Honor Prize Recipients

Ginjo-shu Category :  14Manufacturers

Ginjo-shu by Kanazawa-yeast Category :  14 Manufacturers

The Kanazawa Regional Taxation Bureau Sake Awards 2019 were held for Ginjo-shu (see Note 1) entered from among sake manufacturers of the three Hokuriku prefectures. This year’s sake quality evaluations, which were conducted between March 19 and March22, considered 124 entries from 39 manufacturers in the Ginjo-shu category, as well as 93entries from 35 manufacturers in the Ginjo-shu by Kanazawa-yeast (see Note 2) category.

Based on the results of the quality evaluation, 14manufacturers for the Ginjo-shu category and 14 manufacturers for the Ginjo-shu by Kanazawa-yeast category were selected as winners of the Honor Prize. The Regional Commissioner presented the manufacturers and chief sake brewers with award certificates. For the names of the winners, etc., please refer to the attachment “List of Prize Winners

【Note】We hereby announces a correction notice with respect to “List of Prize Winners” which has been listed on this website since 10 a.m. on thursday, October 6, 2022, as 正誤表 Errata(PDF/64.8KB).We sincerely apologize for providing incorrect information.

  • Note 1. Ginjo-shu refers to sake brewed slowly at low temperature under the so-called Ginjo-zukuri (Ginjo-making) method with highly polished rice. Sophisticated technologies play a role in managing the treatment of ingredient rice, yeast selection, koji-zukuri (koji-making), fermentation, as well as in storing, bottling, and shipping. With a quality tantamount to a work of art, the finished sake presents a pleasant, fruity aroma.
  • Note 2. The "Kanazawa-yeast" mentioned for this event is a yeast strain that was selected in the past at the Kanazawa Regional Taxation Bureau as a superior yeast for sake brewing. With a record of prevalent use, the strain is said to produce sake with a calm aroma and a smooth, sharp taste with fullness of body. The entries to the Ginjo-shu by Kanazawa-yeast category comprise those brewed solely with Kanazawa-yeast.

Review

Last year’s summer was blessed with fine weather, conducive to the growth of good quality rice for sake-making. Moreover, the brewing season, although it was warmer climate than the normal year, it got occasionally cold. For that reason, careful temperature management was required during brewing.

Under such conditions, thanks to the unsurpassed technical skills by the the toji (the sake brewmaster) and manufacturing staff, this year’s season of Hokuriku sake has proven excellent quality.

Many sake entries to this year’s Sake Awards had an elegant taste and mellow aroma, backed by high-quality ingredients and robust sake-brewing techniques. The results were refined quality without exception.

The Hokuriku, blessed with abundant tourism resources and culinary appeal, has been attracting attention from across Japan as well as overseas. We are confident that the high-quality sake brewed in the three prefectures will earn high praise from many consumers.

Director
Office of Analysis and Brewing Technology
Kanazawa Regional Taxation Bureau