What happens when the worlds of wine and sake overlap? In this live audience episode of A Cork in the Road at The Vine Club, Kelly sits down with Chris Johnson, the National Sales Director for World Sake Imports, to explore the craft, culture, and culinary possibilities of sake with a series of food pairing challenges. Named a Sake Samurai by the Young Brewers Association of Japan in 2013, Chris is also a Certified Sake Sommelier, a WSET Level 3 Sake Educator, and a longtime sake judge. Chris has spent nearly three decades working across the sake and restaurant industries, and now, with his portfolio newly launched in Georgia through Bon Vin Selections, he’s helping restaurants make sake more approachable and build better sake programs. Recorded with a live audience at The Vine Club in Atlanta, this conversation dives into sake’s sense of place, generations of brewing knowledge, and the similarities it shares with wine. And to put that knowledge to the test, Kelly challenges Chris to a series of spontaneous food pairings with deliciously unpredictable results. From iconic Japanese breweries and sake styles to practical ways to incorporate sake into beverage programs, this episode is a lively look at a category that deserves a bigger seat at the table. You can follow Chris at @thesakeninja on Instagram, and you can learn more about the sake portfolio at www.worldsake.com.
Featuring insights from the following guests in the audience:
Chelsea Young @winey.redhead
Stephanie Patrick @sugoisupergirl
Mona Allen @monas.table
Paige Plumblee @well_poured
Steven Meir @bonvinselections
Chef Paul Gutting @ryokou.atl
Recorded August 31, 2026
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