Meet the Judges of BIWC 2025: Dr. Caroline Gilby MW
As part of our BIWC 2025 interview series, we’re proud to spotlight one of the most respected voices in the world of wine – Dr. Caroline Gilby MW. A Master of Wine since 1992, Caroline is a leading expert on Central and Eastern European wines and has played a pivotal role in shining a light on the region’s potential.
Her first book, “The Wines of Bulgaria, Romania and Moldova” was published in 2018 after many years of travelling across the region and documenting its wine revolution. She regularly contributes to major publications such as Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book, Oxford Companion to Wine, World Atlas of Wine, Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopaedia, Decanter, Meininger’s Wine Business International, Harpers, Revija Vino, JancisRobinson.com and more. Caroline is the panel chair for The Balkans, Eurasia and Eastern Europe at the Decanter World Wine Awards, and actively judges and speaks at wine events around the world.
In 2018, she became the first foreigner to be awarded the title “Friend of Hungarian Winemakers”, and in 2019 she was appointed Vranc Ambassador at the first Vranc World Day. She is also a member of the Confrérie de Tokaj.
In this interview, she reflects on her journey with Balkan wines, the evolution of quality over the years, and her vision for the region’s future.
Dr. Gilby, you are one of the best-known experts on Balkan wines. What made you specialize in this region?
When I started my first job in wine as a wine buyer for a major chain of wine shops and pubs/hotels, Eastern Europe was big business in the UK — but not so glamorous — so it became my first buying responsibility. My first trip abroad was actually to Bulgaria. Later on, I got the chance to specialize as a writer for the region in a publication called The Wine Report. No one was really paying attention to it at the time, and it’s grown from there. Looking back, it’s been a privilege to witness the tail end of the communist era, the beginning of the private wine industry, and to follow that transformation. We kind of grew up in wine together — and it’s been endlessly fascinating to see how each country has evolved with its own grapes, styles, and very human wine stories.
How have you seen the quality of wines presented at the competition evolve over the years?
I’ve definitely seen quality improvements — the base standard has gone up across the board, and the best wines are now genuinely world-class. That should inspire producers who aren’t there yet and may still rely too much on alcohol, extraction, and oak. I particularly love seeing producers who trust in their grapes and soils, and who seek harmony, expression, and balance.
How do you see the future of Balkan wines?
Continuing to improve. It’s an exciting part of the wine world for buyers and sommeliers to explore — built on deep, authentic roots, with unique cultures and grape varieties, and now with real quality in the glass too. I suspect we’ll see more emphasis on local grapes as a point of difference from yet another Merlot or Chardonnay, though there’s still room for international grapes as benchmarks of terroir and winemaking.
