How did Sake come into my life? I guess you can blame Kimonos! (yes that really is me, even hubby didn’t recognise me!) When you go to Japan you really can’t pass up the opportunity to wear one and enjoy some sake bar hopping as part of the experience! Of course, I had encountered Sake way back when I was studying for my wine exams in London, but it wasn’t until I actually travelled to Japan that I really began to realise what freshly brewed artisan sake could be compared with the stuff we had drunk in the UK which was pretty awful and just seemed to make my husband pass out!
It wasn’t very long before I had become super curious about the story of Sake, why its name is wrong (more about that later) and how drinking it can actually protect and improve your health. I dove in deep and studied with the London based Sake Sommelier Association (the oldest sake training institution outside of Japan) and the Sake Education Council in Tokyo wanting to really get to the weird and wonderful details that enrich our understanding of culture, history, and gourmet foods.
So now to share it! I’m very excited that master of Wine Mike Henley has agreed to host the first ever Hawkes Bay Sake Sommelier Association training at his gorgeous Cellar 495 in Hastings on Wednesday 18th October at 1pm, so if you are even a teeny bit curious then book your spot, included is all the sake tastings, a guided experience and plenty of fun discovering the magic and mystery of sake, including why its name is wrong of course!
https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2023/introduction-to-the-magic-and-mystery-of-sake/hastings