Official recognition [National Gold Award for two consecutive years]
- 月吉野 若林醸造
- Oct 18
- 2 min read
At the Reiwa 6 Brewing Year National New Sake Tasting Competition held in May, our sake "Tsukiyoshino JunmaiDaiginjo" won the gold medal.
I am very happy that this is the second consecutive year that we have won the gold award.
The biggest reason for winning the gold award this time was the "high quality of the ingredients."
The sake rice, Yamada Nishiki produced in Saku City, Nagano Prefecture, has been newly used from the 2024 brewing year.
Yamada Nishiki is mostly produced in Hyogo Prefecture, and most of the sake that wins awards at sake tasting competitions is made using this rice.
After winning a gold award last year, we decided to make a bold change to the place of origin.
This means that all of our sake ingredients are made from rice grown in Nagano Prefecture.
The producer is Shinshu Farm Ogiwara, who produces all of the Miyamanishiki rice we use.
I knew him well and he was a highly skilled farmer, so I had no worries, but once we started making sake, the high quality became clear.
By the way, Nagano Prefecture was the fourth in the nation in the number of gold medal winners this year, and it seemed like the number of breweries winning awards using sake rice produced in Nagano Prefecture is increasing.
Due to the effects of global warming, the areas suitable for growing sake rice may be moving northward.
The specifications of the winning sake are as follows:
Product name: Tsukiyoshino Shin Junmai Daiginjo Sake
Sake rice: Yamada Nishiki from Saku City, Nagano Prefecture.
Rice polishing ratio: 39%
Alcohol content: 15%
Ingredients: Rice, rice koji
Manufacturer: Wakabayashi Brewery Co., Ltd.
It is only available in 720ml, but 300ml is also available in stores.
This is a dish that you should definitely try at least once.
Yesterday morning, I paid a courtesy visit to Mayor Ueda and conveyed the above information to him.
This is the second courtesy visit following last year.
After exchanging information on the current state of rice and sake and fermentation, before leaving the room, we were greeted with the words, "Please come again next year!"
I headed home with a lot of pressure on my shoulders.
My teacher has won this award for eight consecutive years, so I still have a long way to go, but I will continue to work hard without becoming complacent.
