Join us Thursday, February 25th on Zoom for a sake tasting led by sake specialist Dila Lee. Listen and learn as she breaks down these four different styles of sake. This is the perfect bundle to take home if you need to bump up your sake game. We hope to see you there!
Meeting ID: 974 9853 3112
Passcode: 969459
Get Your Sake!
Dila Lee
Sake & Spirits Sales Manager
Born and raised in Turkey, Dila moved to the United States after receiving her master’s
degree in Japanese. Since moving to the US, she has worked in some of the most prestigious Japanese restaurants across the country (Ozumo, Alexander’s, Katana) and
most recently worked as the Beverage Director for TAO in Chicago. Dila’s passion for sake Japanese culture is contagious and she brings an extensive knowledge of sake, spirits Japanese cuisine to the Vine Connections team.
Dila is currently based in the Chicago area and manages the VC sake & spirits portfolio in IL, FL, MA, GA, and NC.
KIZAKURA- BUSHIDO/ GINJO GENSHU
SAKE OVERVIEW
On-the-go, hassle free, premium Ginjo Genshu sake in a can. Bushido is the ancient Japanese warrior code of moral values, loyalty, and honor until death. Usually unuttered and unwritten, the code allows the violent existence of the samurai to be tempered by wisdom and serenity.
TASTING NOTES
Tart raspberry, Asian pear, and watermelon rind with a hint of white flowers and a spicy finish.
FOOD PAIRING
Try with shrimp, BBQ, or by itself!
FUKUCHO- MOON ON THE WATER/ JUNMAI GINJO
SAKE OVERVIEW
This vibrant showstopper is beautifully soft and feminine, brewed by one of Japan's only female brewery owners and tojis. Brewed in Hiroshima, the birthplace of Ginjo sake, which is known for remarkably soft water that requires expert skill to use in sake production. Once mastered, it enables a highly controlled, precise fermentation, resulting in vibrant fruit aromas. This Junmai Ginjo is bottled immediately without charcoal filtering.
TASTING NOTES
A fruity nose of lime and melon with bold hints of fennel, white pepper and allspice. The flavors gravitate to ripe cantaloupe and anise while the minerality from the soft water is evident in the finish.
FOOD PAIRING
A natural match for sweet, succulent shellfish like lobster and scallops, but surprising pairings like bittersweet chocolate work, too.
KONTEKI- TEARS OF DAWN/ DAIGINJO
SAKE OVERVIEW
Brewed in the same way with the same ingredients as Pearls of Simplicity but with a touch of distilled alcohol to open up aromatics and lighten the overall impact. Konteki means “dew drops of the earth” while Higashiyama (the brewery name) translates to “eastern hill.“ Brewery workers have been known to start their days watching the sun rise over the mountains until the dew drops glisten as if they were the Tears of Dawn.
TASTING NOTES
Lush notes of tropical banana, anise seed, and truffle. These same flavors come rushing through the full-bodied palate followed by a velvety and dangerously smooth finish.
FOOD PAIRING
Try with braised pork ribs, fresh oysters or smoked gouda cheese.
RIHAKU- DREAMY CLOUDS/ TOKUBETSU JUNMAI NIGORI
SAKE OVERVIEW
Dreamy Clouds is quite special because its milling rate of 59% technically qualifies it as Junmai Ginjo grade - a rare quality level for a nigori (cloudy) sake. It presents an opportunity to move Nigori drinkers forward to new styles of sake.
TASTING NOTES
Bright and lean in the mouth, unlike many Nigori, and the impact is chewy with sweet rice flavors intermingling with the nutty and slightly fruity characteristics of the sake.
FOOD PAIRING
Pair with spicy noodle dishes, risotto, or white fish.