For the past couple of years, we’ve taken a look at the Texas wine industry. (And don’t worry, we’ll continue to do so.) This week I’d like to introduce you to a different kind of Texas wine that you can’t get from grapes. Instead, it’s made from 100 percent organic Texas rice. Yes, rice. Fans of sushi and Japanese cuisine are likely familiar with saké, a Japanese wine made from fermented rice. But did you know that this clean, off-dry beverage also goes well with Tex-Mex and barbecue? (gasp!)

A few weeks ago, Texas welcomed the first official Texas saké to the market made from organic rice from Wharton right in the heart of Austin at the Texas Saké Company. Owned by certified saké professional and self-proclaimed saké enthusiast Yoed Anis, the company is officially the first ever kura, or saké brewery, in the state as well as the first completely organic saké kura in all of North America.

But let’s start with talking a little about what saké is, and what it isn’t.

Saké is a Japanese rice wine made in a similar way to wine and beer in that it is fermented rather than distilled like spirits such as vodka and whiskey. And much like wine and beer, it can take on a variety of different flavor characteristics from cantaloupe and coconut to pear and lemongrass. Saké is differentiated into a number of different grades based on the level to which the grains of rice are polished for the purest rice taste. The higher percentage of polish, the more premium the saké. Great saké is usually dry with just a bit of sweetness balanced with acidity.

A few common types to recognize on a drink menu:

Junmai – The first of the premium grades of filtered saké made purely from rice, water, yeast, and koji (the fermenting mold used to brew saké). Jumnai is clear and tends to have a full-bodied flavor with hints of apple,  peach, or pear.

Ginjo – A more premium grade of filtered saké. The rice must be polished down to 60 percent of the original grain for production. The result is a cleaner, more delicate feel with crisp tropical flavors.

Diaginjo – A step up from ginjo, this premium grade of filtered saké requires a 50 percent polish on the rice. These sakés require a great deal of care for production and are therefore priced higher and enjoyed as a sipping beverage rather than with food.

Nigori – This style is distinguished by its milky presentation. Nigori is unfiltered leaving rice sediment in the final product that gives a sweeter, off-dry taste.

Saké is not a party shot like Jägermeister intended to be consumed as part of a “bomb” when dropped into a pint of beer. (Even if they push “saké bombs” at popular Sushi party dens like DK Sushi in South Austin, I promise the traditionalists are all snickering at you when you do it.) (more…)

Tagged: Fleming's, Jessica Dupuy, Shoreline Grill, Texas Sake, Texas Sake Company, uchi, uchiko, Yoed Anis