Sitting at the foot of the Blue Mountains in New South Wales is Australia's only brewer of Japanese sake or 'rice wine'.
Alan Noble, the managing director of Sun Masamune Pty Ltd, says the company has been brewing sake in Penrith since 1996. A new Japanese head brewer, Mr Hirofumi Uchiyama, joined the company in January 2006.
Combining top quality Australian japonica-style large grain rice and pure water, Sun Masamune produces an estimated one million litres per year of junmai style 'rice only' Goshu sake, 80 per cent of which is ironically destined for export to Japan and the US. (Goshu literally means 'Australian sake').
Sake is believed to have a history dating back in China to more than 6000 years ago. However, modern methods of sake brewing have been crafted in Japan since the eighth century, and it has since become one of Japan's national cultural icons.
Goshu sake takes up to three months to make. The rice is first milled to 70-40 per cent of its original size. Milling removes the external proteins and oils from the rice grain which can affect the flavour, so the amount of milling determines the quality of the final product.
The rice is then washed, soaked and steamed. A special type of mould called koji is added, which enables the rice starch to be converted to glucose. The mixture is allowed to ferment for approximately one month before it is pasteurised and transferred to storage tanks to mature. The alcohol content of sake is around 14 to 15 per cent which is similar to wine. It contains no preservatives or antioxidants.
Sun Masamune brews five types of sake; its most popular brand is Goshu Blue which retails between $20-24 for 720ml. The top of the line is Goshu 40, which is an ultra-premium sake. The company also produces a blended fruit sake cocktail called 'Tsunami', although it may not be popular with traditionalists!
So what does sake taste like and how do you drink it?
I found Goshu Blue to be slightly dry with a light fruity aroma. It is smooth to drink and has a subtle, unassuming flavour that develops at the back of the palate.
I have always enjoyed sake with spicy and fried foods as it provides a refreshing cleansing after taste. It also goes particularly well with seafood, such as oysters and smoked salmon.
Good quality sake is best consumed chilled, but can also be drunk at room temperature or slightly warmed. It is traditionally poured into a small ceramic cup called a choko, but a normal wine glass will suffice. It is always good custom to serve your companion first.
Sun Masamune offers free sake tasting and brewery tours from 10am-4pm Monday to Friday. Contact the Visitors Centre Manager Sue Ball on (02) 4732 2833 (for Australian callers).
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