The Wine Writers Edit 2025

Aleesha is a writer, judge and broadcaster. She writes about wine and drinks through the prism of food, travel, culture and lifestyle for publications such as Tatler, Decanter, Ocado Life Magazine, the Independent, Club Œnologique and National Geographic Traveller..

She is the resident wine expert on ITV's Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh and can also occasionally be found discussing drinks on BBC Radio.

She has been a judge for several drinks awards, including the Decanter World Wine Awards since 2021 and The Great Taste Awards.

Aleesha was the inaugural winner of the Louis Roederer BAME Bursary and was shortlisted for the IWSC Wine Communicator of the Year 2022.

She is a Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute and was recently announced as the wine ambassador for Ocado, and an ambassador for The Fairtrade Foundation.

She is currently writing her first book about the anthropology of drinks.
Find her on @aleeshahansel

A Social Media wine communicator and presenter, Brad has - with his show # WineSocial brought the wine world to people's phone and living rooms these interviews have evolved since the pandemic and know he is working with wine regions and producers to create content that links with customers and consumers alike.

Brad has also been a judge for the IWSC, 5 star wines & IEWA, he is always looking for incredible stories from around the wine world and bringing them to life, he also hosts tasting masterclasses and writers interviews for several online publications.

@winetimelondon

Jamie Goode is a UK-based wine writer, lecturer, wine judge and book author. With a PhD in plant biology, he worked as a science editor, before starting wineanorak.com in 1999, which became a popular wine website. Since 2005 he’s been the wine columnist for UK national newspaper The Sunday Express, and has written regularly for a range of publications. He is active as a speaker/lecturer and also a wine judge, and is one of the co-chairs for the International Wine Challenge. Goode’s books include the The Science of Wine, Authentic Wine, I Taste Red and Flawless. He’s also prolific on Twitter (@jamiegoode) and Instagram (@drjamiegoode).

Jane Rakison is an award-winning writer, broadcaster, host and author, best-known for being the wine expert on BBC’s Saturday Kitchen Live. She has written two books, Wine & Food, and Everything You Need to Know About Wine, and has written columns for a wide range of publications, from Metro newspaper to Tesco Magazine and Stylist to Halliday.

Jane is a former recipient of the IWSC International Wine Communicator of the Year Award and was given the Chairman’s Award at the Louis Roederer International Wine Writers’ Awards for a series of articles on Champagne. She’s a vastly experienced judge from the IWC to DWWA, and has judged in numerous international competitions, particularly in Australia.

Jane regularly hosts events across the country for a diverse range of people, from private corporate clients to outdoor festivals and she’s a passionate eco warrior, championing a more conscious attitude towards wine whenever possible. @janeonwine janeonwine.com

Jen Davis, known as The Wine Queen, is a leading wine communicator, judge, and entrepreneur. Holding a WSET Diploma and an MSc in Viticulture & Oenology, she combines expert knowledge with hands-on winemaking experience. In 2023, she planted her own micro-vineyard, anticipating her first vintage in 2025. As the founder of Grape Nights, she curates bespoke wine tastings while working with global brands to promote wine regions through social media.

After studying Chemistry at Manchester, Joe went on to study and make wine in Bordeaux, attaining a winemaking diploma.

After a stint helping to run his parents award-winning pub, he was recruited by J. Sainsbury to create a company-wide wine training course. He was promoted to buyer, from where he was head-hunted by Waitrose where he worked as a wine buyer for five years.

During this time, he co-presented TV show, Great Wine Walks. He went on to appear in numerous other shows: Great Food Live; Saturday Kitchen; Ladette to Lady; and Richard and Judy - where he co-authored their hugely successful Richard and Judy Wine Guide. Joe has most recently been co-presenter of BBC Food & Drink with Tom Kerridge and is a wine expert on ITV’s This Morning.

Joe has been a Panel Chair and Judge at The IWC for 25 years and is a regular judge at competitions throughout the world. He was awarded IWSC Communicator of the Year in 2005 and in 2016 – the only person to have won twice. He was also named The IWC’s Personality of the Year award in 2015.

Known throughout the world for his phenomenal palate, irreverent style, accurate predictions and enthusiasm, Oz Clarke is Britain’s most popular wine writer. Alongside his numerous wine industry accolades, he is also the author of a collection of bestselling and award-winning wine books including Bordeaux, Oz and James Drink to Britain, Wine by the Glass and The World of Wine. His latest books – Oz Clarke on Wine: Your Global Wine Companion (Academie du Vin Library), and English Wine: From Still to Sparkling (Pavilion) - are out now. Oz was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to broadcasting and journalism.

Bookshop link: https://academieduvinlibrary.com/product/oz-clarke-on-wine/

Oz Clarke now acts as co-chair of the International Wine Challenge and has been officially awarded the Officier de l’Ordre du Merite Agricole by the French Government. 

Sophia Longhi is an award-winning wine writer, communicator and international wine judge. Her written work can be found in The Guardian, Telegraph Travel and numerous wine trade publications, including Harpers and Club Oenologique. Sophia is also a regular wine contributor to the Ocado magazine, Ocado Life.

One of Sophia’s biggest passions is discovering and sharing wines with a curious audience, and she has hosted wine tastings in a variety of settings and events, like the Ideal Home Show and the National Geographic Traveller Food Festival. Sophia has also discussed wine and wine communication on a number of panels, including at the London Wine Fair, and has been an official ambassador for leading drinks industry events, Wine Paris and Imbibe Live.

Communicating to an active and growing following on Instagram as @skinandpulp, Sophia also creates educational and engaging social media content for acclaimed wine brands. Especially passionate about championing women in wine, she founded a weekly Instagram Live, #WednesdayWineWomen, and is part of an all-women content creation collab called The Wine Collective (@thewinecollectiveuk). As a foursome, they create multi-faceted content and events for premium wine regions and brands.

Sophia was named as one of Drinks Retailing’s 100 Most Influential People in Drinks and won the inaugural IWSC Emerging Talent in Wine Communication Award.

Victoria Daskal is a London-based freelance wine writer, educator, judge, and consultant with over 15 years in the wine industry. 

Her work has appeared in the Financial Times, Decanter, and The World of Fine Wine, where she was formerly Managing Editor. A certified WSET educator, she teaches Diploma-level courses and judges at international wine competitions. 

Victoria also leads marketing and membership engagement at the Old Vine Conference, supporting the global preservation of historic vineyards. She regularly speaks at trade tastings, organizes masterclasses, and is a lecturer for Martin Randall Travel, leading tours such as Gastronomic Provence. 

Passionate about exploring wine through the lens of art, culture, and history, she brings a rich, multifaceted perspective to her work.

You can find Victoria on Instagram @victoriadaskalwine and on her website www.victoriadaskal.com 

Victoria Moore is the author of the best-selling books The Wine Dine Dictionary and Fried Eggs and Rioja: What to Drink with Absolutely Everything.  A journalist and drink expert, she is the wine correspondent of the Daily Telegraph and Telegraph Luxury and her work has also appeared in the Decanter, BBC Good Food, the Guardian, Olive Magazine and Harper’s Bazaar.  She also acts as a wine adviser, copywriter and consultant and is now working on a project about the sense of smell.