Next Gen Committee

Capucine Dentraygues is a PhD student in the Department of Wine and Beverage Business at Hochschule Geisenheim University. An oenologist by training with a dual winemaking and economics profile, she is part of a European research initiative exploring how natural microbial interactions in winemaking-associated ecosystems can drive wine innovation, reduce chemical inputs, and support both climate resilience and long-term economic sustainability.

A sommelier, wine buyer & artist from Scotland, currently based in the North of England. Who for the past several years has been running the wine programme at Restaurant Climat in Manchester. Specialising in wine from Burgundy, and using Burgundy's focus on specific, delineated plots as a lens through which to explore exciting terroir expressive wines from the rest of Europe.

Yuyan Kuang is a PhD student in Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of California, Davis. Her research focuses on the economics of wine markets, anti-counterfeiting strategies, and the intersection of viticulture and technological innovation. She brings interdisciplinary expertise spanning economic analysis, industry engagement, and digital transformation in the wine sector.

Julian Leidy began working with JancisRobinson.com in 2022. He is now the site's assistant editor, runs their annual wine writing competition, and contributes articles as often as he can. Originally from North Carolina, he also has experience working in wine retail and wine service in the US. He is currently working on a doctorate in medieval history at Oxford, where he is also the captain of the Oxford blind-tasting team.

Nikolai Siimes is an economic and environmental geographer of microbes, agriculture, and wine, with a special interest in sensory and more-than-human methodologies. His doctoral research at Waipapa Taumata Rau developed a social study of microbes in wine production, spotlighting probiotic approaches to microbes in New Zealand and South Africa. He is also an experienced winemaker and viticulturist, with over 10 vintages under his belt.