The Future of Asia's Largest Wine Competition and a Superb Pairing Experience
The weather has gotten hot, so I finally got a haircut and felt refreshed with a mushroom cut after a long time! ...Or so I thought, until I realized my haircut was exactly the same as Hivino's store manager Toyoda's. (Before that, we both had a center part... haha) This is Tanaka, Hivino's assistant manager.
This time, I snuck into the "Sakura Award 2027 Information Session & Networking Event" held in Tokyo on July 13, 2026.
This isn't just a stuffy event report; it's my "impression diary" where I got super excited about the delicious hotel food and the free-flow (all-you-can-drink!) award-winning wines, but I'll make sure to cover the extremely important points that are useful for the wine business!
⬇️Hivino Assistant Manager Tanaka diligently tasting wines
【In 3 Minutes】Key Points of This Article
- The Sakura Award is an international wine competition originating from Japan, judged by Japanese women wine professionals.
- It features a unique combination of "Japanese women," "pairing with Japanese and Asian cuisine," and "consumer outreach."
- In 2026, a record 3,715 entries were received from 37 countries.
- 18% of entries were wines not yet imported into Japan, also playing a role in connecting new producers with the Japanese market.
- Rosé, low-alcohol, non-alcoholic, and Japanese wines are important themes for the future.
- The award logo aims to be more than just a "proof of award" and actively links to actual product selection and sales.
- At the networking event, I experienced firsthand how the competition focuses on home dining through wine and food pairings.
First, What is the "Sakura Award"?
The official name of the Sakura Award is "SAKURA Japan Women’s Wine Awards."
It started in 2014 as an international wine competition judged by Japanese women wine professionals.
It has now grown to become Asia's largest wine competition, with thousands of entries from around the world each year.
Uniqueness: "Japanese Women × Food Culture × Consumers"
What particularly struck me in the presentation materials was the following combination, which represents the uniqueness of the Sakura Award:
Japanese Women × Pairing with Japanese and Asian Cuisine × Consumers
The materials listed four elements supporting this combination:
- Female palate
- Adaptation to the Japanese market
- Strong connection with food culture
- Consumer outreach
It feels like this competition is not just a place to decide "high-scoring wines" but plays a role in connecting global wines with Japanese dining tables and retail spaces.
Three Important Goals of the Sakura Award
The Sakura Award primarily has three stated goals:
- To find wines that suit Japanese dining and food culture.
- To revitalize the wine market and create an environment where consumers can choose easily.
- To expand opportunities for women professionals working in the wine industry.
Its journey so far can be categorized into three stages: founding, growth, and development.
In its founding stage, it established the "meaning of being chosen by women," and in its growth stage, the number of entries surpassed 4,000. Currently, it is in the stage of solidifying its award logo and further enhancing its influence on consumers.
Judging by Women Alone is Not the Goal
What the Sakura Award emphasizes is not simply "women prefer these flavors."
It's about gathering the perspectives of women professionals working in various fields such as sommeliers, buyers, imports, distribution, and winemaking, and evaluating wines from a perspective closer to Japanese food culture and consumers' daily lives.
Connecting women's expertise to Japanese dining tables and actual wine selection.
I believe that this entire process is what makes the Sakura Award unique.
Blind Tasting with Hidden Brands and Prices
Judging is conducted blind, eliminating preconceptions based on brand names or prices.
It's a system where the contents of the glass itself are evaluated, not because it's a famous brand or expensive.
Furthermore, the interesting aspect of the Sakura Award is that it considers not only the quality of the wine itself but also whether it can be enjoyed with Japanese dining tables and Japanese/Asian cuisine.
The Current Position of Sakura Award 2026 in Numbers
Now that we understand the characteristics of the Sakura Award, let's look at the results for 2026.
Looking at the numbers, it becomes clear that this competition has grown into an international event, not confined to Japan.
Record 3,715 Entries from 37 Countries
For the 2026 Sakura Award, a record total of 3,715 entries were received from 37 countries.
The number of entries by country is as follows:
- France: 816 items
- Italy: 691 items
- Japan: 429 items
- Spain: 417 items
- Chile: 296 items
- Sushi
- Tempura
- Sukiyaki
- Teppanyaki
- Yakitori
- Yosenabe
- Chinese cuisine
- Korean cuisine
- Thai cuisine
- Red wine: 43.1%
- White wine: 32.9%
- Sparkling wine: 15.6%
- Rosé wine: 4.2%
- Orange wine: 1.5%
- Non-alcoholic Wine Award
- Low-alcoholic Wine Award
- Weekday lunch
- Days with plans for the next day
- Days when you want to reduce your alcohol intake
- When you want to toast with people who are drinking alcohol
- 2014: 135 items
- 2024: 399 items
- 2025: 479 items
- 2026: 429 items
- Strengthen consumer touchpoints through SNS, journalists, and influencers.
- Increase awareness in Asia and connect with inbound tourism demand.
- Address organic, low-alcohol, and non-alcoholic options.
- Implement campaigns to promote rosé wine.
- Collaborate with local Japanese wines.
- Award-winning wine that pairs with tempura
- White wine to enjoy with sushi
- A bottle crafted by a female winemaker
- Cost-performance award-winning daily wine
- A non-alcoholic option that can still be enjoyed with food
In addition, wines were collected from a wide range of countries, including Eastern Europe.
Even though it is a competition held in Japan, it is quite international.
18% of Entries are Wines Not Yet Imported to Japan
Looking at the breakdown of entries, 56% were international entries and 44% were domestic entries.
Furthermore, 18% of the total were wines not yet imported into Japan.
This is a quite interesting figure, even as a venue for discovering wines not yet known in Japan.
For import companies and retailers, it's an opportunity to encounter new product candidates, and for overseas producers, it's a point of contact for entering the Japanese market.
From a consumer's perspective, too,
"So many wines not yet widely sold in Japan are gathered here?"
It's a little exciting, isn't it?
Out of 3,715 Items, 65 Received the Highest Award
The 2026 award results are as follows:
| Award Category | Number of Items |
|---|---|
| Diamond Trophy | 65 |
| Double Gold | 274 |
| Gold | 1,272 |
| Silver | 714 |
| No Award | 1,455 |
| Total | 3,715 |
The overall award rate was 61%.
Among them, only 65 out of 3,715 items received the highest award, the Diamond Trophy.
Knowing the significance of an award, rather than just thinking "it must be good because it has a medal," can change how you view a bottle.
Learning at the Briefing, "Taste-Checking" at the Reception
After learning about the numbers and philosophy at the briefing, we moved on to the networking reception.
We were able to enjoy delicious hotel food and free-flowing Sakura Award-winning wines.
The Japanese & Asian Cuisine Pairing Award is Interesting
In addition to evaluating the quality of the wine itself, the Sakura Award also has an award that evaluates compatibility with Japanese and Asian cuisine.
The target dishes include:
and others.
When it comes to wine, one often associates it with cheese, Western cuisine, or meat dishes.
However, in actual Japanese dining, there are many opportunities to pair it with sashimi, grilled fish, fried foods, hot pots, and more.
The fact that the Sakura Award directly addresses this is a major strength.
Please note that judges do not actually eat the dishes while scoring during the competition, but rather use their knowledge and experience to determine which dishes pair well.
3 Themes to Watch Out for in 2027
At the briefing, in addition to past achievements, the categories that the Sakura Award will focus on in the future were also introduced.
The three categories that particularly stood out were rosé, low-alcohol/non-alcoholic, and Japanese wines.
① Rosé wine is still only 4.2% of the total
Looking at the category-wise entries for 2026, the composition is as follows:
Rosé wine made up only 4.2% of the total.
Although rosé is widely enjoyed globally, in Japan, many still feel,
"When should I drink it?"
"What dishes should I pair it with?"
is often the case.
The Sakura Award is also actively promoting rosé wine, such as by holding a rosé wine presentation at WINE TOKYO 2026.
The future policy was quite straightforward:
From unsold rosé to sellable rosé
This phrase was also presented.
It's a rather aggressive expression, but personally, I find it very clear and appealing.
At the reception, I tasted several rosés, and their styles were truly diverse, ranging from pale and light to rich in fruit flavor, and some that paired perfectly with food.
I was reminded that "rosé" as a single color category is quite a waste.
② Low-alcohol and non-alcoholic
With growing health consciousness and lifestyle changes, low-alcohol and non-alcoholic options are expanding.
This aligns with the "sober curious" trend gaining popularity overseas, where choosing not to drink or moderating consumption is gradually becoming established.
The Sakura Award also includes special awards for
These awards are established.
Future challenges also include "young people moving away from alcohol and the demand for low-alcohol options."
Furthermore, there is a policy to strengthen organic, low-alcohol, and non-alcoholic options as a response to the sustainable market.
Not just for those who can't drink alcohol,
The reasons for choosing are becoming increasingly diverse.
Perhaps we are entering an era where we can choose "how much to drink today,"
rather than just "to drink or not to drink."
This might be the new reality.
③ Japanese wines spreading nationwide
Personally, what excited me the most was the growth of Japanese wines.
The number of Japanese wine entries has been as follows:
and has been steadily increasing.
While 2026 saw a decrease from the previous year, it is still more than three times the scale of 2014.
By prefecture, Yamanashi Prefecture had the most with 100 items.
This was followed by Hokkaido with 57, Nagano Prefecture with 39, Iwate Prefecture with 31, and Yamagata Prefecture with 29.
Until now, Japanese wines may have been strongly associated with Yamanashi and Nagano.
However, wines with different regional characteristics are now being produced across the country, from Hokkaido to Kyushu. The ability to enjoy them with local cuisine and tourism is another unique appeal of Japanese wines.
Sakura Award: From "Award" to "Brand"
Another important point I felt at this briefing was that the Sakura Award is evolving from merely a competition to a "brand" in the future.
5 Policies for 2027
The following five policies have been outlined for the future:
Ultimately,
to strengthen brand value so that "award-winning wines = selling wines."
This clear direction has been set.
Of course, it's not simply a matter of "winning an award guarantees increased sales."
Consumers who see the award logo will find it easier to understand the characteristics and value of the wine, making it more likely to be chosen as an option.
I believe the Sakura Award aims to cultivate its brand, including this entire process.
How can retailers and restaurants utilize this?
Wine is often a product that cannot be tasted before purchase.
Even when looking at a label,
"Does it suit my taste?"
"Does it go with food?"
"Will I regret buying this at this price?"
You might wonder.
In such cases, an award logo can be a valuable indicator of the product's characteristics.
The Sakura Award has 151 sales partners, with a wide range of distribution companies participating, including department stores, supermarkets, specialty stores, e-commerce businesses, and liquor stores.
However, simply attaching a medal sticker in the store does not fully convey its appeal.
For example,
It is important to communicate the reason for the award and the drinking occasion together.
Gently easing customers' feelings of "I don't know what to choose."
I believe that is the value of the award-winning logo from the Sakura Award.
Summary: To the Sakura Award, connecting the world and Japanese dining tables
What I realized through this briefing session is that the Sakura Award is not just a competition to select excellent wines.
It connects global producers, Japanese female wine professionals, Japanese and Asian cuisine, retailers and restaurants, and ultimately, consumers who drink wine.
I believe the Sakura Award is about bringing everyone to one table.
The theme for 2027 is:
The Sakura Award, connecting the world and Japanese dining tables
.
The entry period is from October 1 to November 30, 2026.
After that, the judging will take place on February 2, 2027, in Osaka, and on February 9 in Tokyo, with the award results announced on March 1.
The Grand Tasting is scheduled for April 20.
For wineries and importers, it's an opportunity to bring their wines to the Japanese market.
For retailers and restaurants, it's a chance to propose new wines to their customers.
And for consumers, it should be a guide to finding "the perfect bottle for tonight's meal."
At Hivino, we will not merely introduce Sakura Award-winning wines as "award-winning wines," but also,
"What kind of dishes do they pair with?"
"In what situations can they be enjoyed?"
We will convey all of this to you!
This has been Tanaka, the assistant manager of Hivino, whose hairstyle even paired with the manager's.