Toshio Ueno MSS, CSW, FWS, SWS, IWS, CS

Certified Master of Sake and Master Sake Sommelier, Toshio is the creator of Sake School of America and English Shochu Adviser Certificate program, and the only person in the world to hold Master of Sake (酒匠), Master Sake Sommelier (日本酒学講師), and the WSET Sake Educator diploma.
Born in Japan where his family has grown the Japanese wine grape, Koshu, for generations, Toshio grew up helping the business from a young age. Following his college education in the US and employment at an international trading company in Tokyo, Toshio joined Chateraise, a pastry and wine company as Director of Sales. There, he was put in charge of overseeing the personal wine collection of the company's president, which inspired him to enter the world of wine stewardship and research. Toshio joined Mutual Trading Company in 2002, where he is Director of Sake Specialist Department in marketing Japanese foods, Sake, and Shochu to the mainstream American trade. With his passion and expertise in Sake, Shochu, and Wine, Toshio aims to further promote Japanese food and Sake cultures to new, international audiences. Since 2010, he has been Vice President & Executive Instructor at Sake School of America. In 2016 he was awarded the industry’s most prestigious title Sake Samurai from Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association.
And recently, in February 2021, he was appointed as The Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassador by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Honors & Awards:
2022 Ambassador of Yamanashi, Yamanashi Prefectural Government
2021 Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassador, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
2021 Brewing & Distilled Spirits Education Award, Brewing & Distilling Educational Services
2020 Awamori Jinbner, Okinawa Awamori Distillers Association
2019 Professionnel du Vin and Chevalier de la Societe Mondiale du Vin, Chaine des Rottiseurs
2019 to Current Board of Director, Society of Wine Educators
2017 Distinguished Service Prize, FBO Japan
2016 Sake Samurai, Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association

Certification:
日本酒学講師 Master Sake Sommelier / Sake Educator, Sake Service Institute (SSI)
酒匠 Master of Sake, SSI
南部杜氏協会 研究科生 Nanbu Toji Guild Pre-Toji Candidate
WSET Certified Sake & Spirits Educator, Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET)
Diploma Candidate, WSET – Level 3 Wine & Spirits and Level 3 in Spirits (WSET)
Certified Specialist of Wine, Society of Wine Educators
Certified Sommelier, Court of Master Sommeliers
French Wine Scholar, International Wine Guild
Spanish Wine Scholar, International Wine Guild
Certified Italian Wine Specialist, North American Sommelier Association
Certified Beer Adviser, FBO
Cicerone Beer Server, Cicerone

Judge:
TAG Global Spirits Awards, Spirits Judge
CINVE Spain, Spirits Judge
New York World Wine & Spirits Competition, Wine & Spirits Judge
International Wine Challenge (IWC), Wine, Spirits & Sake Judge
International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC), Spirits Judge
San Francisco World Spirits Competition Judge, Spirits Judge
San Francisco International Wine Competition, Wine Judge
Texsom International Wine Awards, Wine Judge
Las Vegas Global Wine Awards, Wine Judge
Le Mondiale des Vins Blancs Strasbourg, Wine Judge
Berliner Wine Trophy, Wine Judge