Sometimes, having your winemakers or brewers in town is just a great excuse to host a party and to share our sake portfolio with local sake lovers. Earlier this month, we were fortunate to host Kohiyama-san and Shikama-san from Ginga Shizuku Brewery in Hokkaido and Sato-san from Kanbara Brewery in Niigata Prefecture.
Here’s Kohiyama-san in action educating attendees on what goes on inside the igloo where “Divine Droplets” is drip pressed. (We think he’d be a pretty decent Pictionary player).
We had a chance at this event to offer food that showcased the sake’s ability to pair well with a range of flavors. Sake expert, Tamiko Ishidate from Young’s Estates Group, shared her delicious thoughts about these creative food-pairings. Let’s just say that when it comes to sake, anything goes!
In Tamiko’s words:
Cheese and Sake goes well in general, but there were some pairings that really stood out:
Konteki Tears of Dawn Daiginjo and La Tur: This was by far one of the best pairings of the event. The creamy, milky sweetness of the triple milk cheese is accentuated by the Sake, which also becomes rounder and softer. A wow moment.
Tentaka Kuni Hawk in Heaven Junmai and Pecorino with Truffle cheese: The earthy, a bit funky, full-bodied Sake went very well with the nutty, savory and fragrant cheese. A rustic pair.
Mukune “Root of Innocence” Junmai Ginjo and Humbolt Fog: The yogurt-like acidity of this unique Sake rounded out the tart/pungent notes of the cheese and brought out the natural sweetness.
And now, Tamiko plays a round of “match the main dish to its perfect food pairing”!
Hamachi with fried Shallot, basil and sesame/ponzu dressing: Ama no To “Heaven’s Door” Tokubetsu Junmai went very well with this dish. The clean acidity of the Sake cut through the fat, and brought out the umami of Hamachi nicely.
Roasted pork-belly in a bun, with hoisin sauce and scallion: The best paired Sake was Kanbara “Bride of the Fox” with its nutty, chocolaty flavor notes. The clean, semi-dry finish of the sake cleansed the palate well, too.
Asparagus “Gomaae” (Japanese sesame paste dressing): This dish is traditionally hard to pair with wine, but, of course, Sake went very well. What I liked most was Rihaku “Dreamy Cloud” Tokubetsu Junmai Nigori. This Sake has a playful combination of bitter, astringent, fruity and savory, and stand firm against the strong flavor combination of the dish very well.
A big thanks go out to Tamiko Ishidate from Young’s Estates Group who compiled these pairings from our Sebo event June 4th!
Learn more about Vine Connection’sake food pairings here.
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