Debra Meiburg MW is an multi-media wine journalist, wine educator, wine judge and a first recipient of the Master of Wine title in Asia. She is also founding director, along with the

Hong Kong Trade Development Council The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 for international marketing dedicated to creating opportunities for Hong Kong's businesses. The organisation has 51 offices around the world, including 1 ...

, of the Cathay Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition. Now in its 14th year, it is the largest pan-Asian wine competition. Having passed the

Certified Public Accountant Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is the title of qualified accountants in numerous countries in the English-speaking world. It is generally equivalent to the title of chartered accountant in other English-speaking countries. In the United Stat ...

(CPA) exams, Meiburg was formerly an accountant at

Price Waterhouse Coopers PricewaterhouseCoopers, also known as PwC, is a multinational professional services network based in London, United Kingdom. It is the second-largest professional services network in the world and is one of the Big Four accounting firms, along ...

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

. Meiburg’s career change into wine saw her focus on wine education and journalism, but she has worked in vineyards and wineries in

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

and

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. Born in

Sonoma County Sonoma County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was 488,863. Its seat of government and largest city is Santa Rosa. Sonoma County comprises the Santa Rosa-Petaluma ...

, she is a long-time and permanent resident of Hong Kong.

Education

In 2008, Meiburg was awarded the Master of Wine qualification by the

Institute of Masters of Wine An institute is an organizational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body. In some countries, institutes ca ...

in the United Kingdom. Generally regarded in the wine industry as one of the highest standards of professional knowledge, Meiburg was awarded the title following her dissertation, "Wine Education and Training in Hong Kong and China: What Are the Wine Knowledge and Education Needs of the Wine Trade?" Meiburg also has a master's degree in Hospitality and Service Management, and is a Certified Wine Educator, per the Society of Wine Educators. She holds a Certificate of Advanced Wine Sensory Assessment from the

Australian Wine Research Institute The Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) is a research institute with a focus on Australian wine, based in Adelaide, South Australia. Location It is based at the Wine Innovation Cluster, situated in the Waite Research Precinct, in the Ade ...

, and a Higher Certificate with Distinction from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust, UK.

Awards and recognitions

• 7th of Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Wine by The Drinks Business
• Il Premio Internazionale ( Vinitaly International Award 2012)
• Decanter's list of seven names to watch in 2013
• China Power List by ''WINE Magazine'' 2012
• Wine Business International - Most Influential Wine Journalist in Hong Kong
• Entrepreneur of the Year, ''South China Morning Post'' and AmCham, Women of Influence Awards 2013
• Gente Dame d'Honneur de l'Ordre des Hospitaliers de Pomerol
• Best of the Best International Speakers' Award

Young Presidents' Organization YPO (formerly Young Presidents' Organization) is a US-based organization of chief executives with more than 36,000 members in more than 142 countries. History YPO was founded in 1950 in Rochester, New York, by manufacturer Ray Hickok, who was ...

• Prestige Woman of Power 2022
• Chevalier, l'Ordre du Merite Agricole

Wine educator

Debra Meiburg was a

Professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other tertiary education, post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin ...

of Wine at the School of Hospitality and Service Management,

Rochester Institute of Technology The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) is a private university, private research university in Henrietta, New York, a suburb of Rochester, New York, Rochester. It was founded in 1829. It is one of only two institute of technology, institut ...

. Her current wine education positions in Hong Kong include External Examiner of the Professional Diploma in Wine Assessment and Service at the

Open University of Hong Kong Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU, previously known as the Open University of Hong Kong) is a public university in Ho Man Tin, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is the only self-financing university set up by the Hong Kong government. The universi ...

(traditional Chinese: 香港公開大學) and Assistant Training Consultant,

Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education The Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE) is one of the member institutions of the Vocational Training Council (VTC) offering vocational education to post-secondary students in Hong Kong through its nine campi located across the ter ...

(IVE) (traditional Chinese: 香港專業教育學院). Meiburg is a Certified Wine Educator, of the Society of Wine Educators.

Wine journalism

Meiburg is the author of ''Debra Meiburg's Guide to the Hong Kong Wine Trade'', ''Debra Meiburg's Guide to the Shanghai Wine Trade'', ''Debra Meiburg's Guide to the Singapore Wine Trade'' and the award winning ''Tasting Wine with Debra''. She is the creator of Grape Cues, a wine industry study card series. She is a columnist for the ''

South China Morning Post The ''South China Morning Post'' (''SCMP''), with its Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Morning Post'', is a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper owned by Alibaba Group. Founded in 1903 by Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham, it has remaine ...

'' and was a contributing editor to the '' Asian Tatler'' magazine group. Other publications Meiburg has contributed to include ''WINE Magazine'' (Guangzhou, China), ''Jetsetter Magazine'', ''Journal of American Wine Society'', ''

Rochester Democrat & Chronicle The ''Democrat and Chronicle'' is a daily newspaper serving the greater Rochester, New York, area. Headquartered at 245 East Main Street in downtown Rochester, the ''Democrat and Chronicle'' operates under the ownership of Gannett. The paper's ...

'' and ''Rochester Magazine''.

Broadcast media

Meiburg is producer and host of ''Taste the Wine'', a wine travel television show. She is also creator and host of the weekly online video interview series ''Meet the Winemaker'', launched in December 2009. Taped in Hong Kong, Meiburg interviews winemakers, winery owners and other key figures in the wine world. Episodes have featured wine personalities including

Ernst Loosen Ernst Loosen is a German winemaker and owner of the wine producer Weingut Dr. Loosen, located just outside Bernkastel in the Mosel wine region. With over 130,000 annual bottle production, he is one of the larger producers in the Mosel region. He ...

Sam Neill Sir Nigel John Dermot "Sam" Neill (born 14 September 1947) is a New Zealand actor. His career has included leading roles in both dramas and blockbusters. Considered an "international leading man", he is regarded as one of the most versatile acto ...

, Emmanuel Cruse (Grand Maitre of the Commanderie de Bordeaux), Philippe Magrez (son of French wine magnet

Bernard Magrez Bernard Magrez (born 1936) is a French wine magnate who predominantly owns Bordeaux wine estates, including Château La Tour Carnet, Château Pape Clément, Château Fombrauge and Clos Haut-Peyraguey but also a large number of wine producing pro ...

). Meet the Winemaker is hosted on YouTube on the Meet the Winemaker channel. Meiburg is also host of a series of short wine education videos broadcast in approximately 20,000 taxis in China and Hong Kong, and is presenter in numerous wine documentaries, such as ''The New Wines of Greece''.

Wine judging

Meiburg is a Certified Wine Judge by the

American Wine Society American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

. International competitions she has judged include the Sydney International Wine Competition, Argentina Wine Awards, McLaren Vale Wineshow, Royal Melbourne Wine Awards, Sonoma County Harvest Fair Wine Competition, SOPEXA: Everyday Bordeaux, Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition,

International Wine & Spirit Competition The International Wine & Spirit Competition is an annual wine and spirit competition founded in 1969 by the German/British oenologist Anton Massel. Each year the competition receives entries from over 90 countries worldwide. The awards given by ...

, Wines of Chile Awards, Qantas Wine Show of Western Australia, Finger Lakes International Wine Competition, WinPac Hong Kong, International Eastern Wine Competition, Decanter Hungary,

International Wine Challenge International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

and the

New York State Fair The New York State Fair, also known as the Great New York State Fair, is a 13-day showcase of agriculture, entertainment, education, and technology. With Midway (fair), midway rides, concessionaires, exhibits, and concerts, it has become New Yo ...

References

External links

Debra Meiburg official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Meiburg, Debra American expatriates in Hong Kong Masters of Wine Living people People from Sonoma County, California Wine writers Wine critics Rochester Institute of Technology alumni Year of birth missing (living people)