Charity Event Raising Awareness for Earthquake-affected Noto Peninsula

On the 22^nd of May, a sake masterclass with Master of Wine Kenichi Ohashi was organised by Japan House London, Sake Samurai Association and International Wine Challenge, focussing on the brewing traditions of the Noto Peninsula. The event raises awareness for the area, badly affected by a major earthquake earlier this year. This event offered visitors a great opportunity to meet some of the best sake experts in the world and to taste six brands of sake from Ishikawa Prefecture. To gain this rare opportunity, all the tickets were sold out within 30 minutes after booking opened online.

The event started with a short introduction about the Noto Peninsula Earthquake by Mr Yasuhiro Matsuda from Japan Embassy. The impact of the earthquake on the local sake industry was then introduced by Mr Tsushima Kitahara, the chairman of Sake Samurai Association, followed by a masterclass on Noto sake by wine and sake expert Mr Kenichi Ohashi MW.

After the IWC co-chairmen Mr Simon Hofstra and Mr Beau Timken had given the audience a closer look at the six brands of sake featured in the tasting, all four speakers sat together to take questions from the audience. A guided sake tasting then followed, with many IWC judges joining the serving and explaining sake to the audience.

It appeared that many audience members didn’t have much sake experience to date. However, everyone was so supportive and the venue was filled with a warm and positive atmosphere, enjoyed by all.

The event was held during the IWC judging, and many judges all over the world turned up to this charity event. They mentioned that it was great to support the area through this event.