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Hospitality Management Professor Roger Dagorn Named Sake Samurai
Photo credit: Lorie Rhodes
Roger Dagorn, a Master Sommelier who is an adjunct assistant professor of wine education at City Tech and the sommelier at Chanterelle restaurant, was awarded the prestigious title of Sake Samurai in an elaborate ceremony held recently in Japan.
Dagorn, who teaches City Tech’s Wine and Beverage Management, Wines of Italy, Wines of France and Wines of the New World courses, traveled to Kyoto to accept this honor from Japan Sake Brewers Association. The title is bestowed on only a handful of specialists outside of Japan. He is also one of only 167 individuals worldwide to be designated a Master Sommelier, the ultimate professional wine service credential.
The Japan Sake Brewers Association Junior Council created the Sake Samurai distinction to inspire and restore pride in the 2,000-year-old Japanese tradition, and to spread sake culture not only within Japan but throughout the world. Made primarily from rice, sake is a fermented beverage brewed using a microorganism called koji and yeast. With an alcohol content from 13 to 20 percent, sake has many varieties and can be enjoyed either warm or chilled.
Dagorn has pioneered the introduction of fine, artisanal sakes in the West, and acts as an ambassador and educator of sake subtleties, seeking out and championing the high quality selections now available in the U.S. market. He also introduces sake to City Tech students in his wine courses.
“It is an honor to be named a Sake Samurai and recognized for what for me is a genuine and longstanding passion for sake,” Dagorn said. “Through the years, I have had the great privilege of discovering and becoming good friends with this industry’s finest producers. It is them that I would like to thank for sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm for this admirable cultural tradition.”
Among his accolades, Dagorn, who joined Chanterelle in 1993 and City Tech in 1999, has received the highest award from The James Beard Foundation for “Outstanding Wine Service,” and was named “Best Sommelier in New York” by Chefs in America, “Restaurant Wine & Spirits Professional of the Year” by Santé Magazine and “Best Sommelier” by New York Press.
“We are grateful that Roger chooses to take his day off from Chanterelle to teach with us at City Tech,” says City Tech Hospitality Management Chairperson Liz Schaible. “It’s rare to find a person who is so talented yet so humble about his accomplishments. His dedication to education and his profession is an inspiration to our students.”
Among his other professional activities, Dagorn, who received his bachelor’s degree in earth and environmental sciences from Queens College/CUNY, has served as a judge for the Best Sommelier in the World Competition and is a highly respected educator and lecturer worldwide. He also acts as a consultant on wine lists for others, and has written extensively about wine.
Prior to joining Chanterelle, he was the Master Sommelier at Tse Yang, a restaurant noted for haute Mandarin cuisine with an acclaimed wine list; restaurant director at l’Ecole -- the restaurant of the French Culinary Institute; and the sommelier at Hotel Parker Meridien (New York).
New York City College of Technology (City Tech) of The City University of New York, located in Downtown Brooklyn, is the largest public college of technology in New York State. Its hospitality management program, founded in 1947, has produced some of New York City and the country's top chefs, including Michael Lomonaco (Porter House New York), Michael Romano (Union Square Café) and Sherry Yard (Spago Beverly Hills).
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