Do we ship to you?.
720ml
Bottle:
$125.40
$132.00
Elegant and delicate, the Kirinzan Daiginjo Genshu contains multitudes of flavor. Fresh and lively with mint and...
720ml
Bottle:
$81.60
The 3-year matured moist and plump koyo goes together perfectly with the deep umami flavors of autumn cuisine. This...
![Kirinzan Junmai Daiginjo Sake [Blue Bottle] NV 1.8Ltr](https://www.saratogawine.com/files/images/cached_thumbs/07/070daafb5f18cb797e6b0d1825d1165b.jpg){kind=small}
1.8Ltr
Bottle:
$151.05
$159.00
A masterpiece of the classic Niigata “light and dry” style, the Kirinzan Junmai Daiginjo is reminiscent of a...
![Kirinzan Junmai Ginjo Sake [Brown Bottle] NV 1.8Ltr](https://www.saratogawine.com/files/images/cached_thumbs/cb/cbcc4a06b40acd9baa0f04d560d875d0.jpg){kind=small}
1.8Ltr
Bottle:
$88.35
$93.00
A full bodied, complex Junmai Ginjo with a buttery texture, warm cocoa notes, and surprising depth. If you think only...
720ml
Bottle:
$45.60
$48.00
A full bodied, complex Junmai Ginjo with a buttery texture, warm cocoa notes, and surprising depth. If you think only...
720ml
Bottle:
$17.10
$18.00
While breweries love to showcase their premium ginjo styles Kirinzan take immense pride in their entry level...
720ml
Bottle:
$48.88
6 bottles:
$43.99
Our Junmai Daiginjo is crisp with nuanced notes of honeydew, lemon peel, and white flowers. Enjoy chilled, or as a...
Dolcetto Sake Tequila Japan Niigata Prefecture
In Italian, Dolcetto means 'little sweet one' – a slightly misleading name, as the black grapes of this varietal have relatively little natural sugar and almost almost produce dry wines. However, the Dolcetto grapes are remarkably popular with those looking for a full, rounded and highly flavorful wine, and are grown extensively in their native Italy, and in many other countries around the world. Dolcetto varietal grapes tend to have quite a high level of tannin, due to their thick, black skins, and low acidity, resulting in interesting wines with a large feel in the mouth, despite being relatively light in body. They are most commonly associated with big, complex flavors such as liquorice and prunes, and are regularly described as having a finish similar to the flavor of bitter almonds.
Tequila is probably Mexico’s greatest gift to the world of fine spirits, and is also possibly one of the most underestimated and misunderstood drinks in the world. Widely used for shots and slammers, and more often than not associated with parties and hangovers, Tequila is in fact a wonderful drink full of subtleties and expression of terroir, that is highly rewarding for those who look into its finer points.
One of the special things about Tequila is the fact that it is capable of expressing the fine nuances and subtle notes of its raw material, far more so than other, similar spirits. That raw material is, of course, the Blue Agave - not a cactus, as is commonly believed, but rather a succulent quite like a lily, which grows in the deserts of Mexico mainly around the province of Jalisco. The Blue Agave takes a decade to mature, and during those ten years, it takes in many of the features of its surroundings, just like a grapevine would. This is why Tequila varies in flavor and aroma from region to region, from the earthier Tequilas of the lowlands, to the more delicate and floral examples from areas of a higher altitude.
The picking and peeling of the spiky Agave, and the distillation process of Tequila is a complicated one, and one which is carried out with enormous skill by the jimadors and master craftsmen who produce the spirit. Steam cooking of the body of the plant is followed by crushing, then fermentation and distillation completes the process. The end product is categorized according to whether or not it is made with pure (‘puro’) agave, or blended with other sugars, and according to how long the spirit is aged for.
All over Japan, farmers and wine producers take the production of alcoholic beverages including plum wine and sake very seriously. It is an industry which dates back well over a thousand years, and is held in high esteem in this far east country, where plum wines and sake often accompany meals and are used for ceremonial purposes. Whilst plum wine is produced in a relatively similar way to grape based wines, sake requires a complex process more akin to the brewing of beer, except using a rice mash instead of other grains. The rising popularity of both of these drinks in the west has seen the drinks industry in Japan increase dramatically over recent years, and both quality and quantity has risen alongside demand, and is expected to rise further.