At midnight Wednesday, Prince Hotel sommeliers marked the release of this year's Beaujolais Nouveau wine with celebrations underwater at the Epson Shinagawa Aqua Stadium at its Shinagawa branch, and on the snow at its Karuizawa ski-resort hotel.

In October, Kazuyoshi Kogai, who heads the sommeliers of the Prince Hotel chain and the Japan Sommelier Association, became the first non-European to be chosen as president of Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI). He says he feels high expectations from the other member countries but already has plans for the organization.

"During my three-year presidency, I would like to improve the quality of sommeliers around the world by establishing a training system whereby they can be sent for an on-the-job training at overseas restaurants or hotels," 61-year-old Kogai tells The Japan Times. "Training will cover all the aspects of the sommelier's job, from wine-tasting skills to service, procurement and wine-cellar management."