[Featured article]ShinshuThe alcohol speaks of terroir

image:ShinshuThe alcohol speaks of terroir

Because it is long north and south and is separated by mountains, it has fostered a rich and diverse culture. Nagano prefecture.
The same goes for sake, with small lots of sake brewing high-quality sake that strongly reflect the influence of the local climate and topography, scattered throughout the prefecture, and the number is second in the country. A wide variety of sake is brewed that is closely connected to the local food and culture.
Beside the local sake, there was the rice and rich water from the area, and the people were able to live.

Because sake is simple, water, rice, and rice koji, the technology and high-quality ingredients of each brewery are important for good sake brewing. Nagano The prefecture is blessed with water that can be considered the lifeblood of sake brewing, such as melting snow from the mountains in each region, and is characterized by its many breweries that brew sake with local rice. In the past, sake rice was introduced from outside the prefecture, but since the early Showa era Nagano In addition to developing sake rice suitable for the cool climate and climate of the country, Nagano The discovery of the value of sake rice produced in the prefecture has paid off, and in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, it grew to the point of producing the country, which was the third largest in the country* production volume.
*Source: Agricultural product inspection results (production volume) for rice that is suitable for sake brewing and estimates of production for 2020 (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries)

Miyama Nishiki has grown into Japan's leading sake rice

Shishiba Tsutomu, CEO of Tagiri Agricultural Co., Ltd.

Nagano The prefecture began with Takane Nishiki in 1944, and has developed a variety of sake rice, including "Kinmon Nishiki", "Shirakaba Nishiki", and "Hitogokochi". Miyama Nishiki, which began distribution in 1975, has grown to the point of boasting the third largest production in Japan, after Yamada Nishiki and Gohyumankoku. Because it is a cold-resistant variety, Nagano It is cultivated in the Tohoku region, mainly in the prefecture, and many breweries in the prefecture brewing sake made with "Miyama Nishiki."

Shishiba Tsutomu, CEO of Tagiri Agricultural Co., Ltd.

Miyama Nishiki has a small core white and is highly polished, making it a modest aroma, less quirky, and a clear, sharp sake. In addition to the presence of enthusiastic fans calling themselves "Miyamanist," the "Miyamaniki" category was established at the internationally prestigious Japanese sake competition "KURA MASTER 2021", which took place in France, and its existence has surpassed Japan and has become known around the world.

"Miyama Nishiki has a slightly shorter growth period than Koshihikari and is closer to an early-growing variety. Also, taking advantage of its cold-resistant properties, it is grown at a slightly higher altitude in Ina Valley."
This is what I told you about Shishiba Tsutomu, the CEO of Tagiri Agricultural Co., Ltd.

Tagiri Agricultural Products Nagano This village farming corporation was established with more than 250 residents in the Tagiri district of Iijima-machi, located in Ina Valley in the southern part of the prefecture, and is engaged in a variety of activities, including producing and selling rice, wheat, soybeans, soba noodles, vegetables, and other ingredients, producing and selling agricultural work, contracting farming, and operating direct sales outlets, focusing on "permanent agriculture" and "environmentally friendly agriculture."

The Kamiina area, where Iijima Town is located, is also known as one of the prefecture's leading sake rice production areas, and this area contains 144 hectares, which accounts for 24% of the 612 hectares of the cultivation area of sake rice in 2021.

Ask why sake rice is so popular in Ina Valley
"The rice fields in Ina Valley are characterized by an altitude difference of 450 to 800m. In this environment, for example, Koshihikari rice is produced uniformly, but good rice is difficult to grow at high altitudes, so we are cultivating different varieties depending on the altitude, and sake rice, including Miyama Nishiki, is now actively produced in areas with high altitudes and extreme temperature differences," says Shishiba.

In addition, Nagano The prefecture is prone to diseases, so the temperature does not remain in the 28 to 30 degrees Celsius temperature range, which makes rice of high quality compared to other prefectures. The area around the Tagiri area of Iijima-Machi, in particular, is relatively high at an altitude of about 750m, with temperature differences between the day and night, ranging from 22 to 3 degrees in the morning and around 32 degrees in the day, which helps to grow high-quality rice with good weight.

At Tagiri Agricultural, they value their relationship with sake brewers, and whenever they have the opportunity to meet with master brewers, they listen to their impressions of rice and use it to produce them.
"For about 20 years, our company has been growing sake rice without using any chemical fertilizers and keeping the use of pesticides to less than half the prefecture's standard. When we first started, there were few producers nationwide who were growing sake rice using organic or reduced pesticides, but this has also been a challenge from sake brewers who have proposed, "Is it possible to make rice like this?" I would like to continue to cherish this kind of dialogue with sake brewers," says Shishiba.

"I think the basic principle is to make sake from locally produced rice and water pumped there. Nagano When I talk to people from the prefecture's sake breweries, I found that Miyama Nishiki and others Nagano I think there are many breweries that use sake rice from the prefecture and brew the sake using the water that gushes out from the brewery. Thanks to the efforts of the sake brewery and making good sake, we can also make a lot of rice, and we would like to work together with the sake brewery to convey the goodness of the sake rice produced in the prefecture, including the nature of the sake rice, the climate and history of making sake rice."

Nagano Many breweries in the prefecture are working hard to brew sake with the strong belief that "sake is a joint work between farmers and sake breweries," and the same goes for sake rice producers.

Nagano "Yamae Nishiki" is a promising new variety born in the prefecture

Takahashi Sukesaku Sake Brewery 5th generation Takahashi Kuniyoshi

It is comparable to Yamada Nishiki, the king of sake rice. Nagano Sankei Nishiki was created after 17 years of long years, from the start of breeding in 2003 to the 2020 when the variety was registered, with the aim of becoming a new prefecture-original sake rice. It combines the advantages of sake rice such as "Miyama Nishiki" and "Yamada Nishiki", and has a good balance of flavor and a smooth sake.

As soon as applications for a variety registration have been made public, and from 2018 it became possible to exhibit or sell sake marked as "Shinko Sake No. 545 (Yamae Nishiki)" from 2018, sake brewed at Yamae Nishiki won the gold medal at the National New Sake Tasting Competition. In addition, in the SAKE category of the International Wine Challenge (IWC) 2021 international wine competition held in London, Suwa Miko Tsuru Sake Brewery's "Miko Tsuru Junmai Ginjo (Yamae Nishiki)" reached the top of a total of 1,499 brands, winning the crown of the champion salmon. This is a highly anticipated new variety that has made a brilliant and spectacular debut. Every year, the number of sake breweries in Yamae Nishiki is increasing, and now nearly half of the prefecture's sake brewing sake from Yamae Nishiki.

"At the time this variety began to spread, Nagano Among the new sake rice varieties bred by the prefectural agricultural experimental center, it seems to be of good quality as sake rice, andShinano TownThere were varieties suitable for the climate, and are resistant to cold and disease, so we asked farmers to try cultivating them for a trial period and started trying to make sake using new sake rice. That's exactly what Yamae-nishi is."
This is what he taught me Nagano In the northern part of the prefectureShinano TownTakahashi Kuniyoshi, the fifth generation of Takahashi Sukesaku Sake Brewery, founded in 1875.

It brews sake using local spring water and raw rice, and is one of the few sake brewers that have continued to participate in the trial brewing of "Shinko Sake No. 545" (later Yamae Nishiki), which is not known whether it will become popular. In 2018, when sake brewed with Yamae Nishiki became available for sale, Junmai Daiginjo, made with 100% Yamae Nishiki, was released in the "Nationwide New Sake Tackle Review," "Kanto Shinetsu National Tax Bureau," and " Nagano It was exhibited at each prefecture's "Prefectural" exam review. This is the first sake brewery to make Yamae Nishiki known to the world, having won the domestic triple crowns of the Gold Award, Excellence Award and Governor's Award.

Image: Takahashi Kuniyoshi, fifth generation owner of Takahashi Sukesaku Sake Brewery

"Nationwide, when it comes to sake rice, Yamada Nishiki is famous, Nagano The reality is that the climatic conditions do not match in the prefecture, making it difficult to cultivate. The "cold" is a major problem in particular. Late frost in spring, cold summer, and in some areas, snow falls in late autumn. Nagano "I think Yama Keikinishiki is a sake rice that was born from the constraints and trials of overcoming the constraints caused by weather conditions and how to create something that is not inferior to Yamada Nishiki in terms of the nature of rice," says Takahashi.

Apparently, about 30 years ago, Takahashi took over sake brewing at a milestone in the production of sake, with the birth of new yeasts and the fertile ginjo production. At that time, we worked on daiginjo production, focusing on Yamada Nishiki, which was produced outside the prefecture, and accumulated technical know-how. As the next challenge, it is said that it is difficult to win an award at a review unless it is a "Daiginjo" that uses Yamada Nishiki. Nagano The program uses prefecture's sake rice varieties, especially Miyama Nishiki, to brew high-quality sake "Junmai Daiginjo."

And, after repeated trial and error, in 2008 Nagano Junmai Daiginjo brewed with Miyama Nishiki, a prefecture-grown jar, won the gold medal at the "National New Sake Tasting Competition." However, perhaps due to the effects of climate change, the company faces the challenge of growing stable, high-quality sake rice, such as high temperature disorders. Just as he was thinking that he would have to research cultivation methods to overcome the effects of climate change with the cooperation of farmers, the timing of the trial cultivation of Yamae Nishiki began, and he began taking the challenge of brewing sake using unknown sake rice, which is unknown and unclear.

「 Nagano Even within the prefecture, there are large differences in elevation in various places, so thisShinano TownRice that grows in the region of Kitashin, and is resistant to climate change, Nagano I believe that there will be benefits for the prefecture as a whole, so we asked local farmers to work together to brew them in Yamae Nishiki," says Takahashi.

For the third consecutive year since 2020, we have been working in the local area.Shinano TownWe only use Yamae Nishiki from the nearby Togakushi area, but by focusing on rice from a specific region, we can obtain sake rice that is similar in character, and it is said that it is easier to process ingredients and produce high quality products than using rice from various sources.

It is important to exchange information because we are close to farmers.
"We are talking about the trends in rice and rice cultivation at times, and even if the rice grade is good, it can be difficult to make alcohol, so we work with farmers to think about what is necessary to make it a good alcohol, such as by feeding back the results of sake brewing," says Takahashi.

The bounty of nature such as local water and rice, as well as the trust between farmers and sake breweries, is condensed. Nagano Prefecture's sake. Exactly Nagano It can be said to be a product of the prefecture's terroir.

This article is information as of January 2023.
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