Delicious features of Niigata local sake

その㊀Overwhelming quality

Located in the eastern part of Hokuriku 4 prefecture facing the Sea of ​​Japan, the area occupies nearly half of Hokuriku 4 prefecture and boasts the largest area in the country. Rice made in Japan's largest granary is a world brand and a large rice producing prefecture.

There is a lot of rainfall throughout the year, and because of the cold climate, sake brewing is blessed with conditions for low-temperature and long-term fermentation. The abundant snowmelt water is a soft soft water type, and light and soft local sake is brewed.

Sake brewing suitable rice “500 million stones” is cultivated as a raw material for sake, and in recent years “Echidanrei” has been cultivated, and by Echigo Kaoru, it is finished in a light dry type. Variety of liquor quality such as mellow liquor is growing more and more.

The prefecture has a high level of ginjo brewing and the 1 warehouse (as of 95 year) in the prefecture, the nation's No. XNUM.The number of gold awards received from the National Sake Appraisal Society has always overwhelmed other prefectures. There are many small-scale manufacturers, and they are concentrated in alluvial fan areas such as Rokukamachi and Yuzawa, sand dunes such as Niigata and Amagasaki, and Nagaoka.

㊁ Snow purifies the air. Sake brewing surrounded by rich nature

When asked about the image of Niigata, many people answered “rice”, “snow” and “sake”. Niigata has a beautiful natural blessing and faces the Sea of ​​Japan. It is rich in seasonal changes from the environment surrounded by mountains, and has been cultivating a rich liquor culture from a long time ago by utilizing abundant ingredients. During the cold season of winter, the climate is perfectly suited for sake brewing, and the “taste dryness” made with delicious rice and water from Niigata has always inspired people. The snow that falls deeply in Niigata winter naturally leads to air purification that is difficult to do artificially.

日本 Abundant natural water, 8 percent sake is determined by “water”

“Water”, which accounts for 80% of sake, is a very important factor in determining the quality of sake. Fortunately, “Yukikuni Echigo” is the name of Niigata. The intensity of the snowstorm that blows, this snow eventually becomes clear water and soaks into the basement, and after a few years, it becomes neat and clean water that contains a lot of minerals. Each brewery seeks water that matches their liquor.

米 Rice, the staple food of Japan, Mita shining in gold

Niigata, which is also a place for rice, is famous for Koshihikari rice from Uonuma, but in sake rice, Gohyakumangoku, Takamine Nishiki, which is often used for high-class sake, and Yamada Nishiki and Gohyakumangoku are crossed. , Koshihikari, which was born for Daiginjo in Niigata.Since rice varieties also have a great influence on the taste of sake, the ratio of the cost of rice in sake brewing is also the highest in Japan, and sake using rice and water grown in Niigata is said to be "light and dry" that the world can be proud of. You can say that.

切削 Cutting, Akira Echigo and Tanrei Niigata “Ginjo-zukuri”

There are many words “majime” in Niigata people and their characteristics, but the Echigo Kei in the sake brewing is just as the name suggests. The rivals of the sake brewery, Mr. Tsuji, work hard every day by supplying information and holding study sessions. Ginjo-zukuri, which has exchanges and does not compromise on its own, has been handed down from generation to generation. In addition, the prefecture brewing association is also devoted to nurturing young successors, and many of them are active in sake breweries in and outside the prefecture.

As of 2011, Niigata prefecture has the largest number of 95 breweries in Japan, and sake consumption is the highest in Japan. From 2004 year, almost all sake breweries in the prefecture gathered to hold a wide appeal of Niigata's sake, and events such as “Sake no Jin” where you can sample hundreds of different types of sake are held, with millions of people from all over the country. Invites Japanese sake fans. Sake made with high-quality sake rice, clean water, cold weather, and Mr. Echigo's craftsmanship is growing in demand today, not only in Japan, but also in Japanese and French cuisine. As a sake that can be enjoyed with various meals, it attracts Japanese sake fans from all over the world. I would be happy if I could enjoy the sake introduced here and become a Niigata local sake fan.

Niigata's only all-pure rice brewery

Long-established store founded in Kansei 9 (1797), Imada Tsukasa Sake Brewery.

Located near the port of Niigata City, there is a fish market nearby and the scent of the tide drifts a little. Imada Tsukasa Sake Brewery is located at the final point of the Shinano River, Japan's best tide.

At the time of its establishment, there was a river called Kurinoki River that flows into the sea in front of the storehouse, and it was an important transportation route for transporting rice from the surrounding granary area to the port by boat. In this region, we were able to obtain an abundance of very high-quality natural water, so the brewing industry such as sake, miso and soy sauce flourished along the river. At one time, there were 8 sake breweries with sake alone, but now only two houses, Imadaji Shuzo and Koshi no Hana Shuzo, are still in production.

Imada Tsukasa Sake BreweryA structure that does not add any brewing alcohol to any sake produced.The attitude is about 100 storehouseThe only sake brewery in Niigata prefecture that has only 1500 in Japan.It is. It does not intentionally adjust the taste and does not add a drop of brewed alcohol, so it is a brewery that uses only rice and rice to produce only Japanese sake (pure rice sake) produced by microorganisms with natural power.

Even now, we have a storehouse in front of the brewing town (fermentation town), protect the warmth of “Imadaiji”, continue to make a small amount of pure rice wine without making a large amount of sake, We continue to master the taste that is light and elegant.