The secret to sake

This week we travel to the Far East, to explore the interesting Japanese beverage, sake. We in the West tend to refer to sake as rice “wine.” But wine production converts natural grape sugar into alcohol. Lacking this sugar, rice must be “brewed” like beer. Despite the semantic nuance, however, sake still shares the wide palate of aromas and flavors of wine: from citrus to almond, and all points in between.

Sake production dates back to the seventh century, when it was commonplace for each family to make their own home brew. This practice was banned by the turn of the 20th century, when taxes raised from the manufacturing and sales of sake started to represent over 65 per cent of government revenue. Today, the same product generates less than 2 per cent of Japan’s tax revenue. And sake is now brewed outside Japan, to service the expats, and to cater to a growing demand for this fine traditional beverage.

The eight different strains of rice required to produce sake are not your run-of–the-mill long grains: they are not really cultivated for human consumption. In fact, the secret to sake is how these specialized rice strains are milled and polished. The more the rice is polished to remove the outer bran, the finer is the sake. Some of the better sakes are made from rice that has been polished up to 70 per cent, to expose the fine starches in the center of the grain. Yeasts, that were carefully chosen over a hundred years ago, are added to the processed rice to begin the brewing process. Once complete, the alcohol content can sometimes exceed 20 per cent. Afterward, the final product is carbon filtered for purity and pasteurized.

Sake is served with ritual, much like a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. It can be served warm, but customarily only in winter months. It should not be served warm with sushi, since it would overwhelm the delicate flavours of the food. Please note that sake should be treated with a great deal of respect given its alcohol content: its effects can sneak up on you.

THIS WEEK’S PICK
What better way to celebrate Mother’s Day, on May 13, than to raise a glass of County bubbly to say “Thank You”?

I recently tasted the latest County “sparkling wine,” made in the style of a “prosecco,” created by Glenn Symons of Lighthall Vineyards. As a winemaker and entrepreneur, Glenn wears many hats. He takes pride in using only 100 per cent estate-grown Vidal grapes in his 2011 Progression. This affordable treat has tiny bubbles in the glass, bursting with aromas of citrus and arrowroot. The palate is nectarine, with lots of Meyer lemon citrus acidity.

The cost per bottle is a mere $20, and it can be purchased at the vineyard, 308 Lighthall Road, in Milford.