Junmai Daiginjo – Dry – Pure Organic Sake
| Country | Japan |
|---|---|
| Prefecture | Fukushima |
| Producer | Uka |
| Size | 720mL |
| Grade | Junmai Daiginjo |
| Other Features | Kosher |
Brewery: Ninki Shuzō
Rice Brand Name: Koda Farms® Heirloom Organic Kokuhō Rose®
Rice Milling Ratio: 40% (60% is milled away)
SMV: 7% – Acidity: 1.5 – Alcohol content: 16%
“This Junmai Daiginjo from the award-winning Fukushima prefecture is a uniquely fragrant, full-bodied yet delicate sake of the highest order. Wild florals, fresh peach, and crisp apple aromas emanate from the glass, before orchard and stone fruit cascade across the palate. Reminiscent of Grand Cru Chablis in body, Uka Dry is weighty and powerful, without ever being heavy. Clean mineral undertones drive the finish, closing out this novel bottling with notes of crushed limestone and chalk.” Wine Access
All the UKA Sakes are Kosher. However only the Uka Black label 720ml and the Sparkling 300ml have the certification stamp on the label. The Uka Sakes are not Kosher for Passover, which is another designation.
About the Producer
Uka (the Japanese word for "emergence”) is a collaboration between two iconic families across the Pacific Ocean. The rice from Koda Farms, a Japanese-founded farm in Merced County, California, is transformed into sake by the 19th-generation team at Ninki Shuzo, in the heart of Japan’s prized Fukushima prefecture.
Keisaburo Koda is a Fukushima native who immigrated to the United States more than a century ago. Convinced that California offered ideal terroir for fine rice cultivation, he dedicated his life to elevating rice strains like Kokuho Rose, a unique variety that gives one-of-a-kind aromatics and a silken texture. Third-generation Ross Koda, who currently manages Koda Farms, had the original idea to produce saké using their organic rice; he sought the advice and assistance of Yujin Yusa, president of Ninki Shuzo.
In Fukushima, the Ninki Shuzo clan has been using the pristine waters of Mount Adatara to brew crystalline and expressive sakes for several centuries. These pure, unadulterated water - which originate from snowfall and filter naturally through underground aquifers for 40 years before reaching the brewery- give incredible minerality and focus, and are responsible for countless award-winning sakes.
Uka sakes combine the Koda and Ninki Shuzo legacies, with great results.
“I was passionate about creating good quality saké using our rice and I think we accomplished that,” said Koda. “My late grandfather, Keisaburo Koda, was dedicated to promoting relations between the U.S. and Japan, and I am seeking to do the same with this saké.”
