Sake Sommelier Association

Last updated

Sake Sommelier Association
Founded2000
TypeEducational organisation
FocusUnderstanding, education and appreciation of Japanese sake
Location
Services Sake education
Website www.sakesommelierassociation.com

The Sake Sommelier Association (SSA) is a global partnership of talented Sake Educators providing and accrediting sake courses and working to benefit the world of sake.

Contents

Created in 2000 by sommelier Xavier Chapelou and sake expert Kumiko Ohta, the Sake Sommelier Association is the first organisation based outside of Japan that is solely committed to sake education and promotion worldwide. Based in London, the association is also the first organisation in the United Kingdom to offer sake education outside Japan.

Created by sommelier Xavier Chapelou and sake expert Kumiko Ohta in 2000 in London, it is the first organisation in the United Kingdom to offer sake education outside Japan.

Objective

The Sake Sommelier Association's efforts are based on three pillars: Sake Sommelier Academy, Sake Challenge, and Sake Sommelier of the Year. The association strives to develop global education and awareness of sake, to increase opportunities for students to learn the cultural history of sake production and the fine points of its service, and to advance the success of sake demand and consumption on a global scale.

Education

The Sake Sommelier Association operates from the London-based Sake Sommelier Academy and certifies the professional courses included in the programme of the Sake Sommelier Academy and their franchises worldwide. The sake education courses offered are provided worldwide in over 30 countries, including Italy, Austria, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Norway, New Zealand and USA.

Sake Challenge

The Sake Challenge, established in 2012 by the Sake Sommelier Association, is a global series of sake competitions. Products submitted from breweries all over Japan are evaluated by Sake Sommeliers from around the world and judged by taste, quality, labelling and packaging. The first Sake Challenge (London Sake Challenge) took place on 20 August 2012 at Harrods during the 2012 London Olympic Games and was the first competition dedicated only to sake in Europe. In 2020, the Sake Sommelier Association hosted the first-ever virtual London Sake Challenge. Sake Challenges are held worldwide, including the Milano Sake Challenge and Bordeaux Sake Challenge.

The purpose of the event is to recognise outstanding premium sake. The event aims to promote the consumption of sake by highlighting a new market where sake is matched with local food. The event also seeks to increase public awareness and popularity of the sake in the world with the "Japan Life" event.

Japan life

The JAPAN LIFE event takes place following a Sake Challenge. The general public is welcome to partake in sake-themed events; guests sample a host of premium, sake and revel in many other fascinating aspects of Japanese culture.

Sake Sommelier of the Year

Sake Sommelier of the Year is an annual competition jointly organised by the Sake Sommelier Association. Started in London in 2013, the competition is the first of its kind to be held outside Japan. The Sake Sommelier of the Year is a global event, and it was successfully held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2019. The competition aims to find the most skilful Sake Sommeliers bringing them to the attention of their customers and raising the profile of their establishments. More than 50 sommeliers from Europe, Asia and the Middle East entered the first competition in 2013. In 2015, two new titles were introduced to encourage and reward contribution to the world of sake: Young Sake Ambassador and Sake Ambassador.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Society of Arts</span> British organisation

The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), commonly known as the Royal Society of Arts, is a London-based organisation committed to finding practical solutions to social challenges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sommelier</span> Person with proficiency in wine tasting

A sommelier, or wine steward, is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional, normally working in fine restaurants, who specializes in all aspects of wine service as well as wine and food pairing. The role of the sommelier in fine dining today is much more specialized and informed than that of a wine waiter. Sommeliers Australia states that the role is strategically on par with that of the chef de cuisine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing</span>

The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) is an international dance teaching and examination board based in London, England. The registered educational charity, which was established on 25 July 1904 as the Imperial Society of Dance Teachers, provides training and examinations in a range of dance styles and certified dance teacher courses. The ISTD is recognised by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and the Council for Dance Education and Training and is also a member of the British Dance Council. It hosts various competitions in many different formats including Modern Ballroom, Latin American, Classical Ballet and Tap Dance as well as contemporary styles like Disco Freestyle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loyola College, Chennai</span> College in India

Loyola College is a private Catholic higher education institution run by the Society of Jesus in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It was founded in 1925 by the French Jesuit priest, Francis Bertram, along with other European Jesuits. It is an autonomous Jesuit college affiliated with the University of Madras. Loyola commerce association celebrated its 75th year in 2019. Loyola College has more than 8000 students studying as of 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Academy of Dance</span> UK examination board for dance education

The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) is a UK-based examination board specialising in dance education and training, with an emphasis on classical ballet. The RAD was founded in London, England in 1920 as the Association of Teachers of Operatic Dancing, and was granted a Royal Charter in 1935. Queen Elizabeth II was patron of the RAD and Darcey Bussell was elected to serve as president in 2012, succeeding Antoinette Sibley who served for 21 years.

The Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) is the professional body which represents the interests of teaching and club golf professionals in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It was established in 1901 and is based at The Belfry near Birmingham, England. It has a membership of over 7,500 professionals with 1,500 working overseas in more than 70 countries worldwide. Since 2017 the chairman of the board has been Alan White, club professional at Lanark Golf Club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beer in Japan</span> Overview of beer in Japan

Beer in Japan mostly comes from the country's four major breweries, Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo and Suntory, which mainly produce pale lagers around 5% ABV. Beer is immensely popular, far ahead of sake consumption.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Markham College</span> Private day school in Lima, Peru

Markham College is an international school in Lima, Peru. Founded by British immigrants, Markham promotes a mixture of British and Peruvian education. Markham is an independent, non-profit, co-educational, bilingual, secular, day school of approximately 2,000 students aged 3–18. The school has 3 different sections located in Miraflores and Santiago de Surco in Lima.

A wine competition is an organized event in which trained judges or consumers competitively rate different vintages, categories, and/or brands of wine. Wine competitions generally use blind tasting of wine to prevent bias by the judges.

Dance4life is an international youth initiative to raise awareness and promote prevention of HIV/AIDS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japanese wine</span> Wine making in Japan

Although viticulture and the cultivation of grapes for table consumption has a long history in Japan, domestic wine production using locally produced grapes only really began with the adoption of Western culture during the Meiji restoration in the second half of the 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japan Crude Cocktail</span> Informal nickname given to the pricing index of Crude Oil

The Japan Crude Cocktail (JCC) is the informal nickname given to the pricing index of Crude Oil used in most East Asian countries. The JCC is the average price of customs-cleared crude oil imports into Japan and is published by the Petroleum Association of Japan. The official name of the JCC is the Japan Customs-cleared Crude Oil Price. The valuation of the JCC closely reflects the market state of supply and demand. Clear fluctuations in JCC pricing can be linked to distinct events such as the 2007-08 Global Financial Crisis and the 2011 Fukushima Disaster.

The Wine & Spirit Education Trust, often referred to as WSET, is a global organisation which arranges courses and exams in the field of wine, spirits and sake. WSET was founded in 1969, is headquartered in London and is generally regarded as one of the world's leading providers of wine education. In 2016, it opened its first international office, WSET Asia Pacific, in Hong Kong in response to high demand for wine and spirit education across Greater China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">YWCA</span> International organization for women

The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Institut supérieur du commerce de Paris</span>

The Institut Supérieur du Commerce, a business school located in Paris, is a French university-level institution. Its programs consist of a core degree, a bachelor's program offering six different specializations, a Master's degree in management according to the Bologna European higher education standards, and a MBA program offering sixteen different specializations. These courses are available both on a part-time and full-time basis.

The European Association of Urology (EAU) is a non-profit organisation committed to the representation of urology professionals worldwide. All active urology professionals, including urology nurses, are eligible for membership of the EAU.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beer sommelier</span> Person with proficiency in beer tasting

A beer sommelier, also known as a cicerone in the United States, is a trained professional, working in the hospitality and alcoholic beverage industry, who specializes in the service and knowledge of beer, similar to a traditional wine sommelier. The knowledge required for certification includes an understanding of styles, brewing, ingredients, history of beer and brewing, glassware, beer service, draught systems, beer tasting, and food pairings. The profession is relatively new but growing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Court of Master Sommeliers</span> International organization of wine professionals

The Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS) is an educational organisation established in 1977 to encourage improved standards of beverage service by sommeliers, particularly in wine and food pairing. From the court's inception through 2018, a worldwide total of 274 people have earned its Master Sommelier diploma, the highest level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Sake Challenge</span> Award

London Sake Challenge (LSC), established in 2012 by the Sake Sommelier Association and its founders Xavier Chapelou and Kumiko Ohta, is an annual sake competition held in London and worldwide. The Challenge is the first competition of its kind, dedicated only to sake, in Europe. Products submitted from breweries all over Japan are evaluated by sake sommeliers from around the world and judged by taste, quality, labelling and packaging. The first competition took place on 20 August 2012, during 2012 London Olympic Games. Sake Challenges are held worldwide, including the Milano Sake Challenge and Bordeaux Sake Challenge.

Sake Sommelier of the Year is an annual competition jointly organised by the Sake Sommelier Association. Started in London in 2013, the competition is the first its kind to be held outside Japan. The Sake Sommelier of the Year is a global event, and it was successfully held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2019. The competition aims to find the most skilful Sake Sommeliers bringing them to the attention of their customers and raising the profile of their establishments.

References