Here are some quick updates from 2022!
I’ve received the lucky chance to revive a hidden gem bar called Hotel Biron in Hayes Valley, San Francisco. This project allows me to do many cool things like curate art, create the entire wine list & menu, advertise and make awesome wine/sake events with brands and people I respect.
I also took the crazy Stage 2 MW test in the summer of 2021. I didn’t pass, but didn’t do completely awful. There is hope! I deferred this year, but have recently met a lot of great wine professionals that have inspired me to continue for the right reasons.
I am continuing to write for Sake Times. So far, writing has been a serious challenge for me. It’s one thing to have a knack for words and language, it’s another to write in a particular voice, for a specific audience and know when to hold back or emphasize a point. It’s more of a creative process than I ever expected. I luckily have great mentors guiding me forward as I slowly, but surely learn the ropes of journalism.
Hooray! Fifth Taste Sake School has added SSA to the curriculum, which means we are the first school on the west coast to offer the Introductory Sake Professional Course (ISP), as well as the Certified Sake Sommelier Course (CSS).
Next up: Teaching wine courses for Odyssey Wine Academy in Healdsburg, CA! I currently teach WSET levels 1-3 and had the great opportunity to develop my own sake class for the company called, ‘Kanpai! An Introduction to Sake for Wine Lovers.’ My next class is Friday, April 14th, come join us!
