Dirceu Vianna Junior is originally from Brazil where he studied Forest Engineering and Law before moving to the UK in 1989 becoming involved in the wine trade the following year. For most part of his career he has been a director at some of the most important wine distributors in the UK. In 2008 he became the first South American male to obtain the title of Master of Wine receiving the Award for excellence for the Business of Wine paper. After three decades of experience of different sectors of the Wine Industry, he founded Vianna Wine Resources, a company that consults for wine businesses in all sectors of the industry and across Europe, North and South America. He is a judge at selected wine competitions, a wine educator, writer and regular speaker at wine events around the world.
Ray O’Connor is an Irish Master of Wine based in the U.K. with experience as sommelier for Gordon Ramsay, Commercial Manager for the International Wine Challenge, and Wine Director for Naked Wines, where he oversaw new product development and quality control. He consults for wineries and wine regions in Italy and Spain, serves as UK Ambassador for Vins de Provence, and is Panel Chair for the International Wine Challenge. He lectures on wine quality and styles from novice to Master of Wine level and also makes wine in France, Spain, and Italy.
Natasha Hughes MW graduated as a Master of Wine in 2014, winning four out of the seven prizes awarded that year, including the Outstanding Achievement Award.
Natasha is best known as a journalist and has written for numerous print publications, including Decanter, Club Oenologique and Australian Gourmet Traveller Wine, as well as websites such as The World of Fine Wine, Wine Scholar Guild and jancisrobinson.com. Natasha has contributed material for a number of books. Her first solo book, The Wines of Beaujolais, was published in September 2025 as part of the prestigious Wine Library series.
In addition, Natasha judges at wine competitions around the world, hosts wine events, seminars and tutored tastings for both consumers and members of the wine trade, teaches tasting and theory to Master of Wine students and leads trips to wine regions for private clients. She chairs the Institute of Masters of Wine’s Trips Committee, and was a long-term member of both its Education Committee and Council.
In 2025, Natasha joined forces with former IMW Chair Cathy van Zyl MW to launch master-classes.org, which provides educational courses to MW candidates as well as to students who have got their Diploma and are thinking of becoming MW students.
