What is SAKURA AWARDS?
The Biggest International Wine Competition in Asia
Message from Yumi Tanabe, president of “SAKURA” Japan Women’s Wine Awards
As we enbarked on our 13th judging session, the SAKURA Awards continues to champion our core missions;
"Find Wines That Go Well with Japanese Food Culture", "Increase Wine Consumption", and "Expand Opportunities for Women Working in the Wine Industry". We have seen SAKURA Award-winning wines grave Japanese fineer tables, signaling that wine is truly root in our food culture.
The SAKURA Awards are now recognized by producers both in Japan and adroad, and we are proud to be acknowleded as a vital wine competition. Our unique judging criteria for “Wine and Japanese Cuisine” and “Wine and Asian Cuisune” have garnered international acclaim. In recent years, we have also seen a coutinuous increase in entries from Central and Eastern Europe.
Furthermore, our new categories for Low-Alcohol and Non-Alcoholic wines, introduced last year, have been highly praised by producers, and we anticipate even more entries in the new categories. To cater to diverse consumption trends, we will also be including flavored wines in our judging process this year.
Wines Chosen by Women Wine Professionals
The SAKURA Awards bring together women wine professional who are actively shaping the industry.
We blind-taste wines entered from wine-producing regions worldwide, with only essential information; sch as grape varietal, vintage, residual sugar for sweet wines, and production methods for sparkling wines disclosesd. Our judging panel consistes of 430 wine professionals from across Japan, all of whom hold qualifications such as sommelier or WSET certifications. Wines are evaluated on a 100-point scale, with Double Gold, Gold, and Silver awards presented, along with special awards for food parings.
The 12th “SAKURA” Japan Women’s Wine Awards : 3,962 Wines from 36 Countries!
The high expectation for SAKURA Awards is clearly reflected in our record entries. For our 12th competition,
we reveived 3,962 entries from 36 countries, an increase of 8 countries from the last edition.
We believe this
demonstrates global recognition for the discerning palate of Japanese women juduges. Despite global
warming and climate change impacting wine production volumes, our entry numbers remain strong.
Ultimately, it is women who are promary decisio-makers when it comes to choosing wines. We are confident
that the wine selected by our 430 women wine professionals will undoubtedly lead to consumer satisfaction.
The SAKURA Awards are dedicated to pioneering new wine makers and focusing the growth of wine
culture.