ABOUT

Sarah Portrait small

Sarah Heller MW is a wine expert, visual artist and television host.

As a communicator, Sarah’s focus is on engaging with more senses to enlarge our experience of wine. Her series of paintings, drawings and digital works called Visual Tasting Notes has been exhibited and published in Asia, North America, Australasia and Europe.  Her series of online educational videos has over 10 million students. She is frequently invited to speak on subjects including wine collecting and investment, Italian fine wine and Champagne.

Sarah is wine editor for Asia Tatler and the wine columnist and Italian reviewer for Club Oenologique; faculty of the Vinitaly International Academy; host of the television series Wine Masters; and co-designer of an award-winning collection of handblown crystal glasses with Lucaris Crystal.  She is an Honourary Advisor of Hong Kong’s International Culinary Institute and a member of the First Initiative Foundation Circle of Friends.

Having graduated from Yale University with a fine art degree, Sarah began her career in the New York and Hong Kong wine trades and wineries in France and Italy.  She was Executive Director of Meiburg Wine Media for several years. As well as a Master of Wine and DipWSET, Sarah is a SWE Certified Specialist of Wine and Spirits and VIA Italian Wine Ambassador. Sarah speaks English, Chinese, German, Italian and French with basic Korean and Spanish.

Awards and Recognition

2022

WINWSA Wine & Spirits Educator of the Year

2021/2022
IWSC Wine Communicator of the Year

2020
DEmark Design Excellence Award: The Elements Collection

2019
IWSC + WSET Future 50

2018
Hong Kong Tatler Gen.T List
Wineluxe Magazine Person of the Year

2017
Austrian Wine Marketing Board Outstanding Achievement Award for highest overall score in the Master of Wine exams
Villa Maria Prize for the MW Viticulture Paper
Errazuriz Award for the MW Business of Wine Paper
Robert Mondavi Winery Award for MW Theory
The Drinks Business’ Asian Awards Young Achiever of the Year
Prestige Hong Kong 40 Under 40

2013
Vintners’ Cup and IWSC Scholarship

2010
Ethel Childe Walker Prize for Art (Yale University)