SAKE MAP
Hokuriku & Koshinetsu / Types: Sake
Six drinks from Nagano, each with a snack that suits it and a short story behind the bottle.
Masumi
A distinguished Suwa brewery that gave rise to the famed "No. 7 yeast," used by breweries nationwide. Its hallmark is a poised, clear taste, mirroring the crystalline climate of Suwa. A brewery that made its name in sake history, yet still keeps evolving. As if the clear Shinshu air were bottled straight.
Pairs with：Shinshu soba (buckwheat noodles) / Nozawana (pickled leaf greens)
Daishinshu
A Matsumoto powerhouse whose name carries "the bounty of Shinshu's great land." Insisting on contract-grown sake rice, it draws out a gorgeous, juicy aroma. Its transparent taste, born of careful craft, enchants many fans. The clear scenery of Shinshu, looking out to the Alps, comes to mind.
Pairs with：Shinshu soba (buckwheat noodles) / Basashi (horse sashimi)
Meikyoshisui
An elegant name meaning "a clear mirror and still water," reflecting a serene state of mind. True to that name, its hallmark is a quiet, clear, poised taste. Its craft, choosing purity over flash, lifts a dish quietly. A bottle to calm the heart and savor slowly.
Pairs with：Oyaki (stuffed baked dumpling) / Shinshu soba (buckwheat noodles)
Sakunohana
A brewery that has made sake rooted in Saku, on the banks of the Chikuma River. Its hallmark is a satisfying taste that honestly draws out the umami of rice. In recent years it's a talent gathering high marks at competitions. A savory sake evoking Saku's rich farmland.
Pairs with：Shinshu soba (buckwheat noodles) / Gohei-mochi (skewered miso rice cake)
Shinshukirei
A popular Ueda label with an auspicious name wishing "long life like a turtle." In recent years it shot up in reputation with a fresh, vivid taste. Its charm is a transparent fruitiness born of careful handwork. Savor it slowly in the historic castle town of Ueda.
Pairs with：Nozawana (pickled leaf greens) / Basashi (horse sashimi)
Yoakemae
A Tatsuno bottle named after Shimazaki Toson's masterpiece novel "Before the Dawn." Fitting its literary name, its hallmark is a calm, settled taste. Its mellow, never-tiring craft stands well by the daily table. A sake mirroring the stillness before the break of dawn.
Pairs with：Shinshu soba (buckwheat noodles) / Hachinoko (bee larvae)