• Enter Now

Tom Baxter

Sotheby’s Deputy Director, Private Sales Manager and MW Candidate

Tom Baxter is a British former Sommelier and Wine Buyer, currently working at Sotheby’s Hong Kong as Deputy Director and Private Sales Manager. His CV includes London’s Michelin Guide stalwart Pied-à-Terre, where he ran the beverage programme, and Brett Graham’s The Ledbury. He was also based in New York from 2022 until 2024, where he began working in Private Sales for Sotheby’s.

Tom is a Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers as of 2019 and holds the WSET Diploma in Wine and Spirits as of 2021. In 2024, he passed the Master of Wine Theory exams at his first attempt and remains an active MW student.

Aside from his wine acumen, Tom is a graduate of the University of Cambridge where he read Chinese Studies at Pembroke College and the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. Foreign languages are also a veritable passion of his – namely, Mandarin, French, Spanish and basic Cantonese (which he calls ‘a work in progress’).

Key Dates

Super early bird pricing ends on March 31, 2025

Judges

Meet our judges

The China Wine Competition judges are carefully selected by us and include Master Sommeliers, Top Sommeliers, On-Trade Wine Buyers and Wine Directors of China who all serve or buy wine for their business and are involved in developing wine lists.

The mission and philosophy of the China Wine Competition is to award wines that make a great addition to restaurants wine menus and by the glass programs. The judges are top sommeliers and on-trade wine buyers from China who understands the chinese palate.

These judges are here to highlight top wines the Chinese consumers can drink in restaurants, hotels, bars and clubs.

Judges

Meet our 2025 Judges

Dirk Chen

Director of Wine, The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong

Johann Kwon

Advanced Sommelier - Court of Master Sommeliers (Master Sommelier Candidate) Executive Head Sommelier at Black Sheep Restaurants

Sam Lau

Savor Group Director of Operations & Wine