Hong Kong educator named ‘2018 Saké Ambassador’

Corinne Mui, senior wine educator at Asia Wine Service & Education Centre (AWSEC), has won the ‘2018 Saké Ambassador’ at London Sake Challenge 2018, the first Asian to win the title.

Corinne Mui (centre) accepting ‘2018 Saké Ambassador’ at London Sake Challenge 2018

Awarded every two years, the Saké Ambassador is bestowed upon someone for their outstanding dedication to the world of saké. The ambassador has to have been working for saké diplomacy, contributing to the understanding and appreciation of saké throughout his or her country.

With over 10 years of experience teaching saké and wine at AWSEC, Mui has been actively promoting saké and Japanese culture in Hong Kong and mainland China. A regular traveller to Japan, Mui visited many breweries to improve her understanding of sake and its production. Each January, she would also guide a a team of AWSEC’s Advanced Saké Sommelier students to Japan for a saké learning tour.

“I am greatly honoured and humbled to be recently awarded the Saké Ambassador of the Year title by the Saké Sommelier Association & Japan Jizake Cooperative. It is one of my lifetime achievements and I am most grateful to everyone who has always been a part of my Saké journey – from family to friends, from my bosses to teammates and everyone! I would especially like to thank my students who believed in me and gave me continuous support which motivated me to work hard to become a better saké teacher,” said Mui.

The award was held during London Saké Challenge, organised by the Saké Sommelier Association (SSA).

Japan’s saké exports reached a record high last year. Its export volume increased by 19% last year to 23,481 kilolitres, mainly via Kobe Port, which accounted for nearly half of the total volume (49.7%).

The growth is inevitably linked to the growing number of Japanese restaurants serving the rice wine overseas. According to Japan’s Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry, the number of restaurants serving Japanese cuisine outside Japan grew from 89,000 in 2015 to 118,000 as of October 2017.

Its top export market is the US, which accounted for 25% of the total, followed by South Korea, China and Taiwan.