Edward Ragg MW: A Multifaceted Expert Joining the 2025 DWWA Judging Panel

We are thrilled to announce that Edward Ragg MW will be part of the esteemed judging panel for the 2025 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA).

With a deep-seated passion for wine and a robust background, Edward is poised to make valuable contributions to this prestigious competition.

Background and Expertise

Together with his wife, Fongyee Walker MW, Edward founded Dragon Phoenix Wine Consulting in Beijing in 2007, marking the start of their impactful consulting career in the wine industry.

His journey in wine began after studying English literature at Oxford University, where he later delved into the world of blind tasting at Cambridge.

His work on his M.Phil. and Ph.D. dissertations explored the poetry of Wallace Stevens, a notable American poet who had a particular fondness for Burgundy wines.

As a former Captain and Coach of the Cambridge Blind-Tasting team, Edward co-authored “The Cambridge University Guide to Blind-Tasting,” a guide that he has continually updated since its launch in 2004.

Academic Achievements

Edward held an academic position as a Professor at Tsinghua University from 2007 until 2017, during which he deepened his wine expertise by earning his WSET Diploma in 2012.

He embarked on the Master of Wine (MW) journey in 2015, successfully attaining his MW designation in 2019.

His outstanding performance was recognized with the Robert Mondavi Award for excellence in the MW Theory papers and the Quinta do Noval Award for the best research paper in that same examination cycle.

Together with Fongyee, he stands out as one of the most seasoned WSET Diploma instructors in mainland China.

Furthermore, Edward has significantly contributed to the IMW’s Australasian program alongside fellow MWs Andrea Pritzker and Annette Lacey, successfully facilitating residential seminars in Adelaide from 2020 to 2024.

Contributions and Engagement

From 2019 to 2024, Edward reviewed Chinese wines for The Robert Parker Wine Advocate and has consistently engaged with the burgeoning Chinese wine scene.

His extensive judging experience includes serving as a guest international judge at prestigious events like the McLaren Vale Wine Show in 2012, the Royal Perth Wine Show in 2019, and the upcoming 2024 Wine Show of Western Australia, among other competitions both internationally and within China.

Recently, he has also enhanced his Mandarin skills, allowing him to effectively teach and present wine topics throughout mainland China.

For more information about Edward Ragg, feel free to visit his website at http://www.edwardragg.com.

To learn more about the distinguished judges for the 2025 DWWA, please visit https://www.decanter.com/decanter-awards/decanter-world-wine-awards-judges/dwwa-panel-judges/.

Source: Decanter