Japan is famous for its four distinct seasons, which influence all aspects of life. The sake world also expresses this seasonality, and autumn is the most famous season for enjoying these special limited releases!

One of the most famous fall styles is called hiyaoroshi: brewed in the depths of winter, left to mature all through the spring and summer and finally released at the peak of deliciousness in the autumn - the only time of year they can be enjoyed. Autumn seasonal sakes are highly anticipated by sake fans and sell out quickly every year. Only a handful of these special bottles ever make it the UK, but our sake tutor Sarah has secured some exclusive selections from overseas to show you the full range of hiyaoroshi and some other autumnal sake styles.

On the night you'll get an introduction to Japanese sake seasonality, learn what makes these autumn sakes so unique, and see how to successfully pair them with food - and not just Japanese cuisine!

This class will be great for everyone from sake novices to aficionados, and includes a tutored tasting of six autumn seasonal sake (some of which are coming straight from Japna for this tasting and not normally available in the UK!) across a variety of styles, accompanied by artisanal cheeses and seasonal Japanese-inspired nibbles.

About the Instructor and School:

Dr. Sarah Stewart teaches sake, wine and cheese classes at West London Wine School. She is a WSET Certified Sake Educator, judges sake at the International Wine Challenge, holds extensive sake and wine qualifications, and serves as the Membership & Events Officer for the British Sake Association. She lived in Japan for two years and professionally trained in Urasenke chado, “The Way of Tea”, giving her extensive hands-on experience in traditional Japanese seasonality and traditional cultural practices. You can find her @sakestudies on Instagram.

West London Wine School is a local, independent and award-winning sake, wine and cheese education company founded in 2010 and based in the heart of West London. Our courses and tastings focus on enjoying beverages whilst learning more in a relaxed and informal setting with friendly people and industry-leading tutors. We have an average 5-star review score on Trip Advisor and are recipients of the 2018 WSET Educator of the Year Award for top wine education provider globally as well as the International Wine Challenge’s 2023 Consumer Educator of the Year Award.

Admission: £50 per person