Kentucky Kernel - Scene: Japanese wine finds home in US

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Tuesday, February 16, 2000

Scene

SAKé TO ME

Japanese wine finds home in US

PHOTO FURNISHED

All about saké
Griffith Frost holds a bottle of his creation in front of the tanks at his kura, SakéOne, in Oregon. Saké, a traditional wine in Japan, is pronounced 'sock-eh'.

Asian delight: Japanese tradition, along with American ingenuity, shakes up the alcohol world, and makes drinking a little more interesting

Amanda York
SCENE EDITOR

The first time Griffith Frost tasted saké he fell in love. He loved the taste of the Japanese wine so much, he opened up the only American-owned saké kura in this country.

"I fell in love with premium chilled sakés in Japan," Frost said.

Frost lived in Japan for 13 years, and had a number of occupations. He did everything from running English language schools to building log homes to running a hot springs hotel.

Making saké seemed like the next thing to do. Frost now works as the CEO of SakéOne Corporation in his birthstate of Oregon.

"Actually there are seven saké kura in the United States - five in California, one in Colorado and one in Oregon (us)," he said. "We are the only American-owned saké kura. The rest are owned by Japanese saké kura based in Japan."

Frost's dream of producing saké in the United States became possible when he met the president of Momokawa Saké in Japan and the two ventured in an effort to develop a saké business in America.

Saké facts

Saké vs. wine

Saké has a lower acidity than wine. Saké, unlike wine, contains no sulfites (and 10 percent of Americans are allergic to sulfites). Premium saké is virtually hangover-free. In Japan, studies show that people who enjoy saké daily strengthen their cardiovascular system without wine's characteristic "sour stomach." Saké has 400 flavor components; wine has 200. Saké is more subtle and delicate, which enhances its ability to serve as a social catalyst promoting wonderful relationships. Some people subscribe to the legend that saké is an aphrodisiac.

Let's talk saké

If you're going to seriously consider getting into saké, here are a few terms every saké aficionado should know ... Kura: saké brewery Toji: Chief brewer, sakémaster -shu: a suffix meaning "wine" or "wine-like beverage" Hiyazake: saké served at room temperature or slightly chilled; another word for chilled saké is reishu Kanzake: saké that is served warm

Saké sayings

Try saying these to look like a saké pro: Sake wa hyaku yaku no cho "A drink a day keeps the doctor away."

Sakénomi jozu wa nagaiki jozu. "To know how to drink properly is to know longevity."

Saké wa saki ni tomo to nari, ato ni tiki ni naru. "Saké starts out as a friend but can end as an enemy." Remember the importance of moderation.

Ippai nomeba yuki ga waki, hito-hataraki suru hodo sei ga deru mono da. "A good drink fills me with courage, and creates in me the drive to get some work done."

What is bad saké?

Some tips to help you avoid saké that may be unfit for human consumption:

Unbalanced combination of qualities Excessive sweetness with no acidity Something in the flavor that just doesn't belong there Rubber or paper smell in the fragrance Bland or flat impact Dullish gold tinge (unless it is intentionally aged saké) Old bottling tape Bottle left open or in bright light

Source: "Saké, Pure + Simple" by Griffith Frost and John Gauntner

The two did more than just develop a saké business, they have literally recreated the saké business and even changed it in some ways to suit the tastes of Americans.

Many people consider saké the "drink of the gods," Frost said. Frost and his company began producing infused versions of saké to make it more appealing to the American palette.

"We are the first folks ever to create infused sakés and they are shaking up the 6,800-year-old world of saké," Frost said.

Frost said that many Japanese saké makers view his new invention as "defiling the drink of the gods."

"To me, I am simply making saké enticing for the American consumer to try," he said.

Even though Americans may find the infused sakés appealing, many people said the new invention will never work in Japan.

The chairman of the Saké Association of America and president of Takera in Berkeley that makes the Sho Chiku Bai brand of saké, Teisuke Kainuma, said the infused sakés strayed too far from tradition for drinkers in Japan.

"Grif's idea is new and correct, but unthinkable in Japan," Kainuma said.

Frost said the Japanese enjoy the drink at every major event.

"Saké is enjoyed at Japanese weddings, funerals and every other kind of celebration," he said. "It's used to cook with, to drink and even to bathe."

Frost said saké is enjoyed as a drink in Japan just like Americans enjoy wine in the U.S. The Japanese even celebrate Saké Day on October 1, and Frost said he wants to bring this Japanese tradition to America.

"Everyone in Japan enjoys saké on that day. The Saké Association of America and SakéOne are working to make it a day when all Americans will enjoy a glass of premium chilled saké," Frost said.

Frost began producing saké at his kura in 1998 and he said his new $10 million facility combines high-tech brewing equipment with that of age-old brewing techniques from Momokawa.

"At SakéOne we use a combination of American hi-tech know-how combined with traditional Japanese handcrafted saké making techniques to produce our saké," Frost said.

Saké, like red or white wine, can be served with many dishes. Frost said saké tastes best when served with fish, chicken, pork, vegetarian and Asian cuisine.

Unlike wine, Frost said saké does not have more flavor than the food.

"Saké has 1/3 the acidity of wine so it does not burn out the freshness of food relative to wine and it's easy on the stomach as well," he said.

For Frost, enjoyment seems to rule all aspects of life.

"Why would anybody do anything if they didn't enjoy it? That's my naďve outlook on life perhaps, but I have always done it and it has always worked out for me," Frost said.

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