January 25, 2024 – The Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association (JSS) and the WINE ACADEMY BY SM (a wine school run by Marcos Flores, former vice president of ASI Americas) jointly held the first Sake Academy and Sake Ambassador Contest 2023 in Los Cabos and Mexico City, Mexico, from 4 to 8 November 2023 for 68 of sommeliers and hospitality professionals.
The masterclasses were led by Michael Tremblay, who works on the JSS North American support desk. Trembrey is best known for his book “Exploring the World of Japanese Craft Sake: Rice, Water, Earth”, co-authored with Nancy Matsumoto, which won the James Beard Foundation Award (2023). He is a sommelier at Ki Japanese Restaurant in Toronto, Canada, and also runs the Sake Scholar Course, a sake programme he created himself. At the ASI Boot Camp for young sommeliers held in Ecuador at the end of October 2023, he was also in charge of a master class that delved deeply into sake and the Power of UMAMI.
In the two-day masterclasses held in both cities, the differences between sake and wine in terms of production process and ingredients were explained before going into details such as the raw materials used for sake. The main characteristic of sake is that it contains about five times more amino acids (mainly glutamic acid) than white wine and has a mellow, umami rich taste due to its higher PH of more than one. As the participants were mainly sommeliers, their interest in sake and food pairing was high, and by starting with topics of interest to the participants, expectations for the masterclass rose dramatically.
The participants’ knowledge of sake varied widely, so the content covered both basic and advanced information on ingredients such as rice and water. Water, in particular, is a crucial factor that significantly influences the quality of sake, given that approximately 80% of sake is made from water. Unlike wine, where water is not allowed as an added raw material, sake is a very unique category in which a wide variety of water is used, and its qualities are reflected in its taste.
There was also an explanation of ‘koji,’ which has a significant impact on sake quality but is not widely understood, comparing it to malt in beer. Both rice and barley (malt) are starches and originally contain no sugar, so fermentation cannot proceed without the process of saccharification. In the case of sake, the first stage of fermentation is when the ‘koji’ (malted rice), made by propagating koji mold on steamed rice, produces enzymes that saccharify the starch. This process is similar to how enzymes in malt accelerate saccharification in beer.
After the two-day masterclasses, Trembly stated “The two Sake Academies that were conducted in Mexico City and Los Cabos was an excellent opportunity to reach out to many sommeliers and hospitality individuals. Since each academy was two days long, it meant that attendees could take a deeper dive into the splendours of sake, where many facets such as sake making, grades and styles, sake and food, Ingredients and regionality could be explored to some degree. In addition, attendees were able to try many sakes varying in profile and style to connect with the learning material. Both markets show great potential for growth and this was an important step in this growth.”
Following the masterclasses, tests were conducted, and the judging was based on four criteria: Sake Service / Blind Tasting / Image Identification / Flash Cards. Two representatives were selected from each region for the final examination held in Mexico City. Those selected were Monica Olvera from Hotel Presidente Intercontinental CDMX, sommelier and journalist Mirell Riviello, Mariana Diego from Nobu Hotel, and Alicia Ahuactzi from Rosewood Hotel Las Ventanas al Paraíso.
In the end, Alicia Ahuactzi from Rosewood Hotel Las Ventanas al Paraíso won the competition. She is scheduled to receive training in Japan.
Upon concluding Sake Academy Mexico 2023, when Tremblay was asked about crucial points to overcome in popularizing sake in Mexico, he responded, “The main challenge facing sake here is the lack of availability and the cost of importing sake. From the many individuals that attended the Sake Academies, it is clear there is an interest in sake and learning more about it! Having more sake available or making it easier for consumers and sommeliers alike to know where to purchase it is crucial to sake’s growth.”
As of 2022, Latin America’s share of sake exports (by volume) is approximately 1%, with Brazil and Mexico accounting for over 90% of this share. Despite being the first and second largest markets in Latin America in terms of market size for all alcohol categories, they have notably low volume shares (3% and 1.1%, respectively) for wine, a category in direct competition with sake. The presence of numerous Japanese companies and well-established Japanese communities in these countries leads the JSS to believe that they will become highly promising markets for sake in the future. Mexico, in particular, boasts the fifth-largest number of Japanese restaurants outside Japan, with 7,120 establishments, according to an October 2023 survey by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries. This indicates a significant potential for further expansion of the sake market.
However, challenges exist. Many types of sake require refrigerated containers for transportation to preserve their delicate aromas and flavors. Currently, importers in Latin American countries, including Mexico, often import sake indirectly from the United States rather than directly from Japan in refrigerated containers, resulting in higher market prices. In such emerging markets for sake, creating demand locally is essential for the entry and growth of new importers. The JSS aims to establish an environment conducive to increasing the availability of sake in restaurants, crucial points of contact with consumers, by consistently providing educational programs on sake to sommeliers and hospitality professionals. This includes initiatives such as the Sake Academy Mexico 2023 and ASI boot camps held in Ecuador in October 2023, with the goal of increasing the number of establishments offering sake and expanding the experience of sake among consumers.
