The Trophy Wine Show

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Judges 2025

The Trophy Wine Show judging takes place at the Grande Roche Hotel, Paarl from 12 – 15 May 2025. The panel comprises three international and at least six local judges covering a broad range of wine tasting experience, expertise and working with a 100-point scoring system for the blind tasting. The panel has been chaired by leading wine authority Michael Fridjhon since the inception of the show in 2002.

Show Chairman

Michael Fridjhon
Michael Fridjhon

International Judges

Tom Carson (Australia)
Michel Bettane (France)
Tamlyn Currin (UK)

South African Judges

Click on image for biography.

Heidi Duminy
Heidi Duminy CWM
JD Pretorius
James Pietersen
James Pietersen
Mandla Patson Mathonsi
Eben February
Malu Lambert
Christian Eedes

Judges

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Michael Fridjhon

Michael Fridjhon

Show Chairman

Chairman of the judges at the Trophy Wine Show. Author, co-author and contributor to a number of wine books including The Oxford Companion to Wine, The Global Wine Encyclopaedia, and Platter’s South African Wine Guide. Recipient of the Chevalier de l’Ordre du Merite Agricole (France). Judge at numerous competitions including the Australian National Wine Show, the Six Nations Wine Challenge in Australia (now the Global Fine Wine Challenge), as well as benchmark tastings in France, the United States, Chile and South Africa. First international co-chairman of the International Wine Challenge (2007). Visiting Professor of Wine Business at the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business and head of the Wine Judging Academy run in association with the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business. Winner of the Louis Roederer International Wine Columnist of the Year award (2012). Recipient of the SA Wine Industry Wine Appreciation and Wine Advancement Award (2021).

Tom Carson (Australia)

International Judge

Yabby Lake General Manager and Chief Winemaker, he also holds several wine-judging roles including his current post as Chairman of the Royal Melbourne Wine Awards. Previously, the youngest Chairman to preside at The National Wine Show in Canberra, and over the years he has judged at a number of capital city and regional shows as well as serving on the Qantas Wine Panel from 2004 until 2015.

Graduated from Oenology at Roseworthy Agricultural College in 1991. His first vintages as a winemaker followed at Tim Knappstein in the Clare Valley (1991 & 92) and it was here that he discovered the potential for pinot noir in Australia, working with the first two vintages of Lenswood Vineyards Pinot Noir. First travelled to Burgundy in 1992 and, in between two consecutive vintages, returned to Australia as assistant winemaker to James Halliday at Coldstream Hills (1993 & 94).

In 1996, he took up the opportunity to realise the vision of the Rathbone family, new owners of Yering Station in the Yarra Valley. During his 12 years at the helm, the winery met with significant international acclaim including ‘International Winemaker of the Year’ at the 2004 International Wine and Spirit Competition in London. During this period, he returned to France for several vintages – Burgundy (2000 at Domaine Bernard Moreau in Chassagne Montrachet) and Champagne (1996 at Champagne Devaux, Bar-sur-Seine, and 2002 at Les Gras and Haas, Chouilly on the Cote de Blanc). In 2002, he was named the Dux of the Len Evans Tutorial which marked the beginning of his wine judging career.

He joined Yabby Lake in 2008 and his vision for the direction and potential of Yabby Lake Vineyard and Heathcote Estate has seen some exciting recognition in recent times. Trophy Wine Show judge in 2005 and 2013.

Michel Bettane (France)

International Judge

France’s leading wine critic. From 1982 and for over two decades he was editor and editor-in-chief of France’s most important consumer wine publication, La Revue du Vin de France. Started Bettane et Desseauve in 2004 for the purpose of wine guides, articles, books, exhibitions and wine experiences in Paris, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing. He co-writes Le Classement des Meilleurs Vins de France and has a regular column in The World of Fine Wine. Professor at the L’Academie du Vin de France from 1977 to 1989 and member of L’Academie Internationale du Vin. Credited with coining the term “vin de garage” and its winemakers “garagistes”. After wine, he is passionate about classical music. Trophy Wine Show judge in 2004, 2009 and 2016.

Tamlyn Currin (UK)

International Judge

Sustainability editor of and staff writer for JancisRobinson.com. Fortnum & Mason Drinks Writer of the Year in 2024. She has a particular interest in all matters sustainable, food-and-wine pairing, beverages other than wine and artisan producers. Every year she pores over dozens of wine books, reviewing them with respect for the time and sacrifice it takes to write a book and with ruthless attention to detail. Her great loves are wines off the beaten track, Eastern Europe, Languedoc and Roussillon, and German wine. She adores vermouth and cocktails with a bitter twist. Negroni is her brunch drink, if Bloody Mary isn’t on tap. She’ll eat anything – at least once. She shone at the WSET Diploma exams and is a particular stickler for detail and consistency. If you don’t like metaphors, steer clear of her tasting notes.

Heidi Duminy

Heidi Duminy CWM

South African Judge

Cape Wine Master and principal of the Cape Wine Academy. Formerly communications manager for DGB, brand manager for Veuve Clicquot and Krug, as well as trade marketing manager of the LVMH portfolio of Champagnes and spirits. Wine marketing specialist and group marketing manager for Meridian Holdings. Distinction graduate of the Michael Fridjhon Wine Judging Academy in 2011 and Advanced Wine Judging Academy attendee in 2014. Convener of the judging for the Amorim Cap Classique Challenge since 2017 and the Diner’s Club Winemaker of the Year panel in 2020. Sparkling wine judge at the Veritas Awards since 2011. Associate judge at The Trophy Wine Show in 2012, 2014 and 2015, and judge since 2016.

JD Pretorius

South African Judge

Cellarmaster at Warwick Wine Estate in Stellenbosch since 2019, current vice-chairman of the Cape Winemakers Guild. Distinction graduate of the Michael Fridjhon Wine Judging Academy in 2010. Regular judge at The Trophy Wine show and panel member for various South African wine competitions. BSc. Viticulture and Oenology, Stellenbosch University.

James Pietersen

James Pietersen

South African Judge

CEO of Wine Cellar Fine Wine Merchants in Cape Town. More than 25 years’ experience in the wine industry, from wine buying, sales manager to sommelier. Graduated with distinction at the Michael Fridjhon Wine Judging Academy in 2007 and attended the Advanced Wine Judging Academy in 2014. More than 19 years of judging experience at various wine competitions, including panel chair for the Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Challenge, panellist for Winemag.co.za, and roving chair for Platter’s South African Wine Guide. First judged at The Trophy Wine Show in 2008 and on 11 occasions since.

Mandla Patson Mathonsi

South African Judge

National brand ambassador for Beck Family Estates – The House of Graham Beck in Robertson and Steenberg Vineyards on the Constantia wine route. Recipient of the Eat Out Wine Service Award in 2014. Head sommelier at the DW11-13 restaurant in Johannesburg and sales representative at the Reciprocal Wine Company from 2015 to 2018. Completed the Cape Wine Academy Certificate Course as well as WSET Levels 1, 2 and 3. A member of the Hugues Lepin Sommelier and Wine Academy. Graduate of the Michael Fridjhon Wine Judging Academy in 2016. Associate judge at The Trophy Wine Show from 2016 to 2018 and judge since 2019.

Eben February

South African Judge

National sales manager at the Great Heart Wine Company, Franschhoek, with a career in the hospitality industry that began in 2012 as a wine tutor at Delaire Graff Estate in Stellenbosch. Holder of three Cape Wine Academy qualifications, including the Introduction into Wine, the Certificate Course and Wines of the World. Manager of the Jordan Estate tasting room for seven years before moving to Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines as manager of the wine studio from 2021 to 2023. Graduate of the Michael Fridjhon Wine Judging Academy in 2018, currently studying WSET Level 3. Associate judge at the Trophy Wine Show in 2018, 2022 and 2023, and judge since 2024.

Malu Lambert

South African Judge

Multi award winning wine writer and critic Malu Lambert DipWSET writes for a variety of international and local publications. Won the title of the Mont Blanc Emerging Wine Writer of the Year at the Louis Roederer International Wine Writers’ Awards 2019 as well as that of the Veritas Young Wine Writer in 2015. As co-author of ‘Klein Constantia: The Home of Vin de Constance’ she was awarded the ‘Discovering and Presenting Wines’ category of the 2023 OIV. Most recently she was a finalist in the The Gusbourne Estate Award for Long-Form Writing category of the inaugural 67 Pall Mall Global Wine Communicator Awards. Writes for numerous South African titles and was the wine editor of Food & Home for five years. Internationally, she has also written for JancisRobinson.com, Decanter, The Buyer, Falstaff, Club Oenologique, Drinks International, Thirteen Barrels, The Japanese Times and more. A taster for Platter’s South African Wine Guide. A regular on South African wine judging panels, including Winemag.co.za and Wine-of-the-Month Club. She has also judged for Decanter, IWSC and Concours Mondial du Sauvignon. A Michael Fridjhon Wine Judging Academy alum. Associate judge at The Trophy Wine Show in 2022.

Christian Eedes

South African Judge

A wine writer since 2000 and currently editor of Winemag.co.za. Completed a small-scale winemaking programme run by Stellenbosch University’s Department of Viticulture and Oenology. A graduate of the inaugural Michael Fridjhon Wine Judging Academy in 2007 and the Advanced Wine Judging Academy in 2014. Experience includes judging for various local and international competitions. Has judged at the Trophy Wine Show fourteen times since inception.