Sparkling sake in a wine glass

by | Mar 14, 2018 | Sake News from Japan

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I’ve covered the Best Sake in a Wine Glass competition before (The best sake for your wine glass in 2018) but this article in the Fukushima Minyu newspaper has a few more details, as well as some attention for the winner from its own prefecture.

The Fukui Prefecture report didn’t mention that one sake has taken a Grand Gold Medal for five years running – Rice Magic sparkling junmai daiginjō from Nihonmatsu’s Ninki brewery.

This is the eighth round of the annual competition, and 263 breweries together entered a record 901 sake. Judging took place on 20 February 2018, and the judges awarded 46 Grand Gold Medals plus 236 Gold Medals including one to the Kinsuisho brewery and others for their junmai ginjō Oraga Junmai (which is listed on the competition site as being from the Fukushima Future Agriculture Association, in the article as Japan Agriculture Fukushima Future).

Brewery owner Yusa (can’t find a reading for his first name, sorry) comments that Rice Magic has no off flavours and good balance, and thinks that it showed its worth by being the most “general” of the three sake awarded Grand Gold Medal in the sparkling category.

Other winners from Fukushima Prefecture:

Main category

  • Yusa junmai ginjō by the Okunomatsu brewery
  • Ninki-Ichi Blue ginjō by the Ninki brewery
  • junmai ginjō Oraga Junmai by JA Fukushima Mirai, Kinsuisho brewery)

Sparkling category

  • Rice Magic Ninki-Ichi Sparkling Red by the Ninki brewery
  • junmai daiginjō Yauemon Sparkling Shower by the Yamatogawa brewery

Daiginjō category

  • Yusa junmai daiginjō by the Okunomatsu brewery
  • junmai daiginjō Gensai by the Suehiro brewery
  • Hanaharu junmai daiginjō by the Hanaharu brewery

Premium junmai category

  • Ninki-ichi Modern Classic Junmai Ginjo 5 Muroka (unfiltered)

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