CONTRI§BUTORS


We go to great lengths to persuade the world’s finest wine writers to share their knowledge with our readers.


We seek to blend unrivaled expertise with less familiar (but no less important) voices, drawing on experience while, at the same time, nourishing and promoting new talent.


Chloe Ashton was still young when her wine story began, thanks to her eno-curious father and regular trips between England and France. After reading classics at King’s College, London, she followed her nose to


Bordeaux, where she immersed herself in the region’s wines and the history of their unique trading system. During her formative professional years working for Fine+Rare, Chloe developed her understanding of wine investment across key markets, which she then applied over four years working in close collaboration with top wine producers at fine-wine intelligence agency Wine Lister. Chloe is now commercial director for the Swiss-based fine-wine portfolio curator 1275 Collections.


Michel Bettane is France’s leading wine critic. Born in Maryland, USA, he graduated in classics, which he proceeded to teach from 1975 to 1991. He contributed to La Revue du Vin de France for more than 20 years, most recently as its editor. He also co-writes, with Thierry Desseauve, the acclaimed annual Grand Guide des Vins de France and Magnum, and organizes the annual Le Grand Tasting in Paris. After wine, his greatest passion is listening to classical music.


Raymond Blake is a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, and in a previous career he worked as a schoolmaster. He is one of Ireland’s leading wine writers, and over the past 25 years he has contributed to a host of publications around the globe. He writes principally on wine but also on a diverse range of topics: food, travel, classical music, education, history, and culture. He is the author of three critically acclaimed books: Breakfast in Burgundy: A Hungry Irishman in the Belly of France; Côte d’Or: The Wines and Winemakers of the Heart of Burgundy; and Wine Talk: An Enthusiast’s Take on the People, the Places, the Grapes, and the Styles. Raymond is much in demand as a presenter at themed wine dinners, tutored tastings, and other events. He also serves as the Burgundy contributor for the annual Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book and is currently writing a revised, second edition of Côte d’Or, which is due for publication in 2025. Raymond and his wife, violinist Fionnuala Hunt, own a house in Burgundy, where he regularly leads private, customized tours.


12 | THE WORLD OF FINE WINE | ISSUE 87 | 2025


Ch’ng Poh Tiong, a lawyer by training, is a highly influential and prolific publisher, writer, consultant, lecturer, and wine judge. The Singaporean is recognized as a Bordeaux specialist and posts daily on his website chngpohtiong.com.


His contribution to the wine world includes founding the International Congress of Chinese Cuisine & Wine and acting as regional chair for the Decanter World Wine Awards. He is a columnist for The World of Fine Wine, contributes to academieduvinlibrary.com and Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book, and published 100 Top Chinese Restaurants of the World in 2019 and 2020. His latest book is A Primer on Pairing (2024). He somehow found time amid all his other projects to obtain a postgraduate certificate in Chinese art from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.


Harry Eyres has surely become one of the most eloquent advocates of the worldwide Slow movement. Having worked for leading newspapers and magazines as a theater critic, wine writer, and poetry editor, in 2004 he created the Slow Lane column in FT Weekend. Promoting the thoughtful enjoyment of the often uncostly and uncostable pleasures and values that make life worth living, Slow Lane ran until 2015. He has published a volume of poetry, Hotel Eliseo (Hearing Eye), and gives regular poetry readings. Eyres is also the author of The Beginner’s Guide to Plato’s The Republic (Hodder & Stoughton), the memoir Horace and Me: Life Lessons from an Ancient Poet (Bloomsbury; shortlisted for the PEN/Ackerley Prize in 2014), and Seeing Our Planet Whole: A Cultural and Ethical View of Earth Observation (Springer). His wine books include Wine Dynasties of Europe (Lennard) and the Viking/Penguin Guide to Cabernet Sauvignon. He was editor of the Which? Wine Guide 1995–96. He lives in London and enjoys playing tennis and the piano.


Simon Field MW studied French literature at the University of Oxford and then, for whatever reason, doggedly pursued the qualification of a chartered accountant. The silver linings of various French postings were mainly vinous


and prompted the somewhat unexpected career move to shop assistant in his local Oddbins in Belsize Park. More than two decades of buying for Berry Bros & Rudd ensued, where he specialized in the wines of Spain, Champagne, and the Rhône Valley, inter alia, passions that he now indulges somewhat less formally but, if possible, with even greater pleasure.


Anick Goumaz is passionate about words and wine, and holds both a diploma in copywriting and a federal sommelier certificate. Born in 1983 in Fribourg, she began her career in tourism after completing her studies in Sierre, then perfected her skills in communications. She became editor-in-chief of the French-language edition of Vinum in 2022.


Susan Hulme MWbecame a Master of Wine in 2005, at that time one of only 250 in the world. She won the Madame Bollinger Tasting Medal, awarded for an outstanding performance in the tasting part of the exam. She is a panel judge for the IWC and is also a regular contributor to Decanter tasting panels. She is a member of the Circle of Wine Writers, a former chairman of the Association of Wine Educators (AWE), and the current editor of the AWE Newsletter. Susan runs her own wine education and consultancy company, Vintuition, based in Windsor, UK, and provides all kinds of training and wine courses for the trade and members of the public. A major part of her work is running in-house training and WSET exams for sales executives at some of the leading on-trade and retail wine companies.


Thierry Gaudillère is a photographer and wine journalist, working mostly in Burgundy and Beaujolais. In 1994, he co-founded the magazine Bourgogne Aujourd’hui. He has contributed to many books and magazines, including Vinum, The World of Fine Wine, Les Hospices de Beaune (Ferret), Les Climats de Bourgogne (Glénat), The World Atlas of Wine (Mitchell Beazley), and the forthcoming Bulles, La singulière aventure du Crémant de Bourgogne (La Martinière, 2025). In 2023 and 2024 he was named Errázuriz Wine Photographer of the Year at the World Food Photography Awards in London.


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