Saké is a rice wine. Rice grains have a dense packet of starch in the very center, while the rest contributes very little to the flavor or quality of the saké. Therefore, before the saké is even brewed, the rice that will be used for it is milled so that only the starch packet in the center remains. The more of the grain which is milled away, the higher quality the saké. Some saké brands may even indicate the milling percentage on the bottle; this is the percentage of the original rice grain that was milled away. 60 % is considered high quality saké, though some brands can go even as high as 75 %. At that point, only a fourth of the original rice grain remains!
Though typically known or thought of as a wine, saké is brewed, much like how beer is prepared.
Pronunciation
Pronouncing the name is quite easy. "SAW-KEY"
Some other odd sounding wine names that can prove hard to pronounce:
Pinot Grigio - "PEE-no GREE-zo" (or GREE-joe)
Pinot Gris - "PEE-no GREE"
Pinot Noir - "PEE-no NWAH-r"
ends in "Blanc" - BLONK (the 'a' makes the same sound as 'a' in father)
Sauvignon - SAW-VEE-NYON
(as in Cabernet Sauvignon, a red wine, or Sauvignon Blanc, a white wine)
How To Serve Wine
Wines taste best at certain temperatures, depending on the color and type of wine. It is often surprising how much difference a few degrees in temperature can make. This is something you must experience for yourself before you really understand and start to realize how true it is.
As a general rule, the redder and/or darker the wine, the warmer it should be served. The converse is also true; the lighter the wine, the colder it should be served. Carbonated wines of any type should be served well-chilled simply due to the fact that warmer drinks go flat faster (the gas trapped as carbonation escapes more easily from warm liquid).
For red wines in particular, letting them breathe (or pouring from an aerator nozzle) also helps release the flavor better. In a non-formal setting, some people prefer to suck air while tilting the head slightly forward, yet another way to aerate your wine. You can also swirl the wine around in the glass.
Here is a chart showing the five basic wine types, and how to best store, prepare, and serve each one. There will always be exceptions, so knowing your wine helps a lot. This chart should help for the average consumer who doesn't have a special wine refrigerator that can be set to certain temperatures. Most charts only show temperature, which the average consumer would have no simple way to test or store their wines at.
Wine Color/Type
|
Store
|
Prepare
|
Serve
|
White/Champagne/Saké
|
Chilled
|
Serve immediately
|
Chilled
|
Pink
|
Chilled
|
Let warm slightly
|
Mostly chilled
|
Red
|
Room temperature
|
Chill slightly, aerate or let sit out
|
Slightly chilled
|
Dark red
|
Room temperature
|
Aerate or let sit out
|
Room temperature
|
Note that after opening a bottle, if you don't drink the entire contents and plan to store the rest for later, it should be chilled from that point on, regardless of its type. However, this doesn't change its ideal serving temperature. That means for red wines, you must now leave the wine out of the refrigerator quite a while before it can be served at the proper temperature.
Serving Glasses/Cups
The type of glass can also have a great effect on the experience of drinking wine of any type, including saké. Here is a chart showing the type of wine, what type of glass to serve it in, and why.
Wine Color/Type
|
Serving Glass/Cup
|
Reason
|
Saké
|
Very small saké cup
Masu (small wooden box)
|
Traditional
Chilled saké is typically served in tiny cups, while warm saké is served in a box (masu) |
White/Pink
|
Small or medium glass
|
Smaller glass absorbs less heat from hands and keeps drink cooler longer (holding the glass by pinching the stem with two fingers helps as well)
|
Champagne/Sparkling
|
Flute-shaped glass
|
Helps it to remain carbonated longer (less surface area exposed to
air)
|
Red/Dark red
|
Large, bowl-shaped glass
|
Helps the wine to breathe and aerate
Allows pouring a full serving of wine while filling the glass less than halfway, which makes for easier swirling/aeration
|
How To Serve Saké - Warm or Cold?
Like white wine, saké is best when served chilled. However, saké is one of the few alcoholic drinks that can also be served warm (not room temperature but warm like hot cocoa). Chilling a drink generally improves flavor and enhances taste, while heating can hide imperfections (and also flavors). Basically, if you've tried saké warm and enjoy it that way, there's nothing wrong with it. However, beware of using up good, high quality saké this way without getting to enjoy the full complexity of its true flavors. In general, cheap saké tends to be better for serving warm, and medium to high quality saké is best served chilled.
