Tokyo Jizake Strolling (Wine-tasting event held at a Japanese sake specialty shop)
By Ryuji Takahashi
A wine-tasting event was held at a specialty shop for local sake that sells only sake. We are now in season for France to soon release their Beaujolais Nouveau. The concept of this first wine-tasting event is Italian wine. The theme of this event is “Why not try something new? A night of rendezvous for dedicated sake fans.”
Inconstancy is implied in a local sake specialty shop serving wine to guests. However, sommelier (for females also) Miho Nagato’s comments after tasting each wine was not a description of the unique aroma and flavor of each wine selection itself, but rather, each a chic and interesting description of human fickleness expressed by the sommelier, who is also a designer, which most adults could easily relate to.
For example, Nagato described the “Abruzzo” orange wine as “a childhood friend who grew into an admirable person,” “Valle d’Aosta” white wine as “a superior to whom you feel admiration and developed a crush,” and a red wine from Sicily as “A gentleman who looks sexy smoking a cigar,” drawing inspiration from imaginary scenarios to describe each wine flavor. A total of eight wine selections from Northern to Southern Italy were served bottomless. Guests seemed to relate to the flirtatious comments and selected wine samples based on the sommelier’s comments, not on the brand name. Since the event was held the day after Beaujolais Nouveau was released, newly released Italian wine “Vino Novello” was also served.
Recently, more shops are no longer limited to Beaujolais Nouveau, selling newly released California and Japanese wine brands. However, very few shops sell newly released renowned Italian wine brands for some reason, thus these wine selections were featured for this event. One reason is because one wine shop raised the low demand in Japan for these newly released renowned Italian wine brands as the reason. There is still much to learn about Italian wine brands now available for casual purchase, it seems the unknown world of Italian wine is fast broadening.
The most important takeaway from this wine-tasting event was honestly listing the ingredients, fermentation method, and flavors is appreciated only by a small group of connoisseurs, but not by the public. What appeals to general consumers are engaging keywords that are easy to understand, interesting, and fuel the imagination for the consumer to reach for a sample. This talent will soon become important in the sake industry as well. Sake fans seemed a bit nervous in the beginning of this wine-tasting event, but thanks to the engaging concept of this event, guests gradually became more familiar with wine. As we recently witnessed the declining trend in alcohol consumption, demand for sake is also declining as few sake fans fight to purchase certain sake brands. Perhaps, simple keywords could be the key to changing this declining trend.
東京地酒散歩（日本酒専門店のワイン会）
日本酒しか販売していない地酒専門店でワイン会が開催された。季節はフランスのボジョレー・ヌーヴォーが解禁になるタイミングなのだが、第一回目のコンセプトはイタリアワイン。サブタイトルは、【ちょっと浮気を嗜んでみる。日本酒ラバーに捧ぐ、不埒な一夜。】地酒専門店がワインを飲ませるという意味もあっての浮気だが、今回のソムリエーヌ長戸美穂さんの考える各ワインのテイスティングコメントはワイン独特の香りや味の表現ではなく、デザイナーでもある長戸さんのセンスで、人間味のある浮気な表現で大人の誰もが想像しがちな面白いスタイルとなった。例えば、アブルッツオのオレンジワインに付けられたコメントは「素敵な大人になっていた幼馴染」。ヴァッレダオスタの白ワインには「憧れと恋心を抱いた上司」。シチリアの赤ワインには「燻らすタバコが似合う大人」。など情景から味わいを引き出すコメントとなっており、そんなワインがイタリアの北から南まで全８種類飲み放題であった。浮気なコメントに関しては参加者も納得でワインの銘柄名ではなく、コメントで飲みたいワインを注文していた。そしてちょうどボジョレー・ヌーヴォー解禁の翌日だったこともあり、イタリアワインの新酒「ヴィーノ・ノベッロ」も用意されていた。昨今、ボジョレーに限らず、カリフォルニアワインの新酒や日本ワインの新酒を販売する店が増えてきた中、知名度の高いイタリアワインの新酒を扱う店は何故か非常に少ない為、今回の目玉の一つとなっていた。理由としては、日本国内での需要の少なさを理由に挙げるワインショップがあったとのこと。気軽に買えるようになったイタリアワインにもまだまだ知らない事が多く、まだ見ぬイタリアワインの世界が広がっている気配を感じた。今回のワイン会で非常に勉強になったことは、馬鹿正直に原材料や製法や味わいを打ち出しても、喜ぶのは一部のマニアだけで、一般の人には響かない。解りやすく面白く想像力が膨らむキーワードでお酒を手に取ってもらうセンスが日本酒業界にも今後必要となってくるということだ。今回もワイン会ということで、日本酒ラバー達は少し緊張気味だったが、今回のコンセプトのおかげで、参加者は皆、かなりワインに近づくことができたと思う。アルコール飲料が飲まれなくなっていく昨今では、日本酒の需要も減り、一部愛好家の奪い合い状態にもなっているが、もしかしたら、ちょっとしたキーワードで状況も変わってくるかもしれない。
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