The California Wine Institute has appointed its first-ever North Asia sommelier ambassadors following a four-day bootcamp held in Tokyo and the Izu Peninsula from May 12 to 15.
The inaugural “California Wine Bootcamp” concluded last week with nine sommeliers selected from 18 candidates across Japan, Greater China and South Korea. The ambassadors will support the promotion of California wines in their respective markets from 2025 to 2027 through trade seminars, media engagements, digital content and education programs.
The nine ambassadors include four sommeliers from Japan, three from Greater China — covering mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan — and two from South Korea. They work in hotels, restaurants, wine retailers and education institutions.
Among them is Kevin Lu of Taiwan, the only Master Sommelier in the group and the first person from Taiwan, China to hold the title. Lu, who earned the distinction in 2024, is chief sommelier and a partner at Logy, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Taipei. He is a past winner of the Gaggenau Greater China Sommelier Finals and Sopexa’s Asia Best Sommelier in French Wine competition.
From Hong Kong, Danny Ng, beverage manager at The American Club, and Della Tang, wine director at Club Bâtard, were named ambassadors. Tang is originally from mainland China.
Japan’s representatives include Hiroki Ikeda and Maika Yamamoto, both from the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo, where they serve as head sommelier and sommelier supervisor, respectively. Momoka Mitake of Le Pristine Tokyo and Miyuki Morimoto of Conrad Tokyo also joined the cohort.
South Korea’s ambassadors include Hyun Hong, founder of the wine education institute Your Somm, and Donghyuk Shin, sommelier and founder of Seoul wine bar Les Copains.
“The Bootcamp created a unique bridge between California and Asia,” added Christopher Beros, CWI’s Trade Director Greater China & Southeast Asia. “It was a celebration of learning, cultural exchange, and the future of wine leadership in Asia.”
The program included expert-led lectures, food and wine pairing workshops and service challenges. It opened with a welcome dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Tokyo featuring a fusion menu based on Japanese and French ingredients.
“This was an eye-opening journey that taught me about California wine from multiple angles, combining hands-on learning with unforgettable connections,” Ng said in a statement.
Final evaluations were conducted by Master Sommeliers Anthony Anselmi and Christopher Miller. Ambassadors were selected based on their performance in coursework and a final exam.
“This program is about connecting passionate professionals with local consumers across North Asia,” said Madoka Ogiya, the California Wine Institute’s joint regional director for North Asia and Australasia. “We were thrilled by the passion, professionalism and diversity of talent these sommeliers brought to the Bootcamp.”
Miyuki Morimoto of the Conrad Tokyo commented on the CWI Bootcamp: “It was the best experience of all the training I had abroad, and the workshop truly made me proud that I chose the sommelier profession.”
California is home to brands like Gallo and Robert Mondavi, as well as renowned wine regions such as Napa Valley and Sonoma. In 2024, the U.S. ranked as the sixth-largest wine exporter to mainland China, fourth to both Hong Kong and Japan, and second to South Korea, with California wines making up a significant share.
The California Wine Institute has administered the USDA’s Market Access Program since 1985. The initiative supports more than 185 wineries and promotes exports to 142 countries through 18 global offices.
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