Discover with us the fascinating world of sake
In recent years, sake has increasingly established itself in Europe as a perfect accompaniment to food. However, recommending the right sake to go with a dish is as much an art as choosing the right wine. The sake pairing contest was created by Yoshiko Ueno-Müller in order to discover the many possible combinations of sake pairings and to make them known worldwide. It is organized by the Sake & Shochu Academy Europe with the support of strong partners such as the Sommelier Union in Germany, Austria and German-speaking Switzerland as well as UENO GOURMET.
Only sommeliers, restaurateurs and wine trade employees based in Germany, Austria and Switzerland are admitted to this unique and innovative competition. The participants create their individual pairings from a selection of premium sake. In the final, they then present these to a top-class jury (chaired by Markus Del Monego MW). In the end, they will decide who will be the "Master of Sake-Pairing 2022".
In the final, they then presented them to a top-class jury (Chairman: Markus Del Monego MW). In the end, you decide who will be the “Master of Sake Pairing 2022”. You can find the recording of the 2022 final here.
The sake pairings of the finalists of the 2022 Sake Pairing Contest
Restaurant Pavillon, Hotel Baur au Lac, Zürich CH
Saltimbocca of veal sweetbreads with chanterelle ragout and Gribiche sauce
Restaurant Hotel Jagdhaus Monzabon in Lech, Austria
Pigeon with boudin noir cream and Jerusalem artichoke
Restaurant Kappo, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
Yuan-style grilled wagyu fillet with apple cider
Restaurant Atelier, Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich, Germany
Pigeon grilled on the carcass - black salsify - miso
Park Hotel Vitznau, Vitznau CH
Marinated beef tartare with beetroot and cassis marinade, duck liver ice cream, beetroot shiso jelly
Restaurant Schanz in Piesport, Germany
Coupole of radish and mackerel tartare with seaweed broth
"UMAMI-King" Pork belly / Thyme mushroom dashi / Soy mushroom cream / Jerusalem artichoke / Roasted garlic oil
"Best Description" Chawanmushi / smoked eel / Perigord truffle
"Sake & Vegetables" Kohlrabi / Egg Yolk
"Sake & Coffee" Lake trout, mushrooms, wild cauliflower, coffeeX3
"Sake & Chocolate" White chocolate, cinnamon, stewed rum fruits
"Sake & modern kitchen" Lamb, Pickled Pine, Jerusalem Artichoke & Truffles
"Sake & traditional kitchen" Liver sausage Old Berlin Style
66 sake pairings and 30 sommeliers from the preliminary round and the final:
Each of the six contestants had five minutes on Feb. 21 to explain their assigned sake to the jury, explain the dish and justify the pairing with the sake. The aim is both to explain the pairing from a professional point of view and to present it in a way that is comprehensible to the guest. The order in which the participants take part in the livestream was determined by a live random draw.
The jury retired briefly after the presentations and selected the winners. In the process, all finalists will each receive a brewery trophy with 12 bottles of sake each for future sake pairings in the restaurant. The runner-up will win a participation in the Sake Diploma course and an exam (value 980 €). The first place winner will receive the title "Master of Sake-Pairing 2022" and a trip to Japan worth 2,000 €. In addition, each juror will award one more special prize to a participant.
The Sake & Shochu Academy team is happy about a successful competition and would like to thank all the finalists.
The finals of the Sake-Pairing-Contest 2022 and trailer:
このビデオは日本産酒類海外展開支援事業費補助金を活用して作成しています。
The result, sake pairing contributions and participants 2021: