The Sommelier Award was announced as part of the MICHELIN Guide Tokyo 2025 Special Awards. This award went to Eiji Wakabayashi, the general manager of Two MICHELIN Star ESqUISSE. The Sommelier Award is given to a sommelier who has demonstrated outstanding knowledge of wine and impeccable guest service—an expert who is highly knowledgeable about wine pairings with cuisine, offers guests valuable advice and makes the entire restaurant experience special.
Born in Nagano Prefecture, Wakabayashi was raised around nature. His first fateful encounter with wine took place at a local resort hotel where he was working. He says that he was inspired by the uniform worn by the sommelier there and devoted himself to studying wine and cuisine. He later worked as a sommelier at numerous famous restaurants including Stella Maris, Taillevent Robuchon and Tateru Yoshino. Since opening ESqUISSE, he has served as both its general manager and sommelier. Over the years, he has put great effort into developing the wine culture in Japan, such as by training countless young people, serving as an instructor at a wine school, working as a magazine commentator, and appearing on televised cooking programmes to suggest various ways to enjoy wine with cuisine. Not only impressively knowledgeable and skilful, but he also speaks well and is sharply intuitive. He truly understands what guests want and makes their experiences more meaningful. I asked Eiji Wakabayashi, a wine lover who shares the charms of wine in his dream job as a sommelier, a few questions.
An Admiration for the French
‘Are you familiar with “rognon”?’In his mid-twenties, Wakabayashi saved up his money and dined at Espadon, the restaurant at Ritz Paris. When he ordered the rognon à la carte that suited his budget, a staff member asked him to wait for a moment. They brought out the not-yet-cooked rognon (veal kidney) and checked with him, ‘Is this one okay?’ They took such great care to make sure that a young person like himself from East Asia who had travelled from a distant country would have no regrets. That was the moment he developed an interest in French hospitality and professionalism—in the importance of understanding what the guest is thinking and feeling.
Those concepts formed the foundation for the sommelier that Wakabayashi is today.
In Japan, people must adapt themselves to fit into society’s standards.
He says, ‘I wanted to offer service that was friendlier than the usual practiced and formal Japanese service, and to exceed my guests’ expectations. French people seem to have an ability to act more naturally. I wanted to put myself into that kind of environment and to work together with a French chef.’
And with the opening of ESqUISSE in 2012, the story of Chef Lionel Beccat and Sommelier Eiji Wakabayashi began.
Understanding the chef’s cuisine
‘Lionel is perceptive. He takes in everything with his five senses, as though engaged in dialogue.’He can hear all the different voices of the wind, the ingredients and scenes from nature. Cuisine from someone like this stirs Wakabayashi’s emotions.
‘For example, this summer he found a plant called kuro-moji in the mountains of Noto. He says, “There’s a breeze and a cool scent there. This would be good with a meat dish in summer.”’
Chef Lionel’s cuisine is endlessly updated, and never fails to impress. And Wakabayashi thinks that his own wine selections must also be frequently updated to accompany and highlight that kind of cuisine.
‘Lionel really cares about the harmony created by combining ingredients. I think about what kind of message I hope to deliver at ESqUISSE with the wines that I add to his cuisine.’
His connections with guests
It makes him happy when everyone enjoys a high-class wine at his recommendation. But he can’t say that alone is the role of a sommelier. At ESqUISSE, different wine is recommended to suit each guest—even for the same dish. This is because they select the wine in consideration of the guest’s individual preferences. For example, imagine a regular monthly guest who prefers Bourgogne. Wakabayashi says that he wouldn’t prepare a Bourgogne in advance even though he already knows that guest’s tastes and preferences.‘I check their facial expression when they come to the restaurant, who they’re dining with, the atmosphere and temperature of that specific day, and more, before making any suggestions. Before our restaurant opens for the day, I think about that customer’s preferences. I put myself in their position, consider the weather on that day, and imagine what they would want to drink.’
For wine pairings, he doesn’t just consider how the wine pairs with the cuisine, but also gets a sense of how the customer is thinking and feeling in the moment before offering the most appropriate wine. He does this not just by utilising knowledge but also by pairing wine and cuisine with an intuitive and flexible approach. Unbound by conventional theory, he sometimes offers two wines at the same time, and has the guest choose which they prefer. He really cares about what the guests themselves think is best.
Offering personalised wine selections
He talks to more junior sommeliers about expressing ideas with wine.‘I think about the guest’s happiness first, and use the wine to express something personal and unique about them. So, I say that it’s good for them to open wine freely. And I convey the charms of wine by sharing with the team why we choose a certain wine or what is appealing about it. The job of a sommelier is to appreciate wine and to make the greatest possible use of it. Plus, I don’t need to make a profit. I also like to imitate the techniques of famous sommeliers sometimes. But, if I don’t do things the way that suits me, I’d start to dislike the work of a sommelier, you know.’ he says with a smile.
‘I want to give guests a special experience at ESqUISSE through the wine and food. If I can convey that idea to the guests, I believe they will visit again.’
A message from ESqUISSE Chef Lionel Beccat
‘I’m delighted that Eiji Wakabayashi has received a high evaluation in the MICHELIN Guide. It’s an acknowledgment of his remarkable career doing the work of bringing happiness to guests. Before being an incredible sommelier, he really treats wine the same way he treats people. And he not only has an encyclopaedic knowledge of wine, but also outstanding intuition. He makes the cuisine at ESqUISSE even more refined with his wine selections, and he shows a chef like me new paths for approaching and creating flavours. Being able to work together with Wakabayashi every day truly brings me the greatest happiness.’
Along with his impressive career thus far, Wakabayashi continues refining his techniques, showing respect for chefs, and forming genuine connections with guests. The work of a sommelier is still unfamiliar to many Japanese people, and they might feel a bit removed from it. But Wakabayashi speaks in a way that makes wine easy to understand and encourages interest in it. He doesn’t just understand wine at one level—he is a true wine lover who wants to share that love for wine with others.
And finally, Wakabayashi taught me a few key points for enjoying wine at home. I hope to make use of these in the future when choosing wines.
5 Key Points for Enjoying Wine at Home
(1) Know your own preferences
For example, think back to the intense heat of summer. Under the sweltering sun, do you enjoy swimming in the sea or refreshing yourself in the cool mountains in the early morning? When you’re sweating, do you want to enjoy spicy curry or perfectly chilled cold noodles? In the same way, you’ll have your own preferences about wine. Whatever you choose is never wrong. Knowing what you like is important.(2) Match your wine to the weather
Drink tart wine on a winter day and you’ll really feel and taste that tartness, but on a hot day you’ll feel refreshed. It’s important to choose the right wine for the temperature and weather of the day.(3) Match your wine with colours
Red, white, rosé, orange, sparkling. Match the colours of your meal and wine, and everything will go together well. For example, have rosé with salmon. Or other options such as trying red wine with meat that reddens as it cooks.(4) Open your wine before the meal begins
If you uncork the wine 30 minutes before your meal, it will open up as the air touches it (the flavour will become more robust). I think it’s fine to have a taste before the meal too. You can also get hints from the flavours in the food.(5) Merlot is recommended for winter
When it gets cold outside, people tend to eat richly flavourful stews and other boiled dishes. Merlot grapes have a richness, and are robust, tart and soft. Merlot tastes creamy in your mouth. It goes well with not just soups and stews, but also dishes without much oil and spicy dishes. Chill your merlot a bit for a fruity taste. If you keep it in your entryway in winter, it will be just the right temperature to drink.
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