Debra Meiburg
Encyclopedia
Debra Meiburg MW
is a multi-media wine journalist, wine educator, and wine judge and one of the first recipients of the Master of Wine title in Asia. Meiburg is also founding director, along with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council
, and judge of the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition. Now in its third year, it is the largest pan-Asian wine competition. Having passed the Certified Public Accountant
(CPA) exams, Debra was formerly an accountant at Price Waterhouse Coopers Hong Kong
. Meiburg’s career change into wine saw her focus on wine education and journalism, but she has worked in vineyards and wineries in Chile
, Bordeaux
, South Africa
and New York
.
Born in Sonoma County, she is a long-time and permanent resident of Hong Kong
.
qualification by the Institute of Masters of Wine 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 on the topic of “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, Certified Wine Educator, Society of Wine Educators, Certificate of Advanced Wine Sensory Assessment, Australian Wine Research Institute
, Higher Certificate with Distinction, Wine and Spirit Education Trust, UK, among others.
Meiburg was also a regular presenter for Taste of the Nation, which featured renowned American chefs Ming Tsai
, Nick Maglieri and Rozanne Gold.
• Gente Dame d'Honneur de l'Ordre des Hospitaliers de Pomerol
• "Best of the Best" Speakers' Award 2006 Young Presidents' Organization
(Hong Kong Chapter)
of Wine at the School of Hospitality and Service Management, Rochester Institute of Technology
. 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
(traditional Chinese: 香港公開大學) and Assistant Training Consultant, Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education
(IVE)(traditional Chinese: 香港專業教育學院).
Meiburg is a Certified Wine Educator, Society of Wine Educators.
and is a contributing editor to the Asian Tatler
Magazine.
Selected publications Meiburg has contributed to include:
• South China Morning Post
• Hong Kong Tatler
Magazine
• Asia Tatler
group
• Journal of American Wine Society
• Rochester Democrat & Chronicle
• Rochester Magazine
• Grapevine Radio Show
Meiburg is also host of a series of short wine education videos broadcast in approximately 20,000 mainland China taxis.
Meiburg’s first book, the limited edition “Tasting Wine with Debra Meiburg” was released in 2008.
, Meiburg interviews winemakers, winery owners and other key figures in the wine world. Topics covered include personal stories of interviewees, wine tasting tips, discussions of winemaking regions, vintage insights, and interviewee’s opinions on the Asian wine market.
Episodes have featured wine personalities Ernst Loosen, Sam Neill
, Emmanuel Cruse II
(of the well-known winemaking Cruse family, and Grand Maitre of the Commanderie de Bordeaux), Philippe Magrez (son of French wine magnet Bernard Magrez
), among others.
Meet the Winemaker is hosted on You Tube on the Meet the Winemaker channel.
• Sydney International Wine Competition
• Argentina Wine Awards
• McLaren Vale Wineshow
• Royal Melbourne Wine Awards
• Sonoma County Harvest Fair Wine Competition
• SOPEXA: Everyday Bordeaux 2009-2010
• Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition, Nov 2010
• International Wine & Spirit Competition, March 2010
• Finger Lakes International Wine Competition
• WinPac Hong Kong
• International Eastern Wine Competition
• Decanter Hungary
• International Wine Challenge
• New York State Fair
Master of Wine
Master of Wine is a qualification issued by The Institute of Masters of Wine in the United Kingdom...
is a multi-media wine journalist, wine educator, and wine judge and one of the first recipients of the Master of Wine title in Asia. Meiburg is also founding director, along with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council
Hong Kong Trade Development Council
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council is the international marketing arm for Hong Kong-based manufacturers, traders and service providers. Established in 1966, it has more than 40 offices around the world, including 11 in the Chinese mainland, promoting Hong Kong as a platform for doing business...
, and judge of the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition. Now in its third year, it is the largest pan-Asian wine competition. Having passed the Certified Public Accountant
Certified Public Accountant
Certified Public Accountant is the statutory title of qualified accountants in the United States who have passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination and have met additional state education and experience requirements for certification as a CPA...
(CPA) exams, Debra was formerly an accountant at Price Waterhouse Coopers Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. 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
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Born in Sonoma County, she is a long-time and permanent resident of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
Education
In 2008, Meiburg was awarded the Master of WineMaster of Wine
Master of Wine is a qualification issued by The Institute of Masters of Wine in the United Kingdom...
qualification by the Institute of Masters of Wine 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 on the topic of “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, Certified Wine Educator, Society of Wine Educators, Certificate of Advanced Wine Sensory Assessment, Australian Wine Research Institute
Australian Wine Research Institute
The Australian Wine Research Institute , established in 1955, is owned by the country’s wine industry and is funded by grape growers and wineries with matching funds from the federal government...
, Higher Certificate with Distinction, Wine and Spirit Education Trust, UK, among others.
Meiburg was also a regular presenter for Taste of the Nation, which featured renowned American chefs Ming Tsai
Ming Tsai
Ming Tsai is a Chinese-American fusion cuisine chef, restaurateur, and Emmy Award-winning television personality.Tsai currently hosts Ming's Quest, a cooking show featured on the Fine Living Network, and Simply Ming on American Public Television...
, Nick Maglieri and Rozanne Gold.
Awards & recognitions
• Wine Business International - Most Influential Wine Journalist in Hong Kong, 2007.• Gente Dame d'Honneur de l'Ordre des Hospitaliers de Pomerol
• "Best of the Best" Speakers' Award 2006 Young Presidents' Organization
Young Presidents' Organization
The Young Presidents’ Organization is a global network of young chief executives. With approximately 18,000 members in more than 100 countries, YPO and its graduate organization, WPO share a founding mission: Better Leaders Through Education and Idea Exchange....
(Hong Kong Chapter)
Wine Educator
Debra Meiburg was a ProfessorProfessor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Wine at the School of Hospitality and Service Management, Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester Institute of Technology
The Rochester Institute of Technology is a private university, located within the town of Henrietta in metropolitan Rochester, New York, United States...
. 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
Open University of Hong Kong
The Open University of Hong Kong is a Hong Kong university providing sub-degree, degree and postgraduate courses leading to awards and qualifications principally through a system of open access and distance education....
(traditional Chinese: 香港公開大學) and Assistant Training Consultant, Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education
Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education
The Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education is one of the member institutions of the Vocational Training Council offering vocational education to post secondary students in Hong Kong through its nine campuses located across the territory....
(IVE)(traditional Chinese: 香港專業教育學院).
Meiburg is a Certified Wine Educator, Society of Wine Educators.
Wine Journalism
Meiburg writes a weekly column for South China Morning PostSouth China Morning Post
The South China Morning Post , together with its Sunday edition, the Sunday Morning Post, is an English-language Hong Kong newspaper, published by the SCMP Group with a circulation of 104,000....
and is a contributing editor to the Asian Tatler
Tatler
Tatler has been the name of several British journals and magazines, each of which has viewed itself as the successor of the original literary and society journal founded by Richard Steele in 1709. The current incarnation, founded in 1901, is a glossy magazine published by Condé Nast Publications...
Magazine.
Selected publications Meiburg has contributed to include:
• South China Morning Post
South China Morning Post
The South China Morning Post , together with its Sunday edition, the Sunday Morning Post, is an English-language Hong Kong newspaper, published by the SCMP Group with a circulation of 104,000....
• Hong Kong Tatler
Tatler
Tatler has been the name of several British journals and magazines, each of which has viewed itself as the successor of the original literary and society journal founded by Richard Steele in 1709. The current incarnation, founded in 1901, is a glossy magazine published by Condé Nast Publications...
Magazine
• Asia Tatler
Tatler
Tatler has been the name of several British journals and magazines, each of which has viewed itself as the successor of the original literary and society journal founded by Richard Steele in 1709. The current incarnation, founded in 1901, is a glossy magazine published by Condé Nast Publications...
group
• Journal of American Wine Society
• Rochester Democrat & Chronicle
• Rochester Magazine
• Grapevine Radio Show
Meiburg is also host of a series of short wine education videos broadcast in approximately 20,000 mainland China taxis.
Meiburg’s first book, the limited edition “Tasting Wine with Debra Meiburg” was released in 2008.
Meet the Winemaker
Meiburg is creator and host of a weekly online video interview series Meet the Winemaker, launched in December 2009. Filmed in Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Meiburg interviews winemakers, winery owners and other key figures in the wine world. Topics covered include personal stories of interviewees, wine tasting tips, discussions of winemaking regions, vintage insights, and interviewee’s opinions on the Asian wine market.
Episodes have featured wine personalities Ernst Loosen, Sam Neill
Sam Neill
Nigel John Dermot "Sam" Neill, DCNZM, OBE is a New Zealand actor. He is well known for his starring role as paleontologist Dr Alan Grant in Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III....
, Emmanuel Cruse II
Emmanuel Cruse II
Emmanuel Cruse, II is a third generation winemaker and the grandson of winemaker Emmanuel Cruse and son of winemaker Lionel Cruse. Emmanuel Cruse took over as proprietor of the Chateau d'issan in 1998 as the third generation of the Cruse family to own the third growth winery that was included in...
(of the well-known winemaking Cruse family, and Grand Maitre of the Commanderie de Bordeaux), Philippe Magrez (son of French wine magnet Bernard Magrez
Bernard Magrez
Bernard Magrez, born 1936, is a French wine magnate who predominantly owns Bordeaux wine estates, including Château La Tour Carnet and Château Pape Clément, but also a large number of wine producing properties in other French wine regions and other countries, including Spain, Chile, Argentina and...
), among others.
Meet the Winemaker is hosted on You Tube on the Meet the Winemaker channel.
Wine Judging
Meiburg is a Certified Wine Judge by the American Wine Society. Some of the international competitions she has judged include:• Sydney International Wine Competition
• Argentina Wine Awards
• McLaren Vale Wineshow
• Royal Melbourne Wine Awards
• Sonoma County Harvest Fair Wine Competition
• SOPEXA: Everyday Bordeaux 2009-2010
• Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition, Nov 2010
• International Wine & Spirit Competition, March 2010
• Finger Lakes International Wine Competition
• WinPac Hong Kong
• International Eastern Wine Competition
• Decanter Hungary
• International Wine Challenge
International Wine Challenge
The International Wine Challenge is an annual wine competition. The International Wine Challenge assesses every wine blind and judges each for its faithfulness to variety, region and vintage. Every wine is assessed independently of its price...
• New York State Fair