Sake Sommelier Association

🇮🇳 Greetings from the Heart of India! 🏛️✨

Today we're looking to Amol Bagal Amol Bagal | Runner, one of our Sake Educators in India 🍶🇮🇳

Living by the philosophy of "learning something new from everybody we meet", Amol brings a fantastic energy to his classrooms where students share their own experiences in the F&B world as well as learning from him!

Through Grape Xpectations , Amol works with our head Sake Educator Kunal Kaul KUNAL KAUL DipWSET, MSS, CSW l Certified WSET Educator - India's only Master Sake Sommelier - to provide fantastic, practical, beverage training; and remains India’s home for world-leading, official Sake Sommelier education Sake Sommelier Association India 🎙️💎

Grape Xpectations host courses in Delhi, and have an Introductory Sake Professional class scheduled for later this month in Mumbai; as well as a Certified Sake Sommelier course there in November. Check their website for more details and join them to discover the intricate world of sake through a curriculum that blends international standards with a deep respect for the craft. 🌊🎓

Expand Your Expertise with the Introductory Sake Professional® Course 🍶

Our Introductory Sake Professional® course is the perfect first step into the fascinating world of sake 🇯🇵 Learn about sake production, its rich history and cultural significance, professional serving etiquette, and the fundamentals of sake tasting 🥂

Designed for enthusiasts and hospitality professionals alike, this interactive course combines practical workshops with expert guidance, giving you the confidence to appreciate, serve, and talk about sake like a professional 🍶

Contact us to find out more about our Partner School and how you can begin your sake journey with the Introductory Sake Professional® qualification! 👩‍🎓

📍 Your Sake Journey Starts Here

Whether you're taking your first steps into the world of sake or aiming to become one of the industry's leading professionals, the Sake Sommelier Association® offers a clear pathway to develop your knowledge, skills, and expertise.

🍶 Introductory Sake Professional® – Build your Foundation!

🥇 Certified Sake Sommelier® – Become a Sake Sommelier®

🏯 Advanced Sake Sommelier® – Immerse yourself in the terroir of sake

👑 Master Sake Sommelier® – The Pinnacle of Sake Service

Wherever you are in your sake journey, we have a course designed to help you get to the next level ✨

✨ What’s your next step on your Sake Sommelier path?

✨ The spotlight is on sake in the City of Light! 🇫🇷

We are pleased to introduce our Sake Educator, Daïdō Prévost, who has officially joined the Sake Sommelier education team at Madame Saké MADAME SAKÉ ! 🇫🇷🇯🇵

Born in Champagne and raised in Burgundy, Daïdō grew up immersed in a vibrant French-Japanese bicultural environment. At 18 he embraced his roots by traveling to Japan for a year to master the language and experience the culture firsthand—even working as a kurabito at the Nichi Nichi Matsumoto brewery in Kyoto. 🍶🌾

Since returning to France and joining Madame Saké in 2023, Daïdō has been managing their Parisian shop, Ten Ten Ten.

Join Daïdō at Madame Saké to explore the world of sake through the lens of a professional who has lived the craft from the cellars of Kyoto to the heart of Paris! 🌊🎓

Find out more about Daido and Madame Sake and their upcoming courses on our website 🖥️

We’re excited to share that ShuYing Tan shu ying ~ miniature origami jewellery have achieved the prestigious Advanced Sake Sommelier®🎉 

 
ShuYing is a Malaysian washi origami artist based in Singapore with a strong passion for preserving her Peranakan heritage. Through her work, she celebrates and preserves her cultural roots while sharing them in new and creative ways. She has a wonderful vision of connecting Peranakan culture with Japanese origami culture through sake. Congratulations, ShuYing 🎉 

A special thank you to Watanabe Brewery 蓬莱蔵元　渡辺酒造店 for welcoming her and sharing their incredible expertise in sake brewing. Founded in 1870, Watanabe Sake Brewery in Gifu blends tradition with creativity—known for its award-winning Hourai sake, pure mountain water, and even playing comedy to its fermentation tanks.  

The Advanced Sake Sommelier® is a unique, immersive experience, offering hands-on brewery visits, terroir-focused activities, and deep insight into sake production. 
Ready to deepen your sake knowledge? 
Start with the Certified Sake Sommelier® and unlock the full value of the Advanced course—designed to take your expertise to the next level 🗾 
 
この度、ShuYingが「Advanced Sake Sommelier® (酒ソムリエ上級)」の資格を取得されました。おめでとうございます！🎉🎉 
 
ShuYing は、シンガポールを拠点に活動するマレーシア人の和紙折り紙アーティストであり、彼女のルーツであるプラナカン文化を守り続けたいという想いのもと、自身の作品を通じて、その文化を新しく創造的な形で発信していくことを目指しています。日本酒を通じて、プラナカン文化と日本の折り紙文化を結びつけるという素晴らしいビジョンをお持ちのShuYing、おめでとうございます🎉🎉 

 
ShuYingを迎え、素晴らしい酒造りの知識を共有してくださった渡辺酒造店 蓬莱蔵元　渡辺酒造店 に感謝します。1870年創業の渡辺酒造店は、伝統と創造性を融合させた酒造りで知られ、数々の賞を受賞する蓬莱（Hourai）、岐阜県飛騨古川の清らかな山の水、そして発酵タンクにコメディを流すというユニークな取り組みでも知られています。 

 
「Advanced Sake Sommelier®（酒ソムリエ上級）」コースは、訪日前の事前研修に始まり、酒蔵内での実践研修を通して日本酒造りの本質に迫る特別なプログラムです。精米や麹室での作業といった醸造の核心に触れるだけでなく、蔵外での活動を通じてテロワールを体感し、酒蔵の歴史や地域文化とのつながりを深く理解します。教室を越え、五感で学ぶこの体験は、まさに一生に一度の貴重な学びとなります。 
※本コースは、認定酒ソムリエ資格保持者（Certified Sake Sommelier®）を対象としています。 

       

🦘 Greetings from the Land Down Under! 🇦🇺✨

We are thrilled to announce that our two new Sake Educators, Yi Sun and Romana Radic, are joining the team at Kodawari Sake Education Sandra Gwee | Master Sake Sommelier /Sake Coach 🍶🌿

With their arrival, Kodawari Sake Education is expanding its reach to bring premier Sake Sommelier education to even more locations across Australia. We are excited to welcome students in Brisbane and Adelaide to experience these upcoming courses firsthand! 🏔️✈️

🌟 Yi Sun -

Yi brings over a decade of beverage industry experience to the classroom, combining deep wine expertise with more than 5 years in the sake import and export trade. Holding an Advanced Sake Sommelier® qualification, his hands-on background spans the entire sake supply chain—from sourcing and product selection to market promotion 🌾💼

Yi is particularly renowned for his sharp blind-tasting skills, accurately decoding a sake’s origin, brewing technique, and grade just by analyzing its flavor, acidity, rice, and yeast. Moving away from rigid textbook theories, Yi uses real-world trade insights to deliver accessible, practical, and engaging lessons for future industry professionals 🎙️💎

🌟 Romana Radic - Romana Radic

With an impressive 23 years of hospitality experience, Romana is a dedicated professional and a passionate advocate for Japanese culture. As a Certified Sake Sommelier® and Sake Educator®, she considers Japan her "home at heart" 🏮❤️

Romana is devoted to sharing the rich heritage, meticulous craftsmanship, and beautiful traditions behind Japan's national beverage. Guided by deep respect for the craft, she looks forward to inspiring her future students with the beauty of sake 🕊️✨

Whether you are based in Brisbane or Adelaide, get ready to elevate your knowledge and discover the beautiful world of sake with Kodawari Sake Education! 🎓🌊

🌟 For the first time in New York City! 🌟

We are proud to announce the first-ever Master Sake Sommelier® in the heart of Manhattan, NYC 🍶 🇺🇸

The Master Sake Sommelier is the peak of Sake Sommelier education, with alumni of the course true leaders of their craft. The course focusses on training students to perfect their service, identification and pairing skills; as well as specialised modules training the art of buying & selling high end sake.

This elite qualification is taught by the Deep Dive Sake School , and led by our fantastic Sake Educator Russell King, offering the highest standard in sake certification. Join the best of the best and climb to the peak of your sake career. 🗻🏙️

The course will be held at the Skurnik Wines & Spirits in central Manhattan, a fantastic location in the heart of New York. allowing for prospective Master Sake Sommeliers from all around the world to join.

📍 Manhattan, New York City 📅 October 3rd–4th, 2026 (with an optional pre-event on Oct 2nd)

👉 Registration & details: or visit www.deepdivesake.school

🍎 Greetings from the Big Apple! 🗽✨

We are thrilled to introduce Chris Sachs , our Sake Educator teaching across New York and New Jersey! 🍶🏙️

Chris is a highly accomplished beverage professional, having earned the prestigious Master Sake Sommelier at the start of the year; as well as holding the WSET Diploma and the title of Italian Wine Ambassador. Chris has now taken on the mantle of our Sake Educator for New York and New Jersey, working hard to train the next generation of Sake Sommeliers in the city that never sleeps 💎
Also a Sales Representative with Skurnik Wines & Spirits, Christopher brings real-world industry experience to his teaching. He believes every bottle acts as a "passport" to another culture,  a philosophy central to his school Travel by Wine’s Passport to Sake 🍷💼

We are also thrilled to announce that Chris will also be assisting with teaching the next Master Sake Sommelier course, coming to New York this October! 🎓✨

Whether you are starting your journey or aiming for the highest tier of mastery, join Chris’s upcoming Introductory Sake Professional and Certified Sake Sommelier courses to explore the world of sake through the lens of a true beverage authority, and earn the next stamp in your sake passport 🛄

There's a moment in every sake lover's journey when tasting isn't enough. 🍶

It’s the moment you want to immerse yourself — not just in flavour, but in the craft, the culture, and the discipline behind it.

The Master of Sake® is designed for those ready to step into the highest levels of sake brewing skill. Not from the outside looking in, but from within the brewery itself.

This is more than a course — it’s a transformative two-month journey into the heart of Japanese sake.

Throughout the program, you'll learn alongside Japan's finest brewers. Not as a student observing from a distance, but as an apprentice with your hands in the process.

Sake brewing is a highly profound and complex process, and this course offers the

opportunity to learn authentic brewing skills from professionals in the sake industry.

🍶 One-on-one guidance from master brewers as you deepen your craft

🌏 Available in Japan through selected brewery partners, and in English in New Zealand

📚 Pre-programme support including Japanese language basics, sake terminology, cultural orientation, and hygiene & safety training

From day one, you’ll be welcomed as part of the brewery team and supported throughout by both our education team and your host brewery.

Ready to take that step? DM us or contact us via our website

Some things can only be learned by doing✔️

🇭🇰 Greetings from Hong Kong! 🏙️✨

We are pleased to introduce Joy, our new Sake Educator at the Sommelier Wine & Sake Education Centre in Hong Kong! 🍶🏮

Joy is a highly qualified professional, holding an impressive array of sake qualifications which now include her Sake Educator certification! With her deep expertise and fluency in Japanese, she serves as a vital bridge between traditional craftsmanship and the vibrant Hong Kong market. 🎙️💎

Established in 2015, the Sommelier Wine & Sake Education Centre .education.centre is a leading institution in Hong Kong, known for its focus on quality education. The academy emphasizes practical learning by providing students with carefully selected benchmark samples, ensuring a clear understanding of different sake styles and grades. 🍷🎓

We are excited to announce our upcoming courses led by Joy this summer:

📅 Introductory Sake Professional (ISP) & Certified Sake Sommelier (CSS): June 12 – August 22, 2026

Join Joy at the Sommelier Wine & Sake Education Centre to elevate your knowledge through a curriculum focused on professional excellence and high-quality training. 🌊✨