Jury Panel

GÖTZ GRAEBER

Götz was raised by a German father and Taiwanese Mother during the 80s and 90s in Beijing, where he witnessed China's economic reform. He recalls how his family slowly switched from drinking boiled, distilled water to local and imported bottled water to installing home filtration units. And during the summer holidays he would drink from the various mineral-rich public fountains located in the old German spa tradition.

Now married and again living in Beijing, Götz has consulted Chinese Firms from Jilin's "mineral water reservoir", the Changbai mountains for the past 5 years. As a Water-sommelier he hopes to contribute to the growing success of the Chinese drinking water culture..

JASON KUOK

Born and raised in Macau, the thrill of adventure took Jason to Dallas, Las Vegas and Honolulu. It was however during his college time in Las Vegas that his interest and natural curiosity for water were piqued and eventually the thought led him to embark on a journey of getting certified as a water sommelier in Germany.

Now being the first and only certified water sommelier in Macau and Hong Kong with a hospitality background, Jason also is the owner of “Aqueduct”, which is a company he started in 2016 in Macau, with the aim to widen the selection of imported natural mineral water and spread the idea of “water is not just water” to the public.

MICHAEL MASCHA

Creator and publisher of FineWaters, a web site portal that is the definitive voice for water connoisseurs and their accompanying lifestyle. The web site and its associated online community is the leading destination for education and a resource for consumers in premium fine water category.

Dr. Mascha holds a PhD in Anthropology and Communication Science from the University of Vienna and lives in Los Angeles and Texas.

MARTIN RIESE

In 2013, Riese unveiled his signature water program at Ray’s & Stark Bar at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and in 2014 at the Patina Restaurant in the Walt Disney Concert Hall. In Summer 2014 he launched the Water 101 Class, where Riese educates students on the unique qualities and characteristics of mineral water.

Since his return to the U.S., Riese has appeared on numerous national media outlets including Good Morning America, CNN, The New York Times, Bon Appétite, Los Angeles Times, NPR, Buzzfeed and Conan O’Brien.

PETER SVENNINGSEN

Award-winning chocolatier Peter Svenningsen constantly strives for the ultimate chocolate experience. Seeking to promote and accentuate the divine nuances of good chocolate, he is innovative and uncompromising both in his selection of ingredients and in his craftsmanship. As one of only a handful of chocolatiers, Peter Svenningsen mixes chocolate with fine water instead of cream, butter or other fatty substances to make his various ganaches and pralines.

Using different fine waters in combination with a variety of the world’s very best couverture chocolates, Peter has been able to make pieces so different and so true to the essence of good chocolate, that he immediately captured the attention and interest of a very demanding audience. Thus, Svenningsen was awarded the international gold medal for his very first entry to the International Chocolate Awards in 2014 and has since won numerous medals and awards, and his chocolates are now being served at a number of award-winning restaurants internationally