Known for its advanced economy, award-winning wines and diverse cuisine, Luxembourg is attracting attention as an exciting new market for sake, not least because the amount of money spent on alcoholic beverages by citizens is the highest in Europe.
Taking advantage of its proximity to Belgium, Germany, and France, the Luxembourg Sake Challenge will bring together qualified sake sommeliers from neighbouring countries bringing an international perspective to the competition and broadening the reach of sake.
Luxembourg Sake Challenge was held for the first time in 2022. In light of last year’s success, Luxembourg Sake Challenge will take place again for the second consecutive year. As it was the first sake competition in Luxembourg, last year’s event attracted loads of attention. We received a great response after the event, with locals becoming even more interested in sake! “We want to expand the possibilities of connecting sake with locals”, said our Luxembourg Sake Challenge hosts when announcing the 2023 edition of the event!
With a large multicultural population and more Japanese restaurants and shops opening in the city, we can expect that sake and Japanese wine will continue to grow in popularity in Luxembourg.
This year’s challenge will be held at the official residence of the Japanese Ambassador in Luxembourg. The event is organised by GLOBAL LINK SARL – a Japanese sake importer, distributor and educator in Luxembourg – and will be led by passionate and knowledgeable sake educators, Yves Martin Beauclair and Makiko Graefin von Ovendorf, who are familiar with the Luxembourg market.
The Luxembourg Sake Challenge is an unprecedented opportunity for breweries to launch into new regional markets and to further sow the seeds of sake across the globe.
Yves-Martin Boisclair
Makiko Gräfin von Oberndorff