Australia

Anna Mantchakidi

Anna Mantchakidi first discovered wine when she moved to Sydney, Australia. Having grown up in Siberia, a region where vodka is the alcoholic beverage of choice, Mantchakidi’s interest in wine was piqued after she took a part-time job in a wine club. She grew determined to learn as much as she could, describing wine as ‘an endlessly fascinating, exciting and motivating subject and beverage’.

Since then, her aim has become to encourage others in their wine studies, whether it’s helping WSET students, participating in trade tasting panels or conducting consumer tastings. Additionally, she has volunteered for the Drinks Association’s Embrace Difference Council for four years.

From a family she describes as ‘somewhat nomadic’ and having lost touch with its roots, Mantchakidi says that she finds the tradition and history of wine a comfort. She is particularly interested in the challenge of balancing the old with the new, especially in a time of shake-up related to climate change. As such, she has enrolled in the Master of Wine programme.