The London Wine, Beer, and Spirits Competitions have announced the first regional and category ambassadors for the eighth annual competitions in 2025.
The newly introduced Ambassadors Program aims to reach a broader audience in established regions such as France, Germany, Spain, and Italy, as well as engaging with growing markets like Asia and South America. The regional and category ambassadors are industry professionals tasked with educating both consumers and trade professionals about their respective areas of expertise.
Mattia Scarpazza is the ambassador for Italian and Chilean wine. Scarpazza began his career as a sommelier at Petersham Nurseries Café in 2013, and completed his WSET Diploma in 2018. He is a respected wine writer and hosts the Looking Into Wine podcast. Specialising in marketing in branding, Scarpazza assists wineries in developing their brand stories and growing their market presence.
The ambassador for French and Italian spirits is Marco Stella, the Bars Director at Monte Carlo Beach in Monaco. Stella began his hospitality career at 13, and has worked in several countries, including the UK, Malta, Italy, Spain, and Monaco. His expertise is in assessing the quality and consistency of spirits.
Adriana Valentini is this year’s ambassador for French and UK wine. Now an independent wine consultant, Valentini has gained extensive experience from a variety of prestigious positions, including roles at Milan’s two Michelin-starred Il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia and the Corinthia Hotel in London. Passionate about wine education, Valentini aims to be one of the world’s leading female sommeliers.
For Italian and UK wine, the ambassador is Chiara Sieni, a wine judge with The London Wine Competition, Valpolicella Wine Specialist and Langhe Wines Ambassador. Originally from Florence, Sieni moved to London 13 years ago, where she took her French and Italian Wine Scholar with West London Wine School and gained her Diplona from WSET. Sieni has previous worked with Decanter on its awards, freelances with Dolce Vita, an Italian wines distributor, and works at Amathus Drinks.
Ambassador for Thai wine, Gaurav Dixit, has more than 13 years of experience in luxury hospitality, having worked with brands such as Taj Hotels, The Leela Palace Hotels and Resorts, and Lebua Hotels and Resorts in Bangkok. Dixit first established himself as a sommelier in India, where he won Wine Spectator Award for five consecutive years during his tenure in Delhi, and has since moved to Thailand.
Many of the ambassadors will be hosting webinars about how to grow their respective categories on the UK market. More details are available on the respective London Competition websites.
In 2025, a major initiative of the London Competitions is to communicate in Spanish, Italian, and French in the coming months, as well as in English. Additionally, the Competitions will collaborate with regional and country wine, spirits, and beer associations worldwide to help grow their members in international markets. In another change from recent years, this year’s judging panel will also include UK importers and distributors alongside international master distillers and head winemakers.
Submissions to the London Wine, Beer, and Spirits Competitions are now open, with super early bird pricing available until 31 August.