DAWA vice-chair: Shinya Tasaki

Shinya Tasaki, a renowned and award-winning sommelier from Tokyo, is a vice-chair in the Decanter Asia Wine Awards (DAWA).

Shinya Tasaki

Shinya Tasaki is the President of the Japanese Sommelier Association and the A.S.I. Best Sommelier of the World 1995. He is the only non-European national ever to win the title of the Best Sommelier in the World.

His victory lead the sommelier profession to become widely known throughout the nation and he greatly contributed to the popularization of wine in Japan. Since then, he has been training young sommeliers, giving lessons to wine amateurs, working extensively in seminars and wine dinners, writing more than 50 F&B related books, and consulting and making appearances on television & radio.

He is also a publisher of one of the well-read wine magazines in Japan. He received numerous awards and accolades over the years in his country and abroad, including the Yellow Ribbon Medal of Honor from the Emperor of Japan (a decoration given to individuals who, through their diligence and perseverance in their professional activities, became public role models).