193700 Mon Feb 11 09:59:54 -0800 2002 5 18 Manhattan 0 1033725 Lava-hot tip for sake lovers and sake novices alike -- Lenny over at Ambassador Wines and Spirits (1020 Second Ave at 54th, 212.421-5078 told me this weekend that he's planning a big sake tasting for Saturday, Feb. 23rd between 2PM-7PM at the store. Ambassador is in my opinion THE place to go in NYC for sake -- they offer a huge selection and it's stored under proper conditions. They know a tremendous amount about the stuff and can have made some great recommendations for me in the past. The upcoming tasting will include sakes supplied by notables such as John Gauntner (author of The Sake Companion), who will bring a selection of sakes from his importing concern. A number of sakes from other importers will also be represented, so the day promises to be a tremendous opportunity to try out different sakes at no cost while learning from the experts. Mon Feb 11 09:59:54 -0800 2002 0 Dennison 1 1034170 ChowNews is such a life saver. Here I was suddenly remembering that Dennison had posted about a sake or wine tasting and wondering about how to search for it. And Zing: number 1 item in this weeks chownews. OK, now to put it on the calendar on my palm. Link: http://chowhound.safeshopper.com/23/cat23.htm?933 Sat Feb 16 02:49:15 -0800 2002 1033725 0 wrayb 2 1034627 I didn't make it to the tasting. How was it? Sun Feb 24 15:07:28 -0800 2002 1034170 0 wrayb 3 1034633 Well the sake tasting was pretty good. I was there at around 5-6pm. John Gautner was, like always, very knowledgeable and informative. His books and website, with a monthly newsletter is great. Three out of the eleven sakes were fantastic. Very different and unusual.I am a sake fanatic and go to tasting 5-6 times a year. "Pride of the Village" was one with an intense fragrant and floral nose and taste. It was one where the sake and lees are put into burlap sakes and no pressure is used to express the finished sake. Just gravity. Almost no sake manufacturers do it this way. It leaves very strong and fragrant flavors. "Sacred Power" was another with intense flavors. The third great one was ??? Sunset something??? I can't remember. It was the eleventh one I tasted and I was a bit fuzzy by then. I don't spit at a tasting. The only down side was that John Gautner was very involved with a minority of the participants. Most especially he was highly focused with a young Japanese couple, chatting in Japanese. Also a blonde who "liked her unfiltered sake with Chambord" had his complete attention (and everyone else who were trying not to gag) so that others with serious questions really didn't get to ask or learn. It is a great store. Lennard took me on a tour and we spent at least a half hour in the desert wine room, chatting and finding out about some great desert wine finds. I recomend Ambassador Wines very much. There was a 20% mark down on Gautner's wines that day. Jonathan Sun Feb 24 20:13:25 -0800 2002 1034627 0 The Rogue 4 1034671 My favorite was Takatenjin (Shrine of the Village). It was very crisp and dry. I find the fruitier sakes to be nice works of art to appreciate, but the flavours are so strong that I can't bring myself to drink a whole glass, let alone a full bottle. I prefer the drier ones that I'll be able to savor for a whole evening. Ginga Shizuku (Divine Droplets) was also very good, but it was hard to tell from just one tasting whether it's worth the price. I like that John's company is adopting an English labeling system... since I don't read Japanese. Mon Feb 25 11:52:40 -0800 2002 1034633 0 Caviar 3 1034856 First off, many thanks to Lenny at Ambassador Wines, Hirome from the Sake Service Institute importers, and John Gauntner and his eSake team for putting together a great tasting on Saturday. I was part of the early group of a dozen or so who got to the bottles as soon as they were opened. It was a glorious opportunity to taste a large variety of sakes -- eleven in all, two from the Jizake selections imported by Hirome’s company and the rest brought over by John G.’s outfit. The group included a tremendous spectrum of sakes, from the simple and straightforward Ginginga to the extremely complex and funky Shinriki. Being relatively new to the sake scene, this was my first formal sake tasting. I’ve done plenty of sake flights at both Sakagura and Decibel, but never eleven in a row without different dishes to savor alongside. It was a real learning experience. I found myself fighting my own tendency to compare different types of sakes against another to pick personal favorites. To do so would be like comparing apples and oranges, since there were so many styles represented. Rather, I tried to appreciate each one for what they were, while thinking of appropriate food pairings for each. The sakes were all high grade artisan-made products – all were ginjo or higher I believe. Unfortunately I didn’t take notes, so will have to wait until someone posts comprehensive tasting notes to speak specifically. I would up leaving with a couple of bottles – the Takatenjin (Shrine of the Village), a bracingly clean, yet rich and smooth sake with perfect acidic balance and the Mantensei (Star-Filled Sky), dry and well-balanced with a hint of sweetness peeking through. I considered the Ginga Shizuku, a beautiful sake (with a hefty price tag ~$80) with tremendous subtlety and elegance that would work wonderfully as an aperitif. The Ginyu Shizuku (made using the same technique) may be a good alternative at about 60% of the cost. I also briefly considered one whose name I forget, a big super-rich, fragrant bomb of a sake whose merits may be hotly debated on these boards. Those who attended will likely know which one I’m talking about. Its flavor profile is one that may appeal to the U.S. palate, where our consumers tend to like huge butter-rich, over-oaked Chardonnays. It compares well to the Daiten Shiragiku that I’ve often had. For me, the key to these big fragrant juicy-fruity sakes is using them correctly. I see them as comparable to a fine Sauternes, best used as a dessert wine or carefully paired with foie gras (or ankimo). Not the kind of thing that you serve throughout a meal, where the drier more balanced ones are a better choice. That said, I had a fantastic dessert two nights ago at Sakagura – a simple subtle kanten dish with peaches that matched perfectly with the Daiten Shiragiku and would be fantastic with the one at the tasting as well. Overall, the sake tasting was an invaluable experience and a whole lot of fun, which is the point of good food and drink isn’t it? Wed Feb 27 10:04:20 -0800 2002 1034627 0 Dennison