Welcome to the October Issue of America's sake-centric newsletter. I trust that everybody poured a glass to celebrate Sake Day (Oct. 1st), and if you didn't then there is always next year. In this issue find out how technology is pervading the wine industry when it should be in the sake business. Make plans to compete in next year's Sake Competition, and see how close True Sake is to offering 200 sakes.

In this issue:

• Back To The Future - Wine Tasting Robot
• The Future Back To - The Wine Aging Machine
• 2nd Annual International Kikisake-shi Competition
• New Store Arrivals - Born, Koten Sharaku, Kirin Zan, Momokawa
• Special Events - Return of "Kani Night" November 16th
• Summary of the "Sake Day Celebration"
• "Ask Beau" - Sake Recipes
• The SECRET WORD

File this one under the "Those Nutty Japanese" as some scientists in Japan have produced a Robotic Sommelier. The only problem is that they focused on wine rather than sake because "Wine seemed like a real challenge." Doh! If only they had put their brains to use and created a Robotic Sake Sommelier then I could have retired!

Read the article here.

Back to top

File this one under the "Those Nutty Japanese Part II" as some other Japanese scientist forewent sake and decided to make a machine that would age wine in a fraction of time.

"One day soon, Hiroshi Tanaka will take some undistinguished fermented grape juice and in about six seconds turn it into a bold chardonnay that tastes as though it's been aging in a barrel for years. Although not a wine maker or even a wine lover himself, Tanaka, an engineer from Japan working in concert with a lab in California, has invented a machine that he says can actually age wine electrically in a near instant. The strange microwave-sized box is the culmination of years of study, during which Tanaka even successfully developed his own line of machine-aged shochu. (NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!) Now with the capacity to enhance two liters of wine per minute, the device can make a cheap bottle taste like an expensive vintage." DOUG CANTOR - ESQUIRE October 2006

Trust me when I tell you that I will be contacting this person in hopes of having him try his little machine on the greatest beverage ever made!

Back to top

On September 21st 2006 I was one of three judges for the Second World Kikisake-Shi Competition US Tournament held in Los Angeles. There was a second competition held in NYC on the 25th and winners from both of these competitions fly to Japan to compete in the final in Tokyo on October 20th. The hosts of the competition are a group called the Sake Service Institute based in Tokyo.

The first competition took place over 5 years ago, and this year's effort is a strong attempt to get the event back on the radar screen each and every year. The structure of the event for those who would like to take a crack at it next year is based on three "Screenings." The first screening is a written test that is sent to you by mail. It is an open book written test on sake and Kikisake-shi (sake sommelier). If you read this newsletter, and perhaps a book or two on sake you will have enough knowledge to pass this first Screening.

The Second Screening takes place at the actual competition and is based on two parts - A) a closed book written test on fundamental knowledge of sake and B) tasting sake for classification of sake types. Applicants who pass the Second Screening then qualify for the Third Screening, which consists of an oral exam followed by a "Presentation" based upon a demonstration of service technique and communication skills.

As one of three judges I was charged with the Third Screening session and quite frankly I was a bear. Obviously sake is very important to me, and the education process is one that I hold very dear to my heart. So if I am charged with releasing folks out into the world to preach the gospel of sake, they better know their stuff. And most of the contestants did!

The LA Competition actually produced two winners, who will go to Japan to compete in the finals. The first was a food caterer from Chicago and the second was a fellow who works for a sake importing company. Both were very solid.

The good thing about this event is that you DO NOT need to be a Kikisake-Shi (sake sommelier) to compete. It is a great venue for those who love sake to take their passion to another level. I highly recommend that you participate next year. If you would be interested in competing next year for the Third World Kikisake-Shi Competition please send me an email with the words "Sake Competition" in the subject line and send to info @ truesake.com. (I will bundle these names and send them to the organizers to add weight to next year's event.)

Lastly, my motives were double when I accepted the title of judge for this event. The Sake Service Institute is also the body that at one time produced the American Sake Sommelier Association, which has been put on ice for a while. I am desperately trying to get them to reengage and reengineer the program for the betterment of sake in the US and the West. The more sake sommeliers the more education for the sake consuming public! I get lots of emails from folks who like to participate in a sake sommelier program, and again I would like to start collecting names to use as ammo for the SSI guys. The more names, means the more interest, the more interest means all the more reason to have a credible and open Kikisake-Shi program in the US. If you would like to add your name to the list of people who want a chance to become an accredited sake sommelier (program in English) please send me an email that has the words "Sake Sommelier" in the subject line and please send it to info @ truesake.com.

Back to top

It's laughable - it really is! We cannot say the simple word known as NO! True Sake is incapable of saying we do not need this brew! And after spending a few hours Lynette deduced that we are currently equipped with 197 sakes! WOW! A new flurry of sakes have popped up on the shelves and they are amazing!

Firstly we have added two superb Dai Ginjos from a brewery called Born - the first was aged for two years and the second is a Nama Genshu Dai Ginjo! We then added another value Dai Ginjo from a brewery that went Chap 11 and the brew is back in similar form with new owners. For those packaging sluts we have added the new "Coolest" packaged bottle of Dai Ginjo, as well as our first 1.8L Nigori. There is something for everybody!

•

Born "Wing of Japan" Fukui Prefecture. Aged Junmai Dai Ginjo. SMV: +3 Acidity: 1.4 This expressive Dai Ginjo has been aged for over two years and has a nose filled with cherries, red grapes, yellow peppers and iceberg lettuce. Simple complexity! This is one of those brews that everybody should try at least once. Why? Because it is without borders - the flavor is so unique and the fluid itself is even more baffling. It's as if the sake expands in your mouth, almost a springing back into shape feeling after being muted by the two years of aging. It is so calm and yet so dynamic. There is layer of fruit - strawberry - on a clean and "bouncy" fluid wing. The expansion of feeling and flavor factor is so impressive! WORD: Simple Complexity WINE: Pinot Noir/fat whites BEER: Pilsner FOODS: Pâtés, foie gras, avocados, shellfish. $95/720ml

•

Born "Specially Limited" Fukui Prefecture. Muroka Nama Genshu Junmai Dai Ginjo. SMV: +4 Acidity: 1.4 The nose on this unpasteurized Dai Ginjo (not many of these) is made up of rose pedals, cooked banana, leather, tropical fruit, and steamy night elements. This is a really plump and viscous Nama that is both smooth and soft. There are a ton of ripe flavors to choose from honeydew melon wrapped in proscuitto, to a sweet fruit compote, to honeycomb. Juicy and fruity and so darn lively - so much flavor and so little back! The overall celebration of this sake is the every allusive "umami" quality, which is so present that they put a sticker on the bottle that says "umami." Rolling, fruity and soft like a sweet avocado! WORD: Umami WINE: Nuveau Bojoulais BEER: Sweet ales FOODS: White fish in a rich soy sauce, avocado salad, grilled oily fish, tofu. $40/720ml

•

Koten Sharaku "Classic Print" Fukushima Prefecture. Junmai Dai Ginjo. SMV: +3 Acidity: 1.3 The nose on this very soft Dai Ginjo is filled mineral, sweet pea, and honeydew aromas. Talk about smooth and round, this Dai Ginjo is an easy drinker's dream come true. There are layers of semi-chewy flavors such as strawberry and mineral water, with a very fast ending and no aftertaste. Think soft and gentle and revel in the gentle nature of this brew. WORD: Soft WINE: Merlot/Sauvignon Blanc BEER: Light ales FOODS: Sashimi, grilled white fish, poached chicken, cheese. $9/300ml

•

Kirin Zan "Flying Dragon" Niigata Prefecture. Junmai Dai Ginjo. SMV: +3 Acidity: 1.3 Talk about packaging? This well-dressed Dai Ginjo has a nose filled with ripe peach, strawberry, pomegranate, and cotton elements. What a light and bright sake, with each grain of rice milled to 45% one can taste the cleanliness in this brew. There are citrus tones throughout the soft and even flow that jump out in the crispness of the finish. A nicely elegant sake that is as cool and clean as stream water. A perfect gifting sake that will please in many ways. Think smooth and divine. WORD: Citrus WINE: Light dry reds/ crisp whites BEER: Crisp ales FOODS: Sushi, sashimi, citrus marinated fish, salads. $65/720ml

•

Momokawa "Peach River" Aomori Prefecture. Nigori. SMV: -18 Acidity: 1.4 Behold a creamy nose filled with plum, apple and grape tones. This unfiltered sake is smooth and silky void of that "Nigori" grit! There are very subtle and soft fruit elements such as strawberry, white grapes, and honeydew that flow on a very clever and velvety smooth fluid. Clean and milky - how cool is that? WORD: Smooth WINE: Come on! BEER: Creamy ales FOODS: Creamy pasta, cheese plates, fruit, desserts. $35/1.8L

You can review many of our sakes on our web site:
www.truesake.com

Back to top

November 16th - Return of "Kani Night" This is the second annual "Crab Night" sake pairing - featuring crab prepared six ways paired perfectly with six amazing sakes. • When: Thursday Nov. 16th from 6:30-9:00PM • Where: Toraya Restaurant in Japan Town • How Many: Only 14 tickets available! • How Much: $80/person • How Come: Last year was so amazing we have decided to rekindle the magic! Please order your tickets by phoning True Sake - 415.355.9555

Back to top

Talk about a serious party! On Sunday October 1st eighty of the Bay Areas "smartest" people attended the True Sake and Mari's Catering Nihonshu-No-Hi Sake Day celebration at the Fire House Building at Ft. Mason. (The event sold out in 5 days so next year do not miss this bash www.sakeday.com) (We will post photos of the event later in the month at the Sake Day website.)

When all was said and done the revelers had the opportunity to taste up to 26 different sakes. We had 4 different Sake Stations that consisted of:

1. The "Name That Sake" Station, which had three brews from Urakasumi and it was up to the participants to try and guess which sake were the Junmai, the Ginjo and the Dai Ginjo.
2. The "Sake Experiment" Station, which consisted of damaged sake to prove the point that even old and beaten sake still tastes fine when compared to wines or beers etc. We tasted two bottles of Daishichi Kimoto Honjozo that we opened last year on Oct 1st (1999-2000) and compared those to two bottles that were old as well but were only opened on that night (1999-2000) People were blown away with how drinkable the sakes really were, especially after being open for so long!
3. The "Blind Tasting" Station, which consisted of six disguised bottles of sake - two of which were the same brew - and it was up to the tasters to distinguish the two same sakes as well as select the sake that spoke to them. The favorite sake of the night was the Wakatake Junmai Ginjo.
4. The "Sake Madhouse" Station, which consisted of 3 different sakes that Miwa poured to really confuse the tasters. The first were two bottles of the same sake, but one had been left in our store window for 5 months in the direct sunlight. The second sake was an aged "Vintage" brew. And lastly Miwa poured a $115 sparkling sake.

There were tons of giveaways and prizes galore, and let's not forget the band from Okinawa that rocked the house. All in all just an amazing event that we shall repeat again next year! We have decided to get a larger venue to host more sake enthusiasts, but we promise to not dilute the quality of the evening.

Many thanks to all of those who came and reveled!

Back to top

This month's "Ask Beau" came to me in the form of an email from a friend of True Sake who tried cooking with sake. I get a zillion emails from folks wanting some great sake-driven food recipes that they can try at home. Of course they can buy my book and create some amazing dishes or they can try this one from Michelle M who writes:

Hi Beau, I just wanted to drop you a line to let you know that I experimented in cooking with sake....and the outcome was fabulous! I had an unfinished bottle of sake and used it in lieu of white wine. (Please don't judge me...this was an unusual event...I had opened the bottle to share with my mother over dinner a couple of nights before; she is a light weight, and I'm self-conscious about getting my sake-buzz on in front of her.) The flavor was amazing. I was sautéing sliced Portobello mushrooms with a little garlic and butter to serve over a beautiful New York steak. I would typically add white wine to the sauté once the mushrooms had cooked down, but I instead decided on the Sake. I added about 3/4 cup of Shiratake Ginjo 'Jozen Mizunogotoshi', which was a nice dry, crisp, but flavorful libation to the sautéed mushrooms and allowed it to simmer and reduce for about 5-10 minutes. Beau, seriously, they were the BEST mushrooms I'd ever had. The Sake was a huge improvement over the wine. You MUST try! Michele M. (Sake Freak in Training)

Please send your sake specific questions to askbeau2 @ truesake.com. (This address is not for general questions and I only review the questions once per month. All correspondence should use info @ truesake.com.)

Back to top

Ah, at last we have reached the end of this Newsletter and that of course means that we have come to the now-famous SECRET WORD. To those who are new the SECRET WORD is a chance for you to try a sake of note for half of that sake's original price. Just for reading this Newsletter. It is our way of saying thank you for trying to understand the wonders of sake. And in this regard we typically select a sake with a story, and this month's story is "Slick." Kaguyahime is a super soft and gentle Junmai that looks really slick and drinks that way too!

Please remember the rules: only one bottle per reader, and don't tell your buddy at the moment if he/she isn't a Newsletter subscriber, always use a hushed or secret agent voice when saying the SECRET WORD, and lastly for those who have their sakes shipped I can only include the SECRET WORD sake in a four-pack purchase - meaning you must buy three other sakes. This gentle and smooth Junmai retails for $16 but for you glorious sake-jockeys your cost is $8. And the SECRET WORD is Bamboo Princess.

Back to top

Thank you for reading!

True Sake

TRUE SAKE: America's First Sake Store.