WINE TOURISM
[Washu Award 2024] Judging Session Held in Hong Kong!
The "Washu Award" is a contest where top sommeliers and industry professionals active in East Asia judge Japanese wine and sake. This year's judging session, marking its 5th edition, was also held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre...
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The Washu Award is a contest where top East Asian sommeliers and industry professionals judge Japanese wine and sake.
Marking its 5th edition, this year's judging session was successfully held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
This year, over 170 items were submitted by wineries across 20 prefectures, undergoing rigorous evaluation by a panel of 16 judges led by Panel Chair Reeze Choi.
First, please watch the video featuring comments from organizer Kenneth Lee and the judges, as well as scenes from the judging session.
CHAPTER 01
Panel Chair Reeze Choi, Asia's Top Sommelier
Continuing from last year, top sommelier Reeze Choi—who took 3rd place in the world and No. 1 in Asia at the A.S.I. World's Best Sommelier Contest 2023—served as the panel chair.
While deeply knowledgeable about wines from around the globe, he has a particularly strong passion for and interest in Japanese wine, visiting wineries in Japan multiple times a year and even trying his hand at winemaking himself this year.
https://www.tatlerasia.com/dining/drinks/clase-azul-master-distiller-viridiana-tinoco
CHAPTER 02
Scenes from the Judging Session
The judging session was held as a public evaluation inside the venue of the HKTDC International Wine & Spirits Fair 2024 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
First, Mr. Shigehiro Nishiumi, Chief Consul of the Consulate-General of Japan in Hong Kong, delivered an opening speech.
"We have high expectations for the potential of Japanese wine in the Hong Kong market. Therefore, we are deeply grateful for initiatives like this, and we intend to offer our full support," he stated.
Panel Chair Reeze Choi gave an introduction on wine production and the current market in Japan, while expressing his gratitude for being able to host the award and for receiving so many entries.
CHAPTER 03
Introducing the Judges
The 16 judges represent a diverse group of active professionals across various nationalities, backgrounds, and careers.
Here is a brief introduction to a few of them.
| CARLITO CHIU (Hong Kong) Best Sommelier of the Year 2024 by Tatler Dining Hong Kong / Best Sommelier of the Year 2024 by RBHK, among many others. In 2023, he received awards in Asia for "Best Wine by the Glass List," "Best Medium-Sized List," "Best Sparkling Wine," and "Top 10 Wines by the Glass," and in 2024, won the "Best Sommelier" award. He also serves as a judge on the IWSC Wine Judging Committee. These honors solidify his reputation as a pioneer of wine pairing in Asia. <Reference> https://www.tatlerasia.com/dining/food/carlito-chiu-dining-guide-2024 |
| THOMAS LING (Malaysia) A leading advocate for wine, sake, and spirits in Malaysia. Thomas is Malaysia's first certified sommelier (Court of Master Sommeliers, UK) and is certified by France's BIVB and CIVB as an international Burgundy and Bordeaux educator, respectively. He is also a qualified Sake Educator and Whisky Ambassador, a regular speaker at industry seminars, and a judge for various international wine and spirits competitions, including the IWC, IWSC, Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, FBAT International Wine Challenge, and Vinitaly. <Reference> https://www.hkiwsc.com/people/profile/25/judge |
| DELLA TANG (China) In 2020, Della won the titles of Best Sommelier and Best Champagne Sommelier in China. Three years later, in 2023, she received the inaugural Beronia Asia's Best Sommelier Award at the Asia's 50 Best Awards ceremony. <Reference> https://starwinelist.com/team/della-tang |
| THANAKORN BOTTORFF (Thailand) The first Thai sommelier to receive the Michelin Guide Sommelier Award. Head Sommelier at INDDEE, a one-star restaurant in Thailand. As a special collaborative project with the Washu Awards, a Japanese wine pairing dinner will be held at "Ando," a Michelin-starred restaurant in Hong Kong. <Reference> https://guide.michelin.com/th/en/article/people/thanakorn-jay-bottorff-first-thai-michelin-sommelier-award |
CHAPTER 04
Regarding the Judging Results
The judging results for the Washu Award 2024
are scheduled to be announced on December 12 via the official Washu Award channel and NIHON WINE.JP news
.
About the author
Miyuki Isobe