WHY TAKE PART IN MILAN?

MILANO, THE DESIGN HUB

The judges for the design session are architects, designers, creators, fashion designers, stylists, photographers, etc. who are active in Italy. For foreigners who have difficulty understanding Japanese characters, the design of the bottle is one of the important elements that leads to purchase. Milan is the hub of design, and that creativity will be gathered to judge the bottles.

FOOD PAIRING PARTNERS

In 2023, we welcomed Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Consortium and in 2024, Prosciutto di San Daniele Consortium, as food pairing partners. For the year 2025, we will also be experimenting with fresh truffle pairings. Through the judges' evaluations, it has been proven that the fusion of typical Italian ingredients and sake brings out the best in each other. This is expected to open the door to Italian restaurants and expand into new markets.

THE EXPANSION OF ITALIAN MARKET

After 2022, sake exports from Japan to Italy surpassed those of the United Kingdom and France, making it the second largest importer after Germany among major European countries (*). In addition, the volume of sake exported from Japan to Italy is increasing year by year, and the value of various types of sake is becoming better understood. It is no exaggeration to say that Italy will lead the European sake market in the near future, as the recognition of sake in Italy is also increasing.

(*) Source: Trade Statistics of the Ministry of Finance

The entries will be judged by Italian Sake Sommeliers with extensive knowledge of Japanese sake. Sake Sommeliers come from a wide range of food professionals, including wine sommeliers, restaurateurs, chefs, and bartenders, and they will select the best sake that respects the tastes of Italians.

Learn more about judges