FORTIFIED WINE
SAKE: In Japan, the term Sake refers to a wide variety of alcoholic beverages, including Shochu, but in the west, it has come to mean the rice wine brewed mainly in the east of the country. Sake has been produced in China and Japan in one form or another since at least the 3rd century.
Production
Rice used for sake production is polished, during which the hard outer surface of the grain is milled away to leave behind the starchy centre. The level of milling will do much to determine the style and quality of the finished product - the premium 'Ginjo' style, for example, must have had at least 40% of the rice milled away. Sakes that have been made with highly-milled rice will be more complex and sophisticated with subtle, delicate nuances of flavour.
After milling, the rice is cleaned and steeped in water and steamed, and a portion is taken to make 'koji' (rice mould), which is crucial to the production process. Koji is produced by adding mould spores to steamed rice and leaving it to grow in conditions of high temperature and humidity.
This mould, when mixed with water and yeast and added to the rest of the steamed rice, converts the starch in the steamed rice into sugars, which are then fermented by the yeast. This kind of simultaneous double fermentation is unique to Sake, incorporating processes associated with both wine and beer production.
After the main fermentation is finished, neutral alcohol at around 30% is usually added. In general, high quality sakes contain very little added alcohol, while cheap table sake usually contains rather a lot. A premium sake that contains only rice, water and koji without any additional alcohol is referred to as 'Junmai'.
When the alcohol has been added the fermented mash is squeezed, to separate the wine from its lees, and then (usually) pasteurised, before being matured for a few months in tanks. The strength is then usually reduced by dilution to around 15% before bottling.
Classification
- Table sake is called 'Futsu-Shu' and makes up 80% of the market. This is generally made with lightly-milled rice and contains a large proportion of added alcohol.
- High-end premium sake is referred to as 'Tokutei Meishousu', and is classified according to the percentage of grain left after the rice is milled ('seimai-buai') and according to how 'hand-made' they are. It makes up the remaining 20% of the market. These more sophisticated sakes are finer and more complex, usually exhibiting clean, delicate, aromatic or floral characteristics.
- Within Tokutei Meishousu, the lowest grade is 'Honjozu', which has a 70% seimai-buai. This means that 30% of the rice has been milled away.
- The next grade up in Tokutei Meishousu is 'Ginjo'. For Ginjo Sakes at least 40% of the rice has been milled away (60% seimai-buai'). These sakes have a long, cool fermentation using more traditional labour-intensive methods and are usually quite aromatic.
- The highest grade of Tokutei Meishousu is 'Daiginjo', which is 50% seimai-buai , meaning at least half of the rice has been milled away. The koji used for Daiginjo Sakes must be made by hand using traditional methods.
All by
Tim Forbes
Speciality Drinks Ltd
