiast and the Huffington Post. Her senior industry roles have included National Wine Director for Smith & Wollensky and Global Beverage Director for Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Culinary Concepts, with a client roster spanning Microsoft, IBM, Cisco and Fitch Ratings.
Matías Prezioso brings a career spanning sommellerie, marketing and international markets to his role as Co-Chair, Argentina.
"Being Co-Chair Argentina for IWC is a great honour and responsibility. IWC's decision to expand internationally and the selection of Mendoza as the first venue for IWC Americas marks the return to Argentina of a prestigious international wine competition - something that hasn't happened for years. It's an opportunity for wineries throughout Argentina to have their wines assessed by top judges and gain greater visibility, not only in the UK, but throughout the Americas."
A former President of the Argentine Association of Sommeliers and current VP Americas of the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale, Matías is also the founder of VinEsence, a consultancy specialising in wine sales, marketing and communications.
Patricio Tapia completes the IWC Americas leadership team as Co-Chair for Chile, Brazil and Uruguay. His career spans journalism, wine criticism and winemaking, with a particular focus on the wines and wine regions of South America.
A journalism graduate of the Universidad de Chile, Patricio went on to study tasting and winemaking at Bordeaux University. He has served as wine critic for Argentina, Chile and Spain at Wine & Spirits magazine and hosted programmes on El Gourmet TV. He is the author of several books, including TodoVino and Wines for Great Occasions, and publishes the annual guide Descorchados, which covers the wines of Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Perú and Uruguay.
Three new Co-Chairs, one competition, and a shared commitment to the rigorous, blind-tasted judging process for which the International Wine Challenge is known.
IWC Americas will hold its inaugural edition in Mendoza this November, bringing the IWC's judging process directly to the regions it covers. Christy, Matías and Patricio have also helped to recruit expert judges from across North and South America, who will join established members of the IWC judging team from the UK to form the judging panel for IWC Americas.
Entries for IWC Americas close on 16 October. Enter now to have your wines assessed by some of the world's most respected judges, with results reaching the trade and consumers across the UK, the Americas and global export markets.
To enter, visit International Wine Challenge Americas.
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