Three Interesting Sakés
Saké, the national alcoholic beverage of Japan, is often called rice wine, but this is a misnomer. While it is a beverage made by fermentation, the production process more closely resembles that of beer, and it is made from grain (rice, of course), not fruit. To make saké, the starch of freshly steamed glutinous rice is converted to sugar and then fermented to alcohol. Once fermented, the liquid is filtered and usually pasteurized. Sakés can range from dry to sweet, but even the driest retain a hint of sweetness.
Here are three interesting sakés to try. All should be served chilled, or at room temperature. Although the cheap sake you may encounter in sushi restaurants will usually be heated, often too much so, such treatment will destroy the subtleties of these selections.
Nanbu Bijin “Southern Beauty” Tokubetsu Junmai
Tokubetsu translates to “special,” indicating that a special element was incorporated into the brewing process at the discretion of the brew master. In the case of this sake, that element is the use of the local Ginginga rice which took over eight years to develop and perfect, according to the brewery. The water, yeast, and brewing team are also all from Iwate prefecture. Junmai is pure rice wine, with no added alcohol. Until recently, at least 30% of the rice used for junmai sake had to be milled away, but Junmai no longer requires a specified milling rate.
Junmai is historically considered the “way saké was” and means “rice and water only,” These brews can have their rice milled to many different levels, from 80% with 20% removal to 55% with 45% removal, as long as the milling percentages are on the label. The result is that some Junmai can drink very rich and full-bodied, and some drink lighter and more elegant. They can be served chilled, at room temperature, or warmed (but I suggest avoiding warming this one).
Southern Beauty has been milled to 55%, with 45% removal of rice, as high as it gets. It is Kosher certified, unusual among sakés. It has a soft, round character, with a flavor reminiscent of mandarin oranges. ABV is 15.3%.
Tozai “Snow Maiden” Nigori Junmai
Snow Maiden, also known as Hanako, was a koi fish that lived to the age of 226 years in pure mountain water at the base of Japan’s Mt. Ontake. Nigori, or nigorizake, translates roughly to “cloudy” because of its appearance, and is the oldest style of saké. The cloudiness is produced when a brewer leaves in some of the rice lees, or sediment. Nigori is not an unfiltered saké however, as the sake is filtered to some degree. I’m not a big fan of nigori saké because of the rice grit that it always contains. It is quite delicate here, however, and I found it acceptable.
This expression is relatively dry for a nigori saké, as they always tend toward sweetness. It has been milled to 70%, and has a soft, floral palate, with flavors of cantaloupe and a suggestion of daikon. ABV is 14.9%.
Dassai 45 Junmai Daiginjo
Daiginjo is the highest grade of saké. Junmai Daiginjo has the highest milling rates in saké production, with a minimum of 50% rice polished away and 50% remaining. But that standard is often surpassed by brewers looking to push the rice milling envelope, resulting in sakés that can be milled down to 35%, down to 23%, and even 7% remaining! These sakés are always served chilled.
Dassai translates to ‘Otter Festival.’ The name comes from a local Yamaguchi legend that involves a bunch of happy-go-lucky otters showing off their fishing skills and showing us humans how it’s done properly. Back in 1981, the Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabackin Big Band released an album called Tanuki’s Night Out, which tells the story, in music, of Tanuki, another hard-partying otter.
Like Southern Beauty, Dassai 45 has been polished to 45% rice remaining, hence the name. The nose features a banana aroma, with lychee, green apple, and “acidic bubble gum” on the palate. AVB is 16%.
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both attended 
learned to drive a tractor before she could drive a car. Following high school, she pursued her higher education in the Agricultural Business program at 
Wilson launched her own winery, LaRue Wines, as well. It is named in honor of her great-grandmother, Veona LaRue Newell, who Wilson has described as inspirational and unique; others have used the adjectives bold, independent, and feisty. Regardless, there was a strong bond between the two. The winery is very much a boutique operation, focusing on small lots of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with total production limited to just 500 cases. Drawing on the cool conditions and remote coastal vineyards of the 
Emmaline Ann is a three-acre vineyard planted in 2001 by owners Wayne and Nancy Hunnicutt, and is named after Nancy’s grandmother. Like the Spivaks, Wilson first met the Hunnicutts in 2007 during her time at Flowers Winery. All of LaRue’s tastings are staged here, as well as the annual LaRue Wines Summer BBQ. This small vineyard faces southwest toward the Pacific Ocean and is frequently enveloped in fog.
was Steve Reynolds, who Martin met by chance at a wine dinner in McAllen, Texas. Martin was particularly interested in one of Reynold’s many ongoing projects, Thirteen Appellations, which began in 2002 when 100 cases were made. The idea behind the label was to create a wine with fruit from all of Napa’s then extant sub-appellations. The thinking was that, “each wine taken individually has its own unique colors, aromas, and flavors, and blending them results in an arguably richer, perhaps more complex wine.” The wines from each sub-appellation are fermented and aged separately – all coming together when the final blend is made. Ultimately Martin acquired Thirteen Appellations, a brand that evolved into Sixteen Appellations. As additional sub-appellations were approved in Napa, further vintages were called Fourteen and then Fifteen Appellations. With the Coombsville sub-appellation finally being added in 2011, the wine is now Sixteen Appellations
became Italics’ winemaker. He was born in Sierra Leone, West Africa, and originally studied to become a doctor, enrolling in UC Davis’ Pre-Med program at just 15 years old. However, he soon realized that he tended to get woozy at the sight of blood, a definite problem for a doctor. Abandoning that career path, he transferred to the 
and I had always dreamed of being in the wine business,” Wulff reminisced.
There he purchased the 
of wine [at a young age], not because my parents were wine drinkers, but because I was given a microscope when I was 12 years old. I heard about these things called yeast, and I wanted to see what they looked like under a microscope. I was told if you want to look at yeast you have to start a fermentation. So I picked some blackberries, fermented the wine, took a sample, and brought out my microscope — and there they were — the little yeast. I’ve been having those yeast work for me ever since.” — Brian Carter
Mondavi. She began her career at the age of 10 by assisting the lab manager at 
Arrowood fulfilled his ongoing obligations as executive vice president/winemaster at Chateau St. Jean. In April 1990 he joined Alis to devote himself full-time to Arrowood Winery.
the Brutocao family released their first wine with the 1980 vintage. Shortly thereafter, they chose as their symbol of family tradition and quality a version of the Lion of St. Mark, the lion on top of 
was built, and the first estate vintage was produced. Around the same time, Leonard’s three sons, David, Len Jr., and Steve, joined the family business. (Forth son Dan and daughter Renee Ortiz also share ownership of the winery, but have limited involvement.) David is Director of Winemaking Operations, and works side by side with Brutocao winemaker Hoss Milone to produce their estate wines. Len Jr., as Director of Vineyard Operations, oversees the cultivation of the land from new plantings to grape harvest. Following the death of his father in 2010, Steve assumed the role of CEO after many years of experience in wine marketing and sales.
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