Dewanoyuki
The history of the Watarai Honten sakagura spans four centuries, with its foundation dating back as far as 1615, in the early Edo period. It is located in the Oyama district of Tsuruoka, a city in the Yamagata prefecture known for the high quality of its sakaguras. Since the Edo period, this area has been famous for its rice production, both in terms of quantity and quality, a factor that has given a strong impetus to the local sake tradition. To understand the importance of the Oyama district in relation to sake, suffice it to say that this is the most famous district in Japan for sake along with the districts of Saijo in Hiroshima and, above all, Nada in Kobe. In 2016, Yamagata Prefecture was then awarded the Geographical Indication, the first in the whole of Japan dedicated to an entire prefecture, demonstrating the high regard for sake in the area. Currently, sake is led by the eighteenth generation, represented by president Toshihito Watarai, brewmaster since 2003, adept at enhancing its centuries-old tradition while not disdaining the use of cutting-edge technology.
The rice varieties processed by Watarai Honten to make its sake are diverse, some very rare, and include Haenuki, Miyamanishiki and Dewakirari, varieties grown by trusted farmers in the fertile plains of Shonai. The water, on the other hand, comes from underground aquifers and is rather low in iron, a factor conducive to the optimal course of fermentation, which also results in softer, lighter sake. In the fermentation process, sakagura relies in particular on the Kimoto method, an ancient practice involving the preparation of a starter of indigenous lactic acid bacteria, thus excluding exogenous additions of lactic acid.
Among the main brands marketed by Watarai Honten is 'Dewanoyuki', a brand of premium sake that mostly falls into the fine Junmai category. In general, these are sake with a light and creamy character, attributes typical of the region.
The history of the Watarai Honten sakagura spans four centuries, with its foundation dating back as far as 1615, in the early Edo period. It is located in the Oyama district of Tsuruoka, a city in the Yamagata prefecture known for the high quality of its sakaguras. Since the Edo period, this area has been famous for its rice production, both in terms of quantity and quality, a factor that has given a strong impetus to the local sake tradition. To understand the importance of the Oyama district in relation to sake, suffice it to say that this is the most famous district in Japan for sake along with the districts of Saijo in Hiroshima and, above all, Nada in Kobe. In 2016, Yamagata Prefecture was then awarded the Geographical Indication, the first in the whole of Japan dedicated to an entire prefecture, demonstrating the high regard for sake in the area. Currently, sake is led by the eighteenth generation, represented by president Toshihito Watarai, brewmaster since 2003, adept at enhancing its centuries-old tradition while not disdaining the use of cutting-edge technology.
The rice varieties processed by Watarai Honten to make its sake are diverse, some very rare, and include Haenuki, Miyamanishiki and Dewakirari, varieties grown by trusted farmers in the fertile plains of Shonai. The water, on the other hand, comes from underground aquifers and is rather low in iron, a factor conducive to the optimal course of fermentation, which also results in softer, lighter sake. In the fermentation process, sakagura relies in particular on the Kimoto method, an ancient practice involving the preparation of a starter of indigenous lactic acid bacteria, thus excluding exogenous additions of lactic acid.
Among the main brands marketed by Watarai Honten is 'Dewanoyuki', a brand of premium sake that mostly falls into the fine Junmai category. In general, these are sake with a light and creamy character, attributes typical of the region.
