Steve Charters is Professor of Chamapagne Management at Reims Management School in France, where he researchs and runs courseswhich cover the cultural and social context of wine and Champagne consumption and the processes of marketing sparkling wines. He is an active researcher, and is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Wine Research. He is skilled in qualitative research methods, including interviews, focus groups and the use of wine as props in such situations. He received his PhD from Edith Cowan University in Western Australia in 2004 for a thesis entitled perceptions of wine quality. Other areas of research interest include the consumer's engagement with wine, wine tourism, and the social and cultural context of wine production and consumption.

He is one of only 240 members of the Institute of Masters of Wine in the world, having passed its rigorous theory and tasting examination in 1997. This provides him with an invaluable network of contacts in the wine industry throughout the world, and an immediate entr?e to any wine business or organisation anywhere.

Steve has judged wine widely in Australia. He was Chairman of the judges at the Swan Valley Regional Wine Show in 1998 and 1999 and an Assessor for the NSW Wine awards in 1997. He was also a judge at the Qantas Western Australian Wine Show at Mt. Barker in 2002 and at the Margaret River wine show in 2005.

In 1997 Steve was the winner of the 1997 Australian Vin de Champagne Award (professional section). He has wide and current knowledge of a number international wine areas, including Champagne, Australia and New Zealand. He has also worked for a vintage on a winery in France.

Steve has carried out consultancy training amongst for winery staff in wine understanding and cellar-door service for wineries in the state. He was also a member of the team which prepared a wine tourism strategy for the WA Tourism Commission.