Team

Alexandre Avellar is considered Brazil’s main reference in cigars. He writes for many cigar publications around the world and has been declared by Habanos S.A. Habanos Man of the Year in Communications in 2020. He travels around the world covering the main events and promoting the cigar culture.

Andrea Schellner worked as a freelance journalist and press photographer in Austria, South Africa and Kenya, before pursuing a career as a translator, proofreader and editor. She specializes in translating and editing work in the field of fine arts and culture, her list of clients including major Austrian museums. She joined Cigar Journal in 2009.

Ben Vinken is a publisher in Belgium of a beer magazine ( Bierpassie/Bièrepassion) since 1998 and started also a cigar magazine in 2007, named ” El Gusto”. This magazine was published for 12 years, until it had to stop by government rule. It earned him the title of ” Hombre Habano” in 2014. Ben is still a great cigar lover, is part of the Cigar Journal tasting panel and member of two cigar clubs.

Bruce Busch is a cigar passionado who is also the Vice President of Karen Berger Cigars. He loves writing articles about the vibrant sectors of cigar culture in the United States. Bringing the reader news about great cigar lounges in America, as well as small cultural lessons about the states are his specialty.

Cem Erten, one of Turkey’s leading voices in cigar culture, blends passion, travel, and storytelling to celebrate the world of cigars. As creator of el Lector Blog and ambassador for Light’em Up, he highlights the people, rituals, and craftsmanship that unite a global community of cigar enthusiasts. He has also been tasting cigars for CJ and Cigar Sense and holds national titles in CSWC in Switzerland and UK.

Christof Habres is a freelance journalist, author, bar passionados, and art consultant: This “Strawanzer” (a Viennese term for globetrotter) writes for magazines such as PARNASS and Weltkunst, as well as for Cigar Journal. Every Friday, he chats with his colleague Alexander Giese—not without irony—in the live blog “kunstundschnittlauch” (which can be followed on Instagram) about the international art scene, over chive sandwiches and the “soup of the day,” meaning the cocktail of the day.

Originally trained as a sociologist, Claudia Puszkar has written about Cuban cigars and their history for years. She travels regularly to Havana to hunt down old and new cigar factories, and is always on the lookout for new impressions of the city and its residents.

Elisa has been working with Cigar Journal since 2015 and enjoys translating the articles into Spanish. After studying art history in Madrid and Vienna and spending several years working in the international art world, she decided to turn her passion for languages into a career. She has been working as a translator and editor ever since.

Elizabeth Alvarado is a model and actress from Venezuela and has been living in Hong Kong for the last ten years. She is a new cigar smoker after her boyfriend introduced her to the wonderful world of cigars. She now enjoys traveling and smoking in places like China, Vietnam, Cambodia etc. She loves to learn about the role of women in the world of the Tobacco. Her favorite cigars are lanceros with a hot cup of Chinese tea.

George Manzella is a passionate cigar smoker who credits his father for introducing him to the leaf in 1994 when he was just 18 years old. George has been a high school English teacher in New Jersey, USA since 2003 and wrote for two other periodicals before joining Cigar Journal in 2015. His passion for premium tobacco has taken him on a remarkable journey with unforgettable memories.

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In 1998, Spanish journalist Javier Blanco Urgoiti accepted a job at a small publishing house, primarily focused on the domestic tobacco market. It was meant to be temporary, while looking for something more interesting. Twenty-seven years later, he is fully dedicated to tobacco, a world that keeps his curiosity alive. Since 2016, based in Madrid, he has been a proud member of the Cigar Journal team.

In 2003, Jens Tausch introduced the hybrid format of reviewing beverages and cigars to German-language media through his articles in Cigar Journal. Since 2002, he has been leading seminars, events, and tastings that focus on spirits and/or cigars. With his business partner, Jens Tausch is also an organizer of the consumer trade show, Whisky & Tobacco Days.

Johannes Gnann is a writer for Cigar Journal. He’s always on the lookout for stories that draw as well as a perfectly rolled cigar. With a sharp pen, subtle humor, and occasional smoke in the air, he writes about everything that promises enjoyment and pleasure. Those who know him know that when Johannes tells a story, it’s guaranteed to be pleasurable.

Jorge Tapies is a passionate cigar smoker for over 25 years who enjoys visiting a tobacco farm or factory as well as spending time with friends at a cigar lounge anywhere in the world over a glass of aged rum. Jorge holds the Tobacconist University Certified Consumer Tobacconist as well as the International Association of Cigar Sommeliers’ Cigar Ambassador certifications and is an avid reader and book collector on anything cigar and tobacco related. Jorge is a regular contributor and ambassador for Cigar Journal, especially in Spanish speaking countries and throughout the Asia Pacific region. He is also member of Cigar Journal’s tasting panel since 2012.

Kathryn Nenning a native English speaker and, after 21 years in Vienna, well-versed in German. She is known for her creative wordplay and her open, engaging nature. She translates articles for us from German to English, and uses her skills to make sure the language sounds natural, while retaining the authenticity and spirit of the author’s original text.

She learned her journalistic skills from scratch at a regional daily newspaper. Katja studied art history and Romance studies in Italy. The country was her teacher in things related to pleasure and lifestyle. She has been working for Cigar Journal since 2004. In 2010 she became editor-in-chief. However, her favorite place is not behind her desk, but in the cigar factories of the globe.

Linda manages Cigar Journal’s social media channels. She is passionate about creating meaningful content and engaging with the global cigar community.

Marc André is a passionate cigar smoker and humidor manufacturer. He has developed various humidification technologies for humidors, consults on and creates special humidor series and custom orders, and is in high demand as a lecturer on topics like cigar storage and humidor construction. His website, www.humidor.de, features his 100%-made-in-Germany Century series, which offers a range of professional solutions to cigar storage – from small table humidors to aging cabinets.

Marian S Sucha is a German-Czech travel journalist/travel book author living in Prague. He discovered his love for cigars in Cuba, where he lived for many years. In 2001, he began writing about cigar-related topics for the European Cigar Cult Journal (ECCJ) and Czech magazines. For Cigar Journal, he mainly writes about cigar culture in Czechia. Another passion is boating on the canals of France.

Mý Huê McGowran is a translator, proofreader, editor from the land down under who has lived and worked in Europe for about 35 years. Having first pursued a life as a violinist, studying in Vienna, Austria, in the 1990s, she realized that she wanted to dedicate herself to working with and exploring words and language. She has worked for Cigar Journal since 2010.

Nick Hammond has written for Cigar Journal for many years, is the author and publisher of the best-selling Around The World in 80 Cigars travelogue series of books, has a podcast of the same name which has been listened to in more than 120 countries, won the inaugural Spectator Cigar Writer of the Year in 2013, wrote Cinco Decadas: The Rise of the Nicaraguan Cigar to celebrate Joya De Nicaragua’s 50th anniversary and has just completed an autobiography of Nick Perdomo. He is a regular host, speaker and guest at dinners, tastings, book readings, live shows, online events and more surrounding the world of fine cigars.

Nicola Di Nunzio, a journalist specialized in cigars, collecting, and spirits, writes features for Italian and international publications. He has been actively promoting culture and research on cigars and vintage items for many years. He regularly collaborates with brands in the accessories and spirits sector and participates as a speaker and organizer at events and tastings.

Nikolaus has been familiar with Cigar Journal for more than 20 years, initially taking care of customers and subscribers in the back office. For several years now, he has been reliably responsible for the blind tasting section, all tasting events, pairings, trade fairs, and everything to do with accounting, taxes, and the administration of customers and subscribers.

Paul Varakas is a passionate cigar defender. As Director General of the European Cigar Manufacturers Association – recipient of the 2025 Ambassador Cigar Trophy award, Paul represents the cigar sector towards European decision-makers. For Cigar Journal, he writes a monthly column on cigar regulatory developments and opinions pieces for the magazine.

Peter’s love of cigars began in 2001. Multiple trips to Nicaragua, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic and visiting numerous cigar festivals have fueled this passion even more. He is honored and delighted to be a member of Cigar Journal’s (CJ) blind tasting panel. All this led to him becoming a writer for CJ. Each issue, Peter Gaudenzi enjoys writing about cigar bands (anillas).

Since from his very first puff in mid-1990s Petteri has been a dedicated passionado exploring constantly the world of cigars. He served as a chairman of Kirjaclub Cigar Club in Helsinki between 2013-2017 and continues to influence the cigar scene heavily in the Nordic and Baltic regions. Being a member of Cigar Club Mareva in Split he is also a regular participant and official judge to the Cigar Smoking World Championship events around the world. Petteri is also a member of Cigar Journal tasting panel.

Philip G. Wynne is a cigar entrepreneur, tobacco grower and writer with more than 35 years of experience growing tobacco and creating premium cigars. Founder of Felipe Gregorio Cigars, he is known for distinctive blends including Petrus, Felipe Gregorio and Pelo de Oro.

Reinhard Pohorec is an internationally acclaimed experience designer and host. The Austrian entrepreneur stands for a new, holistic form of luxury brand management and hospitality—with a special focus on multi-sensory and holistic experiences. As a freelance author, he writes for various drink, gourmet, and cigar publications.

His journalistic career began in 1979 as a freelancer in the USA and later for Austrian media. For ten years he also produced programs for over 60 radio stations around the world. In 1994, Reinhold C. Widmayer devoted himself to the cigar, publishing articles in cigar magazines. He began working for Cigar Journal in 2001 and became editor-in-chief in 2005. Under his auspices the journal has established itself as the world’s leading cigar magazine.

Roland Graf is an accomplished specialist journalist, writing for German-language magazines and online media. His articles on the sensory properties and history of beverages appear in magazines such as Mixology (Berlin), Fine Drinking (Athens), and Falstaff (Vienna). For Cigar Journal, he organizes tastings, and also documents the most enjoyable pairings of cigars and beverages.

Writing for Cigar Journal since his first feature on the Australian cigar scene in 2006, Samuel Spurr has been the magazine’s Asia-Pacific Editor since 2015, writing and producing content about cigars, industry personalities, and cigar culture across Asia.

Sebastian Gollas’s first contact with cigars came in 2000. A week before starting military service, he went to the Dominican Republic – where it all happened! He started the online store StarkeZigarren as a student, then opened a shop in Berlin; another is to follow in Leipzig in January 2026. Since 2000, he’s been visiting growing regions from Indonesia to Colombia, Peru, and Brazil.

Simon Lundh stumbled upon the cigar world while working for a non-governmental organization in Estelí, Nicaragua. As a (not very active) musician and (even less active) surveying engineer he’s now making a living writing about cigars, metal music, human rights and the construction sector.

Steve Ross is a writer, editor, photographer and communications specialist who has enjoyed a career in the premium cigar industry for more than 23 years. Steve enjoyed his first handmade cigar when he was a freshman at Purdue University, and he entered the premium cigar industry shortly after obtaining his Masters Degree in History from North Carolina State University in 2001. Since then, Steve has traveled extensively in Honduras, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and Europe, telling countless stories about cigars, the people who make them and the men and women who enjoy them. A lifelong fan of motorsport, Steve is most passionate about IndyCar racing and the Indianapolis 500, which he has attended every year since 1987.

For Vincent it is an honor and pleasure to work for “the greatest magazine in the world”, as he thinks, because “Cigar Journal is the most important cigar magazine, in the meantime”. Vincent is working with Cigar Journal since around 2010 and although he sees most of the European CJ stuff only once a year in Dortmund at the InterTabac show, he enjoys this very much.

Volker Schaeffner, born 1968 and based in Rhine Valley Germany is a trained photographer and photo designer since 1994 (www.volkerschaeffner.com). Enjoying cigars since early 2000’s he is taking photos for CJ since 2014, writing for CJ about cigar friendly indoor lounges and people of the industry since 2019.

Wolfgang Hametner has been a graphic designer for over 30 years. With a love of detail, he develops holistic design solutions for companies and institutions, including the Vienna Technical Museum and the Belvedere Museum. He has been Cigar Journal’s art director since 2004. He particularly enjoys creatively interpreting the enjoyment of smoking and the esthetics of cigar culture visually.