Japanese Sake : All Japan News,Inc

By Ryuji Takahashi

Kanemasu Brewery (Shibata city, Niigata prefecture), producer of “Hatsuhana” and “Kinmasu,” partnered with the Tokyo-based wine importer and distributor Grand Cru Wine Company to produce “Domaine Takahashi,” a Junmai Daiginjo non-filtered unprocessed sake product inspired by wine production, condensed in flavor developed in the local climate. A suitable parcel was selected from Kanemasu Brewery’s rice field to grow the sake rice used to produce this product, a unique production method not common for Japanese sake. Domaine Takahashi is produced since 2020.    

Upon receiving notification that 2022 Domaine Takahashi was ready, I headed to an event organized at my sake shop in the Hatsudai district of Shibuya ward in Tokyo to sample this “wine-like sake” in the standing bar and compare to French and Italian wine samples. Four Italian wine samples were prepared for this event - rose wine from the Abruzzo region, white wine from the Calabria region, and red wine from the Marche region and Sicily - along with two bottles each of Languedoc red and white wine from France, totaling eight bottles of wine to sample comparatively against Domaine Takahashi.    

First, draft sake is commonly refrigerated between 32 degF to 41 degF to preserve the aroma and flavor. Sake bottles were opened thirty minutes before the event started and placed at room temperature to raise the sake temperature back up to 53.6 degF, the temperature recommended by breweries to enjoy sake, which also corresponds to the serving temperature of wine. Ginjo sake by Kanemasu Brewery released a sweet, fragrant ginjo aroma that is just right. The sake was smooth to the palate with a gentle lactic acid flavor and no odd taste.  

Sake was served in wine glasses used for tasting instead of sake cups, which helps the detection of aroma and flavor. It’s unclear if sake aroma and flavor are just as easily detectable in sake cups. However, the ginjo sake was decanted in the same fashion as wine to allow the gradual exposure of sake to air in the decanter, anticipated to enhance the above aroma and flavor. Perhaps the exposure of sake to air could enhance the sake flavor, even when drinking sake in sake cups? The sake aroma and flavor is enjoyable not only with Japanese cuisine, but also with Western cuisine. 

As a result, sake produced by Kanemasu Brewery was the indisputable winner. The smooth and refreshing sake flavor unique to Kanemasu Brewery was most notable for its “terroir” (characteristics of flavor unique to the production region) of sake rice harvested in Shibata city, Niigata prefecture. Many draft sake can now be stored at room temperature until unsealed due to improved sake brewing techniques. I hope this draft sake will break the stereotype of storage temperature and serving temperature of draft sake, commonly adhered to by sake fans. If Japanese consumers can rediscover the delicious flavor of draft sake, various new ways to introduce new Japanese sake products can captivate Japanese consumers in the future.  


東京地酒散歩（ワインの様な日本酒）

　新潟県新発田市で「初花」「金升」などを醸す金升酒造がグランクリュ・ワインカンパニーと手を組んで醸しているのが「ドメーヌ髙橋」というワイン造りに着想を得て風土を凝縮した純米大吟醸無濾過生原酒である。自社の田んぼから最適なひと区画を選定し、その米のみで酒を造るというあまり日本酒では見られない酒造り方法で２０２０年から製造されている。２０２２年の酒が出来たということで、初台の私の酒販店の角打ちスペースで、その「ワインの様な日本酒」とフランスとイタリアワインを飲み比べてみようというイベントを行ってみた。ワインはイタリア・アブルツオ州のロゼ、カラブリア州の白、マルケ州の赤、シチリアの赤、フランス・ラングドックの赤２本白２本の合計８本を用意し、ドメーヌ髙橋と飲み比べてみた。まず、日本酒の生酒の保存は０度から５度の冷蔵保存が殆どであり、いわゆる香りや味わいが閉じている状態なので、イベント開始３０分前に開栓して常温の場所に置いて、酒蔵が薦める１２度くらいまで温度を戻しワインの温度と変わらない条件にしておいた。ほどよい吟醸香が漂う金升酒造の酒らしい甘いアロマであり口に含むと吟醸酒らしい雑味の無い口当たりと心地よい優しい乳酸を感じる。日本酒の酒器ではなく、テイスティング用のワイングラスでの提供なので香りと味わいが解りやすいが、日本酒の酒器で飲んだ場合、ここまで風味が理解できるかは微妙なところだが、ワイン同様にデキャンタ―ジュを行い、さらにゆっくりデキャンタの中で空気に触れさせることにより、上記の香りや味わいがより一層増す感じがしたので、日本酒の酒器で飲む際も沢山空気に触れさせれば同様の風味を楽しめるのではないだろうか。そしてこの香りと味わいは、和食は当然ながら、洋食でも十分楽しめる。結果としては、まぎれもなく金升酒造の日本酒なのだが、金升酒造独特の味わいがしっかり感じられたので、越淡麗という酒米から生まれる新潟県新発田市の山間のテロワールを引き出せている酒と言えるのではないだろうか。醸造技術の向上により生酒でも開栓まで常温保存出来る酒も増えている昨今、日本酒愛好家が唱える生酒の保存温度や飲酒温度の固定概念をこの酒に壊してもらい、生酒の美味しい呑み方を日本人が再発見出来れば、まだまだ様々な新たな打ち出し方の日本酒に未来を感じることが出来るのではないだろうか。