Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association | JSS
Following the formation of an official partnership with the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI) in May this year, the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association (JSS) was invited to the ASI general assembly held at the “Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel” in Japan on July 5th and 6th.
In addition, before the assembly, a welcome dinner was held for representatives of sommelier associations to meet and exchange greetings. The participants included representatives of sommelier associations from 22 countries. The welcome dinner included cuisine that paired with wine and six different varieties of Japanese sake.
In the following days, ASI members were invited to a two-day excursion, organized by Mie Sake Brewers Association on July 7 and 8. The excursion provided participants with the opportunity to tour sake breweries in Mie Prefecture, visit the Ise Grand Shrine that has historical links to sake, and explore the rich history and techniques used to make dashi soup stock at katsuobushi (bonito flake) production plants.
On the evening of July 7th, a sake tasting and discussion event with the eight affiliated breweries of the Mie Sake Brewers Association and the International Sake Conference in Mie was held at the Shima Kanko Hotel. This hotel is particularly famous as it attracted worldwide attention in 2016 as the venue for the G7 ISE-SHIMA SUMMIT. A panel discussion led by six panelists including ASI Chairman Wouters covered topics such as the future potential of Japanese sake and the international initiatives being planned by JSS. Representatives from sommelier associations around the world provided a broad range of ideas and opinions on how sake could be paired with various styles of cuisines, with many expressing that they would like to try sake with their own country’s culinary specialties.
The reception also featured an eight-course meal fusing French cuisine with dashi-inspired flavors and paired with eight local brands of sake, in an ensemble featuring Mie’s three local specialties – ingredients, dashi, and sake. This level of hospitality proved to be a source of amazement and inspiration for the leading international sommeliers who had the chance to savor the flavors provided.
Many representatives from sommelier associations such as the Belgian, Serbian, Spanish, and Mexican sommelier associations expressed their desire to work with JSS and schedule sake master classes in the near future, therefore demonstrating the considerable interest that sommeliers have developed for sake.
In the future, JSS will continue to coordinate efforts with ASI by providing sake tasting and seminars at events organized by ASI.
・ASI Boot Camp (Training Program for Junior Sommeliers)
September 12th to 14th, 2022 – Asia & Oceania Region Boot Camp (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
・ASI Best Sommelier of Asia & Oceania 2022
November 7th to 10th, 2022 – ASI Best Sommelier of Asia & Oceania Contest (Taiwan)
・ASI Best Sommelier of the World
February 7th to 12th, 2023 – ASI Best Sommelier of the World Contest (Paris, France)
The Association de la Sommellerie Internationale is a non-profit, international organization formed in 1969 in Reims, France. Affiliated with sommelier associations in 60 countries worldwide. The organization promotes the establishment of sommelier associations in various countries and works to improve the skills and the ethics of the sommelier profession.
ASI Official Website: http://www.asi.info/
