Winophilia

A few years ago, I published tasting notes in the International Wine Cellar on a superb set of sakés imported by Vine Connections, an importer based in Sausalito, CA that also specializes in wines from Argentina.  As a preface to those notes, I offered a fairly detailed introduction to saké, covering such subjects as how it’s made, types of saké and how to serve it.  I thought I’d update this essay for Winophilia readers.

Saké, sometimes referred to as Japanese rice wine, is actually a brewed product made more like beer. The best artisanal sakés are very pure products made from just four basic ingredients: premium saké rice, pure water, hand-made koji and special yeasts. But note that there are an almost infinite number of combinations of rice varieties, water sources and yeasts, and many styles of sake can be created from the same brewed tank. There are saké brewers in virtually every prefecture of Japan; historically, they were established near sources of pure water: mountain streams (sometimes running underground), melted snow (as on Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido), natural springs (often featuring water high in mineral content), deep wells, and the like.

Categories of sake. Junmai saké is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to quality, representing considerably less than 10% of total saké production. In fact, most saké is actually mass-produced, made from cheaper rice (often table rice), tap water that may be chemically adjusted, and mass-produced koji and yeasts selected for their efficiency rather than for the flavors and aromas they can impart. Distilled alcohol is also routinely added to stretch production of “table” sakés, as this approach is even cheaper than using non-saké rice. Sugar and other flavor additives may also be used to mask the off flavors of crudely made sakés.

Junmai saké is pure rice saké made without additives or distilled alcohol; its alcohol content is usually 15% to 16%, or just a couple of degrees higher than the average red wine these days. (Honjozo is the same as junmai except for the fact that it has had a small amount of alcohol added.) The category called futsu-shu, which uses a good bit of distilled alcohol and may include various additives, accounts for four-fifths of all saké made in Japan. These concoctions are typically served hot and are dull and simple; happily, there’s next to no market for these sakés in the U.S. outside of the domestically produced versions made to supply an endless stream of sushi bars with flasks of hot saké.

While all four ingredients above are critical to the quality and character of a saké, the most important determinant of quality may be the milling, or polishing, of the rice. The outer core of the rice grain contains proteins, fats and amino acids, as well as other impurities that can introduce off aromas and tastes, while it’s the starch in the center of the grain that is converted to sugar during fermentation. The more of the outside of the grain that’s milled away, the more refined the final product will be, all other things being equal.

Junmai saké has had a minimum of 30% of each rice grain milled away. Junmai ginjo goes a step further: at least 40% of the rice grain is polished away. In these sakés, the fermentation process is generally cooler and slower, and the pressing is usually done more gently. The result is a more complex, fragrant, refined product, often with a fruitier character and with less of the lower-toned earthy aspect found in sakés that have had less milling. (If you take away just one idea from this article, it should be to stick to junmai ginjo when purchasing sakés at Japanese restaurants; if this descriptor is not shown on the establishment’s saké list, ask for a saké in this category). The category called tokubetsu junmai (tokubetsu means “special”) indicates that the saké was made in some distinctive way—fermented at still-lower temperature, made from a very special variety of rice, or milled more completely than “regular” junmai (often to ginjo grade level). But this designation carries no legal meaning. Junmai daiginjo is normally the finest and most fragrant saké of all: at least 50% of the rice grain has been milled away.

One final category relevant to this article is nigori saké, which has a milky-white appearance from suspended rice sediment, either because it has been bottled unfiltered or only partially filtered or because some cloudy, unfiltered brew has been intentionally added back. This style of saké, undeniably creamy and mellow, is currently popular in the U.S. but less so in Japan. As a wine lover who prizes clarity and definition of aromas and flavors, I find nigori sakés less complex and interesting from both a flavor and texture perspective. But they can be fun to drink, especially as aperitifs, or sweeter versions at the end of a meal.

How sake is made. Rather than bore you with the details of saké production, I will give you the short version. First, the saké rice is prepared for its special multiple parallel fermentation by having the outside of its grains milled away. The polished rice is cleaned with purified water and then steamed. A special mold (Aspergillis oryzae) is added to a portion of the rice, which after a day or two turns it into koji. The koji is then mixed with yeast in water, and the rest of the steamed rice, along with more water, is added in increments to build the volume of the batch. The koji turns the starch in the rice to sugar by enzyme action, and the yeast converts the sugar into alcohol over a period of about a month (as with wine, less expensive saké is fermented faster than this and more expensive saké slower). The saké is then pressed, with the liquid separated from the rice lees.

During the entire process of making saké, there are any number of variables, including the temperature and speed of the fermentation, pasteurization, aging, filtration, slight dilution with water to reduce the alcohol level, bottling, and the like, and all of these have an effect on the aromas, textures and overall quality of the finished product. Saké is normally made to be consumed within a year or two of shipment from the brewery, as, like many white wines, it can degrade relatively quickly in the presence of light, air and heat.

Describing sake. It should be pointed out that experienced saké lovers in Japan, both professionals and consumers, do not use wine language to describe saké, nor do they look for the same characteristics wine lovers do. Yes, they seek out subtlety and cleanliness of aromas and flavors. But they are more likely to prize roundness, texture and overall harmony of components (such as the balance between a saké’s acid and its alcohol). Interestingly, length on the finish does not seem to be a requirement of a great saké. On the contrary, the finest examples finish clean and literally vaporize on the tongue and disappear, like melting snow.

Some typical saké aroma and flavor descriptors include squash, pumpkin, melon, pear, banana, anise and nuts—and of course steamed rice. Surely, many excellent sakés are characterized by lower-toned earthy, lactic, nutty or grainy notes. But I tend to get excited—and my nose starts to quiver—when I pick up higher-pitched hints of lime, minerals, mint and white pepper, because these elements simply strike me as more vibrant and refreshing. From what I am told, this this type of saké is also generally preferred in Japan.

Some saké-drinking recommendations. Drink saké lightly chilled: between 55 and 60 degrees is best. Use a smallish wine glass that does not taper sharply toward the top, as that would exaggerate the saké’s impression of alcohol. (Riedel offers a very good stemless version, called the O Saké.) Think of saké as a condiment to bring out the flavors of the food you serve. Sakés that are higher in acidity are best with oily fish or tempura. Earthier sakés nicely complement vegetable dishes (especially root vegetables), smoked foods, mushroom risotto and meats. Try sweeter sakés with creamy dishes. A saké with a grainier texture is more likely to stand up to substantial dishes than are more delicate examples. Saké often pairs well with wine-killers like asparagus and artichoke. But saké also makes a light, fresh, clean aperitif.

As a rule, saké is typically much lower in acidity than wine. My own experience is that saké is easier on the body, and results in less of a hangover, than an equal quantity of wine. This is due in part to the fact that saké has fewer congeners than wine. Congeners are the byproduct of fermentation, and these impurities have been shown to cause headaches. Note that unpasteurized sakés need to be refrigerated or at least kept at wine-storage temperature, but most sakes you will find in the U.S. market have been pasteurized.