The 5th "MILANO SAKE CHALLENGE" was held at Hotel NHOW in Milan on June 23rd and 24th, 2025.
On the first day, sake tasting evaluation, shōchū tasting evaluation, and design evaluation were held. On the second day, the food pairing evaluation involved judging a total of 200 brands of sake, including 40 brands selected for each dish and dessert in the sake tasting evaluation.
A total of over 200 judges participated in the judging process: 100 in the sake tasting category, 20 in the shochu tasting category, 50 in the design category, and 50 in the food pairing category.
The 2025 competition began with a pre-tasting session for the sake judges. The judges, who are experienced sake sommeliers, deepened their understanding of the judging criteria and how to use the dedicated app, striving to maintain a fair and high standard of judging.
The 2025 competition was attended by many judges from the design and creative industries, including leading photographers, product designers and architects.
The 2025 competition was judged by chefs, restaurateurs, sommeliers and other food and beverage professionals, as well as food pairing partners.
・Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (24 months)
・San Daniele raw prosciutto
・Truffles from Piedmont
・Pasta all'Arrabiata
・Tiramisù
"Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Consortium"
The Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Consortium, which was the food pairing partner for the 2023 competition, will continue to be a partner for the 2025 competition, with five judges participating. For the sake pairing, the 24-month-aged cheese, which has a rich, full-bodied flavor, was used to be judged with sake.
"San Daniele Ham Association"
The San Daniele Ham Consortium, the food pairing partner for the 2024 competition, will continue to be a partner for the 2025 competition, with five members taking part in the judging. The judges tasted the sakes to select the best match with prosciutto.
"Truffle Collectors' Group"
Ten representatives from the truffle-hunting group, which is the food pairing partner for this event, participated in the judging. Three different types of truffles were prepared: summer black truffle, bianchetto (white truffle), and Nero Plegiato, and the pairings with the submitted sakes were judged.
