Asia Wine Institute (AWI), focuses on Sommelier
activities in Asia, was founded by Tommy Lam in Hong Kong in 2010.
In 2005, Tommy created 
in Singapore, a
Wine Services Training Program, which has been developed with China Telecom
since 2013 to an online Wine Services Certification Program. Learners came from
as far as Tahiti in the Pacific, Paris and London in Europe, Middle East, India
etc. Through the cooperation with the local Government and education
organisation, AWI has brought 
to
Hong Kong and China as well:
- Singapore, with SIM
University;
- Hong Kong, with Hong
Kong Government Vocational Training Council (PEAK VTC) and Hong Kong University
School of Professional and Continue Educations (SPACE HKU);
- China, with Shanghai
Jiao Tong University
Since Tommy firstly introduced the Court of Master
Sommeliers (CMS) program to Singapore in 2008, more than 30 lectures and
exams conducted by the Master Sommeliers have been held in Singapore, Hong
Kong, Macau, Shanghai, Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan. Learners can obtain the
CMS accreditation in Asia. Till the end of 2016, there were already more than
900 people accredited by the CMS program Levels 1, 2 and 3 respectively.
Tommy actuated to found the Sommelier Associations in Singapore, Cambodia and Philippines. He founded the Southeast
Sommelier Association Alliance in which Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia,
Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines and Taiwan are member countries. He
also founded many activities motivating the Sommelier’s profession, such as Asia
TOP Sommelier Summit, Asia SOMM CON and Asia Wine and Spirits
Award - by TOP Asia Sommeliers.
Tommy has organised the National Sommelier Competition for Singapore, and
by his experience helped Cambodia, Philippines and China to organise their
national sommelier competitions.
Since 2011,
Tommy has founded the world’s first Young Sommelier Team Competition in
China. As part of the competition, Tommy has to conduct training classes
for more than 200 hotels in 40 cities. There were nearly 2,000 servicing
staff participated in 2016.
In 2016, Tommy helped Gaggenau, the famous German
brand, to run their Sommelier Competition in China. The winner was sent to participate the
international sommelier competition in Vienna.
In 2013, Tommy announced
April 23 to be The Asia Sommelier Day!
Sommeliers in various places gather and celebrate such meaningful day
altogether. The Court of Master Sommelier was announced founded on 23 April
1977.
亚洲葡萄酒学会由林志帆教授于2010在香港成立，主力推动亚洲区侍酒师行业的教育与活动。
2005 年，林教授在新加坡创建了一项酒类服务培训课程，名为
。2013年开始跟中国电讯合作，已发展成为网上酒类服务证书课程。学员来自世界各地，远至太平洋的大溪地、欧洲的巴黎和伦敦、中东、印度等地。亚洲葡萄酒学会把
引进到香港和中国，并与当地的政府与教育机构合作 ：
- 新加坡 (SIM 新加坡管理学会大学)
- 香港 (香港政府 - 职业训练局 的高峰学院、香港大学专业进修学院)
- 中国 (上海交通大学持续教育部)
林教授自2008年把国际侍酒师的认证 引入新加坡后，在过去的10年里，在新加坡、香港、澳门、上海、马来西亚、泰国，和台湾举办了超过30场由侍酒大师们亲自教考的认证，学员能够在亚洲各地得到国际侍酒师认证都资格。到2016 年底，已有超过900 人考获 1- 3级的资格。
林教授致力促成亚洲区国家成立侍酒师协会，继有新加坡、柬埔寨和菲律宾。他亦成立了东南亚侍酒师联盟，成员国家包括印尼、新加坡、马来西亚、泰国、越南、柬埔寨、菲律宾和台湾。此外，他亦创办了亚洲冠军侍酒师峰会、亚洲侍酒师研讨会、亚洲酒类大赏等等的推动侍酒师专业的活动。
林教授除了在新加坡举办侍酒师大赛，也帮助柬埔寨，菲律宾和中国组织国家级的侍酒师大赛。
2011年，林教授在中国创办了世界首项青年侍酒师团队大赛。于大赛日前，林教授走遍全国40城市，为当地超过200多家酒店进行培训课程。于2016年，约有2千名酒店服务员参加。
林教授于2016年协助德国著名厨具品牌Gaggenau进行侍酒师选拔赛，选出代表到维亚纳参加他们的世界侍酒师比赛。
2013年，林教授宣布4月23日正式成为亚洲侍酒师日! 各地侍酒师都在这一天相聚交流和庆祝这个对侍酒师非常有意义的日子。1977年国际侍酒大师公会在4月23日宣布成立。