2025 Judges to be Announced Soon! _________
2024 CRITICS CHALLENGE JUDGES
CHIEF WINE JUDGE
Michael Franz Michael Franz is Editor of the acclaimed online publication WineReviewOnline.com. He has covered the wine scene for more than 25 years, including a long stint as wine columnist at The Washington Post. Michael is also lead wine reviewer for The Tasting Panel, wine consultant to retail establishments in the D.C. area and a frequent judge at major international wine competitions. 
CHIEF SPIRITS JUDGE
Michael Cervin Michael Cervin is author of 11 books on wine, spirits, and other topics. As a critic and journalist, his wine and spirits articles have appeared in Robb Report, Forbes, Wine & Spirits, Vivino, The Hollywood Reporter, Fine Wine & Liquor (China), Decanter (London), Wine Enthusiast, Liquors Magazine (Netherlands), SOMM Journal, Draft, The Tasting Panel, and other publications. His spirits reviews appear regularly in SpiritsReviewOnline.
Stacie Hunt is an Emmy and Belding Award-winning TV journalist, and a contrbuting wine-and-food writer to MY LA Lifestyle, Huffington Post and other publications. She is a Certified Silver Pin Sommelier, AIS/WSA, Dame de la Chaine des Rotisseus and co-founder and host of SPLASH Productions and Point Media, producers of wine, cuisine and arts events and exhibitions, video and documentaries. Stacie serves as V.P. of the National Association of Wine Retailers and is a guest professor on food and wine at Cal Poly, USC and UCLA. 
Michael Apstein, M.D., is a wine educator and a James Beard award-winning wine writer, who has been writing about wine for more than 20 years. He contributes to many national magazines and is senior contributor at Wine Review Online. Michael also was the former wine columnist for the Boston Globe. He judges at numerous national and international wine competitions.
Jeff Kralik is an award-winning wine writer and blogger based in Houston, Texas. His wine appreciation started while studying in Strasbourg, France, and blossomed when he later spent many summers as a bicycle tour guide in Europe. His blog, The Drunken Cyclist, established in 2012, is the recipient of numerous awards and has 75,000 subscribers. Jeff is also wine columnist for several monthly wine magazines in Texas and a frequent judge at wine competitions.
Patrick Comisky is a senior writer for Wine & Spirits Magazine, where he serves as chief critic for all domestic wines not from California, and regularly contributes articles devoted to California, Oregon and Washington wine, winegrowing and wine culture.
Devin Parr is a freelance writer and consultant specializing in wine, travel and lifestyle. She covers the global wine industry, and is a contributor to a number of wine and food publications. She holds a certification in wine expertise from the Apicius International School of Hospitality in Florence, Italy, as well as the WSET Diploma. In 2017, she was named one of Wine Enthusiast Magazine's Top 40 Under 40 Tastemakers.
Allison Levine is a Los Angeles-based freelance wine and travel writer, whose work has appeared in Wine Industry Advisor, LA Weekly, SommJournal and The Tasting Panel among other publications. She is a regular contributor to the Napa Valley Register, Monarch.wine, California Winery Advisor and Beverage Industry News. She hosts the podcast WineSoundtrack USA and is a co-host of Crush On This. Allison holds a WSET Level 3 Certificate and an Italian Wine Specialist Diploma from the North American Sommelier Association. She writes a blog, Please the Palate, and is owner of a wine event company by the same name.
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