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The Philosophical Venn Diagram of Wine & Sake
We're looking at four couplets of sake & wine producers this Friday, investigating how these two worlds overlap. Michael from Taborly, contributing the wine selections. Nina from Sunflower, contributing the sake selections. This lineup is a conversation back and forth in search of fascinating overlaps in philosophy, role, inspiration, between the sake and wine worlds… fundamental human stories, like rebelling against a legacy, propping up a community, finding onesself.
We want to use this tasting to illustrate how close, in fact, these worlds can get. How understanding wine can help you understand sake and vice versa. How appreciation for one can easily lead to appreciation for the other.
THE INCUBATORS
Abe Shuzo Junmai ($41) x Olivier Pithon Laïs blanc ($32)
What inevitably happens in creative industries is that someone takes on the mantle of incubator, community leader, or mentor. The young and under-resourced need space to create, and the resourced, often generationally endowed need community and inspiration. For Yuta Abe of Abe Shuzo (Niigata) it was an existential imperative: his family brewery was about to close in 2015 when he took over as the 6th generation owner at only 27 years old. The transformation under his new brand, “Abe” is remarkable: the brewery is now a leader in its category, a respected innovator, and exports internationally. Rather than resting on their laurels, in 2017 Yuta doubled down on his plans for the future, stating that “we believe…the emergence of new brewers is essential for the revitalization of the industry, [so] we have begun to focus on nurturing young brewers.” Abe provides their alumni not only with training but physical space and access to a sake brewing permit: wholly unobtainable unless grandfathered in from before the 1960’s. Abe’s own sake is energetic, electric, impeccable, and clearly driven by the young and entrepreneurial community of brewers and farmers that surround him.
The junmai is the most entry level of Abe Shuzo’s brews, and uses 100% local rice from farmers he considers friends. Out of respect for fermentation’s unknowns, Abe’s approach is unique: they stop fermentation and bottle/pasteurize when the flavor has reached its peak, rather than a specific point on a graph. Thus the ABV, rice and flavor vary from year to year, and few details are disclosed on the bottle.
The Roussillon - with relatively affordable vineyards still available, and a climate well-suited to sustainable and future-thinking farming - has become a hotbed for young vigneron looking to make a way for themselves. Olivier Pithon has become something of a sherpa in the region, helping shoulder the load for these young farmers and winemakers as they make their way up the mountain. Burgeoning winemakers come to him for advice, to share equipment, and to help with the conversion of their conventionally farmed land into organics. Indeed, Olivier's Mon P'tit Pithon bottlings are a refuge for these vineyards - the wines are made from vineyards going through the growing pains of organic conversion, with Olivier paying top dollar for the vineyards going through the inevitable production dip that occurs in the first couple years of converting from agrochemical farming to something more sustainable. Laïs, a blend of native Catalan varietals Macabeu, Grenache gris, and Grenache blanc, is named after Olivier's long-deceased cow, more pet than working animal, and an emblem for the rich biodiversity and ecology that takes place on Pithon's propery.
LEGACY'S SHADOW
Rihaku “Origin of Purity” Nama Genshu ($44) x Eyrie Vineyards Trousseau ($36)
In 2010, Yuichiro Tanaka’s father Seijiro passed away unexpectedly. As 4th generation president, Seijiro believed it was his responsibility to be stalwart, unchanging— to maintain the soft, mellow flavor profile and very traditional aesthetic Rihaku was known for. The brand name Rihaku and its calligraphic logo were bestowed to the family in 1928 by none other than local hero, prime minister Wakatsuki Reijiro. It’s said that when Reijiro attended the London Disarmament Conference he carried a straw barrel of Rihaku sake with him, drinking it morning and evening. It was an incredibly weighty legacy to carry, especially for Yuichiro: a young man only 6 years out of college. The early years were difficult: clashing with staff, long hours, butting against the traditional training of his seasonal Izumo Toji (industry guild) team. Origin of Purity, bold and flavorful and totally unlike the rest of the Rihaku brand, was the early result of this: experimental, wild, a pure reflection of his own tastes and interests. Different every year, it remains a beloved favorite especially in late Summer when the flavors have mellowed and bloomed.
“[Origin of Purity] was the first sake I produced since returning to Rihaku, including the rice used, yeast used, and label design. I found it difficult to realize my brewing vision [because of the opposition of the Izumo toji team]. So I chose a combination of rice and yeast that the Izumo chief brewers didn't like, packed in everything I wanted to do at the time, and made this sake without their help, using only the year-round employees… This was the starting point for me to gradually convey my vision to the team and I think it is the foundation of my current sake brewing.”
If you know anything about Oregon wine, you know Eyrie. Founded by true grandaddy of the Willamette Valley, David Lett, Eyrie was among the very first wineries established in the Willamette, and its patriarch's legacy - Lett passed away in 2008 - looms large to this day. The senior Lett was a staunch believer in tradition and adherence to the past, so the shoes for his son, Jason, were always going to be a tough fill. While Jason is largely a traditionalist like his father, he has pushed the winery into some places that David never would have, exploring new methods, markets, and varieties that his dad never bothered with. Chief among these is Jason's Trousseau, the very first planted in Oregon. Native to the Jura - just an hour's drive or so east of Burgundy - Trousseau is the backcountry cousin to Pinot noir's suave elegance. It makes perfect sense against Eyrie's unfettered Pinot, and I'm so glad it exists, but it never woulda happened under David's watch.
GROWING THROUGH STALKS & VINES
Akishika Okarakuchi Nama Genshu ($48) x Nob’s Fields White ($39)
Takeda Nobuhiro was born in 1989 in Yamagata City, a remote and gorgeous mountain-wrapped place in northern Japan famous for agriculture, mythology and mountains. At university, Nobu-san initially pursued studies in environmental engineering, but classes on soil and microorganisms as well as part-time work on a tomato farm sparked an interest in agriculture. Like any college student, he went out to izakaya often, enjoying sake deep into the night. Looking deeper, he developed a fascination with sake. In particular, the connection between sake brewing and rice cultivation. For a few years, Nobu worked at Akishika Shuzo and Moriki Shuzo, breweries famous for cultivating their own rice. These breweries raised rice according to a shizen-saibai ethos (no external fertilizers, pesticides, etc) which deepened his appreciation for high-quality ingredients and the beverages they make. Akishika Shuzo, located in the mountains above Osaka at a relatively high elevation of ~1500 feet, was formative in Nobu’s development. Their Okarakuchi Nama Genshu is a more refined example of the Akishika brand, drinking earthy, salty and dry, like a martini shaken with rice and almonds. While this is a fresh release it ages beautifully, developing deep nutty tones and golden color.
Unfortunately, government restrictions on sake brewing permits limited Nobu’s options in the sake industry. At the same time, he was drawn to the even deeper connection between grapes and wine, as well as the intimacy of creating a product entirely from start to finish. Thus in 2016, Nobu returned to Yamagata to begin a new life as a grape farmer. He became the protege of Masahiro Ohno, whose old-vine (30+ year old) vineyards of naturally farmed Chardonnay, Merlot and Delaware are among the most coveted in Tohoku.
In 2020, with the encouragement of a winemaker who bought his grapes, Nobu made his first barrel of wine. In 2023, Nobu increased his production and moved to Grape Republic’s Yamagata winery, where he carefully vinifies a small portion of his harvest. This 2023 Nob's Fields white (only ~850 bottles) is made with Delaware, a hybrid grape with incredible potential. “2023 was an exceptionally hot year. Since my vineyard is located in an area with mountain breezes, I was able to harvest grapes with high ripeness without losing too much acidity. Although the yield was low, I believe the grapes were of excellent quality.”
WHAT WAS ONCE AN ABERRATION
Shinkame Junmai ($50) x Podere le Boncie Le Trame ($93)
Few breweries are as legendary as Shinkame. The 7th generation president, Yoshiwasa Ogawahara, was a tireless champion for junmai-shu (“pure rice” sake without added alcohol) at a time when it was illegal to brew sake in this way. Decades later, his influence is clear as day: only junmai has seen growth in the last 10 years, while aruten (alcohol-added styles) are falling precipitously, responsible for sake’s overall decline.
While junmai is the original method of brewing, some 350 years ago early aruten brews with added shochu (~25% ABV) were introduced and appreciated for their longer shelf life. During WW2 however rice shortages were dire, so aruten was utilized on a mass scale to increase the volume of production up to 3x. Even after the war, it became official government policy to add alcohol to sake in order to maximize production. A combination of aruten, mechanization, and corporate consolidation increased total output and with it, tax revenues to fuel the post-war reconstruction of Japan.
As an agricultural student at university, Ogawahara was inspired by the connection between rice and sake and wanted to brew junmai. One of his professors lamented how his daughter no longer drank sake, claiming that it didn't taste good, and preferred to drink wine. This refrain is still common in Japan: the damage WW2 wrought on sake was at least as impactful as the damage of prohibition on American wine. Seeing the writing on the wall, once Ogawahara returned home from school he appealed to the government to produce only junmai. He was rejected many times, and only a few years later in 1967 Shinkame was granted approval to make a small amount, just 3000 liters. In his early iterations Ohawahara learned that dry junmai was challenging to consumer palates accustomed to added glucose, so he began aging Shinkame sake to soften it. Through continued government harassment, Shinkame’s junmai production gradually increased until 20 years later in 1987 when it became the first brewery permitted to produce only junmai. Throughout this time and in the years until his death, Ogawahara campaigned endlessly to promote junmai brewing and helped many other breweries do the same. When I read about junmai-focused breweries, all roads inevitably lead back to Ogawahara.
Most sake is matured ~3-6 months before release, but Shinkame is aged for at least 2-4 years in steel tanks from ambient temps of 40-80F before it’s considered ready. This lengthier maturation period adds richness, fullness, and complexity, and according to the toji of famed brewery Taketsuru, "begs to be gently warmed."
Giovanna Morganti's father was a legendary enologist in Chianti. After graduating from enology school herself, and working in nearby San Felice, her father gave her a high-elevation parcel planted to olive trees. She immediately planted a vineyard to a sampler pack of her favorite native varieties - sangiovese, of course, but also colorino, mammolo, canaiolo, prunolo, and ciliegiolo. Firmly in the Chianti Classico DOCG, just North of Castelnuovo Berardegna, Giovanna bottled her Le Boncie label under the DOCG for the first few vintages. But the Chianti Classico consorzio is one rife with turmoil - first mandating the addition of white grapes in the wine, then disallowing them entirely - operating more as bureaucratic hegemon than an institution preserving the actual tradition of the region. The creation of the Gran Selezione designation - essentially a cash grab aimed at artificial premiumization in order to compete with Brunello di Montalcino - was the final straw for Giovanna. Just as her neighbor, Montevertine, did 30 years prior when the consorzio wouldn't allow them to label a 100% sangiovese as Chianti Classico, Giovanna made the decision to remove her wines from the DOCG and bottle them as IGT Toscana going forward.
Le Trame was Giovanna's first wine, the wine planted on those windswept hills about Castelnuovo Berardegna beside an olive grove. She now bottles a couple others, but Le Trame remains her crown jewel. In steady supply just a few short years ago, the wine is now considered one of the finest sangioveses made in Tuscany and we receive a tiny annual allocation. We sold through our six bottles we received earlier in the year, but a local supplier was able to find a couple more for us and we've chosen to share them with rather than sequester them in our own cellar. A special treat indeed.
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