Are you of legal drinking age in your country of residence?
Are you of legal drinking age in your country of residence?
Christina Pickard
Christina is a wine writer, presenter, and educator. She has been telling wine tales for over a decade, first from her former home in London, England, then from her second former home in Perth, Australia, and now in her current home in New York's Hudson Valley. Christina has written for publications around the globe including Decanter, Gourmet Traveller Wine, James Halliday's Wine Companion, Afar, Food & Wine, and Club Oenologique. She is a Writer at Large and Reviewer at Wine Enthusiast magazine where she tastes and reviews over 1,500 wines per year from New Zealand, Australia, Great Britain and New York. Christina scribbles stories about all four countries for the magazine, as well as covering a broad range of drinks-related topics.
Alastair Maling MW
Alastair Maling MW began his career as a flying winemaker making wine in France, Italy, Spain, Chile, Argentina and South Africa. He gained his Master of Wine qualification in 2000 and at the time was one of only three New Zealand winemakers to pass the exam. In 2002 he returned to New Zealand and joined Villa Maria Estate as Group Winemaker, then General Manager overseeing the winemaking and viticultural program for the entire portfolio. In 2015 he joined Foley Wines as Group Chief Winemaker and Head of Viticulture for the company brands that included Te Kairanga, Martinborough Vineyard, Grove Mill, Vavasour and Mt Difficulty.
In July 2021 following 26 years of experience in the wine industry Maling established his own consulting business Maling Wines that now has a New Zealand focus but in time some international clients. This includes winemaking consultancy, and advisory to Oritain, a company specialising in traceability, authenticity and provenance.
Steve Smith MW
Steve is a Lincoln University alumni whose career has always been in the wine sector. He is a professional viticulturist, having spent his formative years working alongside Dr Richard Smart. A ten year stint at Villa Maria Estate followed, helping George Fistonich lay the foundation for the success that Villa Maria is today. In 1999 he co-founded, and for 16 years lead the creation and development of Craggy Range Winery, crowned the best winery in the new world by Wine Enthusiast in 2014. In 2016 Steve co-founded Aotearoa New Zealand Fine Wine Estates with his good friend, investor and environmental philanthropist from the USA, Brian Sheth, and his wife, Adria, from which Smith & Sheth was born.
Along the way Steve became the only viticulturist in the world to have passed the prestigious Master of Wine examination, and has twice been selected in the list of 50 most influential people in the world of wine.
