Sunflower Sake 101 (June 2025)

Saturday, June 7 from 10-4PM (break: 12-1PM) 
+ Sunday, June 8 from 10-12:30 PM at Sunflower Sake in SE Portland

Review Session: Saturday, June 28 from 1-3PM

This is our Sunflower Sake 101 course, or SUN101: a beyond-the-basics introduction to sake styles, labels, production, tasting, service, handling, and history. SUN101 is designed for sake enthusiasts, while 201 (TBA) is designed for F&B professionals and includes information on beverage program management, importers, pricing, etc.

In this 9.5 hour class over two days , you'll gain confidence in how to read a sake menu and sake label, how to taste effectively, and how to discern style and quality. With hands-on activities, we'll explore food pairing, temperature, serveware and aging, and how to apply these lessons in your home. We'll talk about rice, water, and yeast, and taste examples of sake in each of its production stages to better understand the connection between ingredients and flavors. Finally, we'll touch on regionality, terroir, and tips for exploring sake as a tourist in Japan.

A group review and Q&A session will be scheduled 3 weeks after the class to reinforce and revisit the lessons learned.

There is no exam, nor post-nominal. Instead, SUN101 is focused on building a practical base of sake knowledge. We'll put all the bits and pieces together in a way that makes sense and is results-oriented, rather than exam-oriented. In lieu of an exam, a group Q&A / review session is offered a month after the class. Alumni are also invited, in perpetuity, to attend future classes' Q&A sessions as observers.

Class outline

• Exercise 1: Introduction to tasting
• Exercise 2: Ingredients, production
• Exercise 3: Styles and classifications
• Exercise 4: History and evolution of sake: past, present, future
• Exercise 5:  Reading labels: English and Japanese; travel considerations
• Exercise 6: Storage, aging, and flaws
• Exercise 7: Temperature, service and serveware
• Exercise 8: Pairing activity 

Outcomes:

• High confidence: Styles, reading labels and menus 
• Moderate confidence: Ingredients, pairing, service, handling
• Basic confidence: production, ingredients, regionality, travel, aging

Comparison to other sake education courses:

As a single-day class on the fundamentals, SUN101 is roughly equivalent to WSET 1 Sake but it covers different subjects, is necessarily in-person, and not based on a textbook.

SUN101 is less rigorous than multi-day advanced courses such as Sake Scholar Course, WSET 3, and Certified Sake Professional.

Students are provided with a reference book, Nihonshu: Japanese Sake by Gautier Roussille. This is not a textbook but an in-depth reference to use in the ongoing study of sake. Note that class emphasis is not on exam outcomes or memorization, but practice and building context.

Unlike WSET, there is no official tasting lexicon or format, and students are instead taught different techniques for tasting and describing sake effectively. SUN101 places a greater emphasis than WSET on tasting, service, temperature, and pairing, over ingredients and production, and uses hands-on activities for learning.

In lieu of an exam, Sunflower Sake 101 includes a 1-month follow up Q&A / Review and tasting session to reinforce and expand upon the lessons of the original course.

Class size:

Classes are kept small to ensure optimal learning outcomes and to allow for group activities. Only 10 seats are available.

Sunflower Scholarship:

One full scholarship is available to an eligible student. Financials are not reviewed, so there is an honor system in place. If you answer "yes" to the following, you are eligible.

Are you very interested in furthering your knowledge of sake, but are unable to do so due to to the high cost of certifying courses? Are you considering one day working in/with sake? Do you love sake and want to engage with it more, but can't afford to? Is $320 an unworkable expense for your budget? 

To apply for the scholarship, please send me an email: nina@sunflowersake.com .

Refunds:

Full refunds are available until 1 month prior to the course (May 7). A 75% refund is available until May 21st, 50% until May 28th.

Exceptions: if your vacant spot can be filled by a waitlisted student, you will receive the full refund. 

Transfers: seats are fully transferable.