Revisiting Sushi Wines

Our office manager, Karen, is indulging in a sushi dinner tonight at a local restaurant. She was asking around for suggestions, and of course the first thing to come to mind is the traditional sushi beverage, sake!

Sake is a traditional Japanese wine made from rice. Its roots are debated, but sake was first documented in the Kojiki, Japan's first written history, which was compiled in 712! Sake is made with a special kind of rice that's different from other rices that are made to be eaten. Sake rice has less protein and fat, and a special inner layer of starch. Sake rice is polished before it's brewed to remove the outer coating and leave only the starch, since it improves the taste of the starch dramatically. Different types of rice make different types of sake, and over 80 varieties of sake rice are grown in Japan!

Sake is unlike traditional wine, where the sugars present in fruit are converted to alcohol through fermentation. Sake, like beer, gets the sugars that are converted to alcohol from starch rather than fruit. Sake is traditionally higher in alcohol than other wines, averaging at around 15% - 16% alcohol.

I'd heard that sake was pretty much an acquired taste and that it was kinda harsh to drink. At first sip, I understood what everyone meant. However, like the acidic red I wrote about a few weeks ago paired with my spaghetti sauce, the sake transformed into something wonderful when I took a sip after I had a bite of sushi. What was very strong and tannic became almost sweet on my taste buds. It was delicious!

I also advised Karen that a wine I've enjoyed many times with sushi is the great, every day value Fado White. At only $4.99 a bottle in our Bottle Club, you can't go wrong choosing this easy-drinking Portuguese blend. It's crisp, dry, and full of refreshing citrus fruit that will pair beautifully with your Japanese feast.