DECANTER LOVES… SAKE

October is the time to celebrate sake, with World Sake Day on the first day of the month. Some 30 London restaurants are taking part in the Sake Seafood Sensations campaign throughout October, pairing sake with fish and seafood. Both Japanese and nonJapanese restaurants will offer a range of seafood dishes, each paired with two or three different sakes. Participating restaurants include Arros QD near Oxford Street, 8 at The Londoner on Leicester Square and London Shell

Co’s The Grand Duchess in Paddington.

Made by carefully polishing and fermenting sakamai rice, sake has been produced in Japan for more than 2,000 years. Although it’s often described as ‘rice wine’, sake differs from wine: while grape quality is key to wine, the most important factor in making sake is the technical production process.

To find out more about

Sake Seafood Sensations, visit https://sake-jfoodo.jetro.go.jp/uk/sensations or taste one of these top bottles at home…

SYLVIA WU RECOMMENDS TWO TO TRY Urakasumi, Misty Bay Junmai Sake, Japan 94

£34.99/72cl London Sake

Founded in 1724, Urakasumi brewery is located in Shiogama, on Japan’s northeast coast. With fresh citrus zing over a nose of sweet pear and peach, this sake uses rice milled down to 65%. It has a pure and soft palate of sticky rice cake and mellow pear liqueur, with a lovely line of acidity to refresh. The finish is dry and clean, with lingering umami notes. Alcohol 15%

Four Fox Sake, Junmai Daiginjo, Japan 94

£49.99/72cl London Sake

Named after the guardian foxes of Inari Okami, the god of rice, this is made using snow melt water from Niigata prefecture and Gohyakumangoku rice. It has a glamorous nose of banana and pear candy, miso and freshly steamed rice. A pure and vinous palate of rice milk, melon and pear, with lemon zest lift. Alc 15%