January 10th 2027 at hotel Phoenix

2027 Judges

Announcing Fall 2026

Service competition

A woman with long wavy dark hair and a beige sweater smiling and holding a glass of rosé wine, with blurred warm lights in the background.
A young man with short dark hair, fair skin, wearing a navy suit with a white shirt, a blue tie, and a gold name badge, standing in front of a stone wall.
A man with glasses and a beard, wearing a blue blazer and a white patterned shirt, smiling in a warmly lit restaurant or cafe.

  • Regional Editor, South at Eater

    Henna Bakshi is Eater's Regional and Audience Editor, Southeast, and an award-winning food and wine journalist. She oversees Eater's coverage in Atlanta, Miami, New Orleans, the Carolinas, and Nashville, and has a decade of experience producing news at CNN. Henna is certified in wine with a WSET (Wine and Spirits Education Trust) Level 3 degree, and Sake Level 1. Her wine reporting appears in Decanter, Wine Enthusiast, and Food and Wine Magazine, among others, with a focus on war-zone wines and global storytelling. Henna has hosted multiple food and wine pop-up events around Atlanta. 

  • Advanced Sommelier, 2x Sommlympics Service Champion

    Eric Palmer is a Fine Wine Specialist for Republic National Distributing Company. He consults with restaurants and retail shops throughout Georgia to craft award-winning wine lists and enhance their beverage programs. In 2023 he won the title "Best Young Sommelier in America" and represented the U.S. in the international finals of the Chaine des Rotisseurs' Jeunes Sommelier Competition where he placed in 3rd amongst 14 sommeliers from around the globe.

    An active member of Atlanta’s vibrant wine community, Eric participates in tasting groups and mentors those studying for wine exams and competitions. He also enjoys participating in wine dinners for non-profits, and in recent years has been a member of the sommelier team for La Paulee and the High Museum Wine Auction. He is passionate about Bordeaux, and was honored to be a scholar in 2023's Bordeaux Mentor Week hosted by Jane Anson and Chinedu Rita Rosa.

    In 2020 he helped open The Chastain restaurant. As Assistant Sommelier he was integral in achieving Wine Spectator's “Best of Award of Excellence” and winning Atlanta Magazine’s “Best Wine List” in 2021. The Chastain received a Michelin Green Star and Recommendation in 2023. Eric also spent some time on the retail side of the industry with Perrine's Wine, where he had the pleasure of showcasing one of the most extensive Burgundy and Champagne collections in the Southeast. 

  • Master Sommelier, Importer, Author, Winemaker

    Jonathan Ross is a New Jersey-born sommelier, wine importer, author, and winemaker who now resides in Nashville, TN. Ross spent 15 years in New Jersey and New York restaurants culminating with a 5yr stint as the head sommelier at Eleven Madison Park as it clinched the top spot on the San Pellegrino 50 Best Restaurant List in 2017 - the same year he passed the master sommelier exam. 

    Ross and his now wife, Jane Lopes, relocated to Melbourne, Australia also in 2017, for three years where he was the Beverage Director for the Rockpool Dining Group, curated the inflight wine experience for Qantas Airlines, and produced wines under his own label - Micro Wines. 

    The duo had a profound experience in Australia which led them to return to the US and found Legend Imports, a B-Corp Certified importer of Australian wine. Additionally, Ross is the Wine Director for Nashville's Twelve Thirty Club, and The Global Ambassador Hotel in Phoenix Arizona, and in 2023 published How to Drink Australian with Lopes to critical acclaim. 

Theory competition

A woman with curly hair and a black top holding two glasses of wine, smiling widely with her mouth open indoors at a social gathering.
A woman with curly red hair sitting on an orange chair in a warmly lit living room, smiling at the camera. She's wearing a light blue denim shirt and black pants.
A woman holding a glass of wine at a social gathering or event

  • Sommelier, Author, Importer

    Jane Lopes is a Nashville-based sommelier, author, and importer. After graduating from the University of Chicago in 2007, Lopes has built a career in the wine and hospitality industry that has spanned countries, decades, and disciplines. Lopes worked at New York’s Eleven Madison Park, Nashville’s The Catbird Seat, Chicago’s The Violet Hour, and most recently as the wine director at Attica, one of Australia’s most celebrated restaurants.

    In September of 2019, she put her literature degree to good use in publishing her first book, a personal and educational guide to wine called Vignette: Stories of Life and Wine in 100 Bottles. In 2020, Lopes and her husband Jonathan Ross cofounded their Australian wine imports company, Legend. Her second book, How to Drink Australian (co-authored with Ross), was published in September 2023. Jane also proudly sits on the board of the nonprofit The Vinguard, which works to promote equity and sustainability in the wine industry.

  • DipWSET, MBA, Writer, Founder

    Named to Wine Enthusiast’s Future 40 in 2023, Sarah H. Bray, DipWSET,
    MBA, is a seasoned wine professional recognized for her expertise in communications, education, and brand strategy. She currently serves as Sales Director for the Transportation Channel and Private Clients at Vineyard Brands, driving premium wine experiences and strategic partnerships.

    Formerly the Associate Director of Wine Education at Meadowood’s Wine Center, she developed and taught an acclaimed curriculum ranging from varietal studies to global regional explorations, in addition to helming the globally-renowned Wine Writers' Symposium.

    Sarah is also the co-founder of the Bâtonnage Forum and Mentorship Program, both influential platforms advancing equity for women in wine. A contributor to leading publications such as GuildSomm and her own Substack Life by the Glass, she brings both thought leadership and storytelling to the industry. She is a Dame d’Escoffier and a Knight of the Truffle and Wines of Alba, and she holds the Level 4 Diploma from Wines & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) and an MBA in Wine Business, reflecting her commitment to excellence,
    education, and the advancement of the global wine community.

  • Jade is originally from London, England (and proud of it), though she has called Atlanta home for most of her life.

    Jade found her way into wine while she was working as a flight attendant for Delta Air Lines. She became a “Sky Sommelier,” trained in the foundations of wine pairings and elevated service at cruise altitude. 

    During the pandemic, Jade worked a short stint at a local wine shop, where she discovered the depths of the wine world. Thanks to a glass of 2017 Gérard Duplessis Chablis 1er Cru, she never looked back, eventually leading public tastings and private events, as well as starting her wine certification journey. Since then, she has worked at a few of Atlanta’s staple wine shops, working her way up to building a program as wine manager at Hop City Krog Street Market. Today, Jade serves as General Manager and Sommelier at Madeira Park, a Michelin recommended wine-forward restaurant. 

    Jade is a WSET Diploma candidate and a Certified Specialist of Wine. She is also an educator at the Oenophile Institute. Her goal is to make wine accessible and unpretentious to anyone who wants to learn more, while also getting industry folks excited about wine regions and producers that deserve to be in the spotlight.

Tasting competition

A woman smiling, wearing a black blazer and white top, holding a glass of red wine, standing in a restaurant with wine bottles on racks in the background.
A woman with short purple hair is smiling at the camera while sitting at a table with several glasses of white wine.
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  • dipWSET, Educator, Ambassador

    Jess is a wine educator for the award winning Napa Valley Wine Academy. She completed the WSET Diploma in 2016 and has been teaching for the Academy since 2017. Her primary goal is to make wine accessible at any level, from the beginner to the advanced student. Jess's area of focus is sparkling wine and she is the Napa Valley Wine Academy's Lead Champagne Educator. 

    In addition to being a WSET Certified Educator, Jess is an Italian Wine Ambassador and an Official Ambassador of Orvieto Wines. From what now feels like a past life, Jess also has an MA in Policy Economics from Tulane University and an MBA from the University of Maryland.

    Jess lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband and four cats. When not teaching, Jess works in a wine and spirits boutique in Nashville.

  • DipWSET, Certified Sommelier, Educator, 2023 Sommlympics Champion

    Joe has served as Director of Education for Georgia Crown, Alabama Crown, and Tennessee Crown Distributing Companies, since 2022. Prior to that, he spent ten years in fine wine sales and sales management in the wholesale business in metro Atlanta. Way prior to that, Joe was a child (“Joey” at the time) who preferred reading cookbooks to exploring the wilderness. Eventually, Joe decided to see if this “wine + food” thing made sense, as soon as he had an ID that said he was twenty-one. Nauturally, this led to a career in wine, and studies through the Society of Wine Educators, Court of Master Sommeliers, and the WSET, where he earned his Diploma in 2023. Joe is a former Sommlympics champion, believe it or not.

    Joe still can’t believe people pay him a salary to teach people about beverages, and he is so grateful to every wine professional and wine consumer for making something so wonderful into a real thing people can do for a living. Joe particularly enjoys the discipline of blind tasting, serving as both mentor and lifelong student.

    When not writing bios, Joe resides in the suburb of Roswell, Georgia, with his fabulous wife, two amazing daughters, and- presumably- a dog someday. He enjoys cooking and comfortable furniture.

  • Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Morgan began her hospitality career early working in luxury hotels and restaurants. When she was introduced to the world of wine during her formative years at university, she fell in love instantaneously. After graduating, rather than diving into a career in accounting or international business, she moved to Houston, TX and then to San Francisco, CA, working as a sommelier and deepening her knowledge and passion for wine.

    She finally landed in Healdsburg at Reeve Wines & BloodRoot Wines where she leads the team as Director of Operations. Just recently, she passed the Theory and tasting portions of her Master Sommelier exam.

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Compete

A group of people participating in a wine-tasting event, with four glasses of white wine on a black table, measuring tape, and a person taking a photo or recording with a tablet. The room is decorated with holiday ornaments and’s festive decor.

Tickets

A group of women gathered around a large table participating in a meeting or discussion, with some women reading or taking notes.

Judges

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Sponsors