Rosé Junmai Sake 180ml

Rice wine’s answer to Provence rosé. This could start a sake revolution…

Known in Japanese as Amabuki Gin No Kurenai Junmai, but abbreviated here to simply Amabuki Rosé, this is the sake for summer. Its Provence rosé blush comes from the ancient black rice variety called Shikokumai, used in conjunction with the more traditional Sagano Hana rice. Fermentation is started using yeast from the Pink Nadeshiko flower, a type of Dianthus, which imparts notes of pear and wild berries. The result is a fascinating combination of wild strawberry, rose petals, hibiscus, pear sorbet and nutty Camargue red rice. Soft and dangerously easy to drink when chilled down, it pairs beautifully with antipasti, grilled shrimp, scallops, paella, poached salmon and sunshine.

Located in the northwest of the Japanese island of Kyushu, Amabuki Brewery is a unique producer, as they use yeasts from locally grown flowers to ferment their sake. Rather than using pesticides, they allow ducks to wander around their paddy fields, picking off any unwanted weeds or insects, their webbed feet gently oxygenating and strengthening the roots of the rice plants.