Wine Communicator shortlist: David Williams

The IWSC's fifth and final shortlisted nominee for Wine Communicator of the Year, sponsored by Vinitaly, is journalist David Williams.

David Williams’ career in journalism began while living in Japan in the late 1990s, where he contributed articles on music, travel, and books to publications including The Face, Arena, and the Tokyo Journal. He turned his attention to wine on his return to London in 1999, when he was appointed as a staff writer for the British wine trade title, Harpers Wine & Spirit Weekly. 

For the past decade, Williams has divided his time between roles as Wine Correspondent for The Observer newspaper and Deputy Editor of The World of Fine Wine with a portfolio of freelance journalism work. The latter includes a monthly column and regular features for British independent trade title The Wine Merchant – where he is also co-founder and director of The Wine Merchant Top 100 Competition – and a monthly column for international trade title, Drinks International. 

“I believe in the power of the printed word as an antidote to distraction, and as a place for proper reflection, in wine as in every other field,” Williams said.

“I hope that the quality, range and collective reach of my work speaks for itself.” Over the years, he has contributed to a variety of consumer and trade titles including The Guardian, Time Out, Imbibe, Restaurant Magazine, Wine NZ, Waitrose Drinks, Drinks Retailing News, and Harpers. 

Judges affirm Williams’ engagement in the community, commenting that he is “a beautiful writer of quiet, constant authority. David’s sheer hard work and commitment to his craft is riding out the faddishness of some new formats.”

The IWSC Wine Communicator of the Year 2019 will be announced at the Vinitaly Gala Dinner on 6 April in Verona.