Asian Wines

A single serving of Saké is traditionally known as "ichigo" or just "go," and is equal to approximately 180 milliliters. This is about the amount of Saké that a masu held, a traditional square box used as a drinking vessel.

A "yongobin" is a Saké bottle holding 720 milliliters, or four "go." Thus, most of the imported Saké you will find in stores will hold 720ml rather than the usual 750ml found in wine bottles. You still will find some Saké though in 750ml bottles.

An "ishoobin" or just "shou" is a 1.8 liter bottle, which holds about 60 ounces as opposed to 48 ounces in a yongobin.

A tokkuri is a ceramic flask used to serve Saké. You most often see them in restaurants used with warmed Saké. You also see them as part of Saké cup sets. They seem rarely used for chilled Saké.

Masu, as mentioned previously, is a traditional wooden drinking cup that was made of sugi, Japanese cedar. It was shaped like a small box and holds about 180ml. Traditionally, a pinch of salt was placed on one corner of the masu as a palate cleanser. There are still restaurants that provide masu for your Saké. Other places may put your glass Saké glass into a masu as a bow to tradition.

Ochoko or choko are small Saké cups, the type of cups that are most common in restaurants. The cups are a bit broader at the top to better allow the odors to waft up. They can come in different shapes, colors and designs. My photos above show ochoko and you can see that they all are different. You can buy Saké with all the same cups, or different ones.

Of course Riedel has designed their own Saké glasses. They make a stemmed Vinum glass for Daiginjo Saké as well as an "O" glass for all types of Saké. Their "O" glass is similar to some of their white wine glass. I am not sure that their "O" glass would really be good for chilled Saké. Without a stem, your hands would soon warm the Saké. This is important especially as the O glass holds far more Saké than the traditional choko.

Why use a glass for your Saké? Why not something more exotic? Well, the Japanese do sometimes go to an exreme.

On occasion, the Japanese use various sea creatures as drinking vessels. The kegani, the hairy crab, may be sliced in half and not cleaned out. Then they pour Saké into the crab halves and drink. You definitely get a fishy flavor then. They might also use a dried squid or cuttlefish, as they are hollow. This is more often used for warmed Saké rather than chilled. The poisonous fugu, the blowfish, may also become a drinking vessel. Well, really only the fin, which is not poisonous, may be used as a cup. Saké may also be given to live abalone though it won't be used as a cup. Instead, the abalone actually drinks the sake, gets drunk, and then the Japanese will eat its meat which has a flavor of Saké.

I have never tried any of those seafood options, though I have had a fugu fin in a glass of Saké. It was nothing impressive, just something different.

Are you forming a picture of harvesting grapes in vineyards and wineries making classic red wines?

If not, you are not alone. The first reaction most people have when they encounter traditional wines from exotic Southeast Asia is disbelief.

But believe it. The wine growers in this area are dedicated to bringing in grapes that can compete with the best that their neighbor, Australia, has to offer. Not only that, but with the endless summer weather, they are managing two and sometimes three harvests a year. Imagine that in the grape growing regions farther from the tropics.

The wines in Indonesia are draped on arbors made from living trees. The workers live among the vines and are instantly available to take care of any problems. In Thailand the grapes grow in "floating vineyards" surrounded by water. The care and harvesting are done by workers in boats.

What kinds of wine could possibly be the result of such heresy? A critic for the International Flight Catering Association found some on display at the 2000 London International Wine Trade Fair. The reaction? "There was a red and a white wine which, it was suggested, would be ideal accompaniments to oriental cuisine; Indeed they were, but they were also seriously good wines which would hold their own in international company. In a blind tasting, never in a million years would anyone have been able to guess the country of origin. "

Mike Dunne, the Sacramento Bee's food editor, reported in June of 2004, "The Monsoon Valley 2001 Red Wine not only was the first Thai wine to be entered in the Los Angeles County Fair Wines of the World competition a few weeks ago, it was the first Thai wine to wine a medal, a bronze."

As the people of Southeast Asia find more prosperity, they are drinking more wines. While Australia and France have been the main suppliers so far, if the native vintners have any say, home made wines will be the fashionable way to go. After all, just a few years ago, growing grapes for premium wines in California and Australia was a radical thought.

It will take time for a wine culture to develop in a country where wine appreciation is in its infancy. Chinese drinkers prefer beer and hard liquor; the per capita volume of wine consumption in China is only 6% of the world's average. China imports some $30 million worth of wine per year, very low when one considers that the world's largest winemaker Constellation Brands has annual wine sales that easily exceed $3 billion.

But wine is increasingly popular in cities like Beijing (population 15 million) and Shanghai (population 18 million). It's not surprising that wine exporters are anticipating strong revenue growth.

According to the Canadian Embassy in China, Beijing and Shanghai have the largest markets for western foods while their major hotels and restaurants prominently feature wine.

Red wine is now fashionable at lounges, night clubs, discos and some upscale Chinese restaurants and banquets. Because the Chinese press extols the health benefits of red wine, most Chinese consumers are attracted to wine for its health benefits rather than taste. Expensive bottles of red wine are now the latest "trophy drink" of newly rich Chinese, who drink wines when eating out as a sign of both wealth and sophistication.

White wines are the chosen drink of many Chinese women, who also create spritzers by mixing white wine with soft drinks.

Price is a major consideration for Chinese wine drinkers. Imported wines cost from US$10 to $20 per bottle, while low-quality domestic wines cost about $3 per bottle and dominate the bottom-end of the market. Domestic wine are produced from Chinese grapes blended with cheap imported bulk wine.
And The Winners Are...

Since joining the World Trade Organization on December 11, 2001, China has lowered tariffs on wine imports from 64% to 14%. To take advantage of the lowered tariffs, one of China's biggest alcohol makers Wuliangye is now importing wine from Europe and selling it under its own Chinese brand.

Canadian products including ice wine are unique and relatively new to China. Canadian wines are distributed by the two biggest importers in China, Montrose Food & Wine and ASC Fine Wines.

Entrepreneurs interested in the names of potential Chinese wine importers and distributors should contact the Canadian Embassy in Beijing or the Canadian Consulates in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chongqing.

One of the leading producers of Thai wine is the Siam Winery. Siam Winery is one of Asia's leading wine producers. In 1982 Chalerm Yoovidhya founded Siam Winery with the ambition to become Asia's leading
company in producing & marketing of wine and grape-based products.
Their Monsoon Valey wines are made to enhance, compliment, and balance a rich mixture of Thai flavours; spicy, sweet, salty, and sour. These light to medium-bodied wines are dry, and have a lower acidity to balance the already complex tastes of Thai cuisine. They are especially good with spicier dishes.

Every so often, you hear a wild idea, and say "that's good, I'd try that." This is not one of them. Japanese Geneticists have discovered a gene which stimulates yeast fermentation in the udders of "sake cows." They can turn off the gene that makes milk and turn on the gene that makes alcohol, providing the base ingredients for wine.

According to an article on the subject, "Although the process is in its infancy the implications for the wine industry are huge. Should Dr Sakegami's research come to fruition (or fermentation if you will) we could see the first commercially produced wine from a mobile vineyard within 15 to 20 years."

First of all, no, the implications on the wine industry are not huge. Who in their right mind would want to drink wine made from the udders of cows. Cow udders don't provide the controlled environment that is needed to produce quality wine.

Also, just because the cow udders stimulate alcoholic fermentation doesn't mean that they can produce wine. Wine is made when wine grapes are fermented, how would you get pure grape must into the udders of cows. It seems like there would be other products in there as well, like milk. Milk and Wine don't sound like a very good pairing.

It's great that scientists are experimenting with genetics, but perusing this commercially may not be the best idea. If I were offered wine from cows, I would have to say, No Thanks.