Debra Meiburg MW
Wine writer, educator, judge and TV personality
Founder of Meiburg Wine Media
A Hong Kong resident of more than 30 years, Debra Meiburg became the first Asia-based Master of Wine in 2008 and is a fervent advocate of Hong Kong wine trade and education through her own media platform and wine school.
In 2012, she was named as the 7th Most Powerful Woman in Wine by The Drinks Business. In 2013, she was awarded Entrepreneur of the Year (Women of Influence) by Hong Kong media, South China Morning Post.
Although hailing from a grape-growing family in Sonoma, she devoted herself to the wine industry only after moving to Hong Kong, where she founded the Meiburg Wine Media (MWM), one of the leading wine marketing agencies in Asia.
Aiming to enhance Hong Kong’s wine trade development, MWN established the Wine SPIT association with leading wine companies in Hong Kong including Altaya Wines, ASC Fine Wines, Links Concepts, Watson’s Wine and more.
She has also keenly shared her knowledge on Hong Kong and Asia wine trade through her award-winning wine educational book series “Debra Meiburg’s Guide to the Asian Wine Trade”, and a monthly column for the South China Morning Post and Tatler.
As a female entrepreneur, Meiburg is also committed to lifting up fellow women. She serves as a board member of The Women’s Entrepreneur’s Network, a non-profit platform empowering women entrepreneurs in Hong Kong via training and networking.
Outside of the trade world, Meiburg has also demonstrated her passion for wine education by establishing the MWM Wine School in Hong Kong in 2017, offering WSET courses, educational wine courses and workshops. She is a Certified Wine Educator of the Society of Wine Educators, and Chair of the Education Committee for the Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW).
A seasoned wine judge, Meiburg co-founded Hong Kong’s flagship wine competition, the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine and Spirit Competition with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.
She is also wine consultant for Hong Kong’s home carrier Cathay Pacific Airways, which serves 1.8 million bottles of wine annually.
I must commend Debra for setting up WineSpit which helped educate the wine industry in Hong Kong, she gives back to the Industry selflessly time and time again.