What do you think of when you hear the words “Japanese
culture?” Perhaps sushi, maybe samurai warriors, or maybe even catchy pop music
comes to mind. But what about the enigmatic sake? Sake is one of the defining
cultural pieces of Japan ,
yet it hasn’t quite broken into the international mainstream compared to its
western rival, wine.
Over the weekend, myself along with several other NA Sales
staff members had the pleasure of attending a “Sake 101” seminar from the Hakkaisan brand
ambassador and Sake Samurai Tim Sullivan as well as Suguru Nakajima, a
representative from the Hakkaisan brewery in Niigata, Japan, at the beautiful
Silenus Vintners vineyards in Napa, California. Also in attendance were Scott
Meadows of Silenus Vintners, Yuri Soshizaki of Napa Valley Wine Train, Bryan
Avila of Napa Valley Wineworks, and Pam Harter of David Arthur Vineyards, to
name a few. This convergence of eastern sake from Hakkaisan and western wine from Silenus Vintners was a beautiful contrast.
(Sake Samurai is a title given by the Japan Sake Brewers
Association Junior Council to individuals who are dedicated to spreading
knowledge about sake worldwide. Tim is no exception, and travels the globe to
passionately speak about sake to both beginners and seasoned veterans in an
easy to understand manner.)
We started off the afternoon casually getting acquainted
with one another over light lunch and a quick tasting of an assortment of
wines. The weather was more than cooperative and we enjoyed a clear, blue sky
with a gentle breeze.
Tim began his talk with his own introduction to sake, which
happened to be a chance encounter at a sushi restaurant. Ordering the most premium sake on a whim, a Hakkaisan Junmai Ginjo, he declared that a sip of
this sake changed his life forever. As his love for sake grew, he started the
first sake blog in America
entitled Urban Sake, and worked his way to eventually become the official brand
ambassador of Hakkaisan.
One the biggest misconception of sake is the term “rice
wine.” Tim explained that sake is not necessarily a wine, a beer, or a spirit.
It lacks the fruit to be a wine, it does not contain the hops of beer, nor is
it distilled like a spirit. Sake is a fermented drink including the four main
ingredients of water, yeast, sake rice, and koji rice. Koji rice is sake rice
that has the mold Aspergillus oryzae sprinkled over it. Distilled alcohol can
be added as well to modify the taste. Sake created without the addition of
distilled alcohol is considered “pure rice style,” or junmai. Tim emphasized
that the addition of alcohol is not to augment the alcohol content, but rather
to bring out additional flavors from the rice.
The rice used for sake is a special type of rice dissimilar
to the rice you would eat. This rice is milled to remove the outer layers in
order to isolate the starch within the core of the rice. Classifications are
given depending on how much percent of rice is remaining (not how much is taken
off). 50% or less indicates daiginjo/jumai daiginjo,
60% or less is ginjo/junmai ginjo, 70% or less is honjozo/junmai. The futsu-shu variety has non
minimum milling requirement.
We had the opportunity to sample three different Hakkaisan
sakes: Junmai Ginjo, Tokubetsu Junmai, and Sparkling Nigori. We were given
information about each sake including the rice milling rate, alcohol percentage,
acidity, sake meter value (SMV), and the sake rice used. Sake meter value is
the relative density of the sake compared to water. A negative value generally
indicates a sweeter sake that is thicker than water, while a positive value
generally indicates a drier sake that is thinner than water.
Milling rate: 50%
Alcohol: 15.6%
Acidity: 1.2
SMV: +5.0
Sake rice: Yamadanishiki, Miyamanishiki
This is the sake that propelled Tim into the sake
world! Eagle eyed readers may notice that although the rice for this sake is
milled to 50%, it is labeled as a ginjo. As the milling percentages are minimums,
Hakkaisan takes a step further and performs an extra amount of milling for
their sakes. The Junmai Ginjo had a very crisp and clean feeling. It was not
overbearing in anyway, and as Tim explained, acts like a backup singer to a
lead vocalist of sushi or sashimi.
Milling rate: 60%
Alcohol: 15.5%
Acidity: 1.4
SMV: +5.0
Sake rice: Gohyakumangoku
The Tokubetsu Junmai sat a little bit heavier than the
Junmai Ginjo, but was still very smooth and retained its subtleness. This would
compliment very well with heavier foods, such as grilled or fried meats.
Milling rate: 60%
Alcohol: 14.5%
Acidity: 1.7
SMV: -25.0
Sake rice: Gohyakumangoku
Finally, the Sparkling Nigori was something entirely
different. Just by looking at the sake, the difference is obvious. The color is
cloudy, and it is carbonated. It tasted much sweeter than the previous two sakes,
and pairs well with rich or spicy dishes. It would also complement the
sweetness in fruits and desserts.
All in all, it was a fantastic way to spend a Sunday
afternoon. We enjoyed the company of new and old friends, savored delicious
sake, and learned a thing or two (or much, much more!) from a true expert. A big thank you to Hakkaisan and Silenus Vinters for allowing this amazing opportunity.
(Group photo taken by Tim Sullivan)
Visit Tim Sullivan’s sake blog at http://www.urbansake.com
Visit the Hakkaisan website at http://www.hakkaisan.com
Visit the Hakkaisan website at http://www.hakkaisan.com
Visit the Silenus Vinters website at http://www.silenusvintners.com
