Wine & Spirits List - Riviera Wine 2020-2021

SPIRITS AND LIQUORS
SAKE
INTRODUCTION TO SAKE
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Over the past few years we have seen an increasing trend towards drinking sake on
board; so much so that we have decided to add a sake section to this year’s Wine &
Spirits List.
Despite often being referred to as “rice wine”, sake is in fact much closer to a beer
in terms of how it is produced. Japan has been at the epicentre of the world’s sake
production for over 3 500 years, so it stands to reason that this is where the highest
quality examples come from today.
Unlike wine, sake is all about purity – not complexity. Elegance is judged by the shortness
and cleanness of the finish. In terms of flavour characteristics, sake often exhibits a
more savoury, umami character, with more sweetness and less acidity than most wines.
Alcohol levels are generally between 15-18 %.
To make sake, each grain of rice is polished down to its starchy core, removing any
impurities. The degree of polishing will determine the style of the finished product. The
highest degree of polishing will produce the purest, most elegant sakes.
STYLES OF SAKE
Sake can be divided into two initial categories: Junmai and Non-Junmai. Non-Junmai
sakes have distilled alcohol added to them at the end of fermentation, whereas Junmai
have not had anything added (Junmai means “pure rice”). Each of these are then divided
according to the degree of rice polishing as below.
JUNMAI
NON-JUNMAI
Junmai Daiginjo
Junmai Ginjo
Junmai
Daiginjo
Ginjo
Honjozo
Rice is polished down to at least 50% of its original size
Polished to at least 60%
Polished to at least 61%
Polished to at least 50%
Polished to at least 60%
Polished to between 62 and 70%
RIVIERA WINE SPIRITS AND LIQUOR