Update of ASI Grids and inclusion of Beer and Sake and other ASI news
The 2025 ASI General Assembly took place last month courtesy of the hosts SASA (South Africa Sommelier’s Association) in Cape Town.
Nina Basset, was our UKSA representative and has reported back the news!
ASI Tasting Grids, are structured scoring systems used in the ASI sommelier exams and competitions to evaluate a candidate’s tasting and analysis of wines and sometimes other beverages (like spirits or sake) but even you are not interested in exams or competitions they can guide you in delivering a professional, precise, and globally consistent tasting note and serve as a benchmark for excellence in beverage knowledge and service.
News!!! The grids have now been made more user-friendly and developed to include Sake and Beer!
You can listen to a podcast interview with Sören Polonius, a leader of sommelier training in his home country of Sweden and around the world.
Traditionally centered around wine, but with the growing global relevance of sake and the renewed prestige of craft and traditional beers, the time has come to broaden the scope.
Sören shares the motivation, philosophy, and practical considerations behind this expansion—what it means for sommeliers in training and for those already working in the field.
ASI welcomes Colombia and Peru as full members and Kenya as college of applicant
We are delighted that the ASI has made Colombia and Peru official full members, which takes the number to 72 nations.
Bienvenido!
Kenya has also been made a college of applicant too.