Sake for Wine People — Terroir-Driven, Domain-Style Sake by Gensaka Brewery

Overview
Sake for Wine People is an ongoing series dedicated to sake—created specifically for those who already love wine.

Each edition explores a different theme—focusing on a single producer, pairing sake with dishes, collaborating with restaurants, and more. This edition introduces a brewer that Kazumi has personally visited in Japan, sharing a sense of place, the producer’s philosophy, and elements of uniquely Japanese culture that shape the sake. With a carefully selected lineup and behind-the-scenes stories, your sake journey becomes clearer, more vivid, and easier to connect with.

Edition 02 — Gensaka Sake Brewery (Mie Prefecture)
This edition features Gensaka Sake Brewery, a small, domain-style producer in Mie Prefecture, Japan—deeply admired by Kazumi and personally visited in August 2025.

Gensaka is known for its rare approach of growing its own rice—a practice followed by only about 50 out of 1,100 sake breweries in Japan—and for brewing with a strong sense of place. Within a single brewery, they produce a wide range of styles, from food-driven, expressive sake to refined, competition-level expressions. This makes Gensaka an ideal producer for understanding how stylistic choices in sake directly shape what you taste in the glass.

Sake Lineup — Gensaka Sake Brewery
🍶 Talkin' Loud & Sayin' Something — A limited-edition sake rich in malic acid, named after the acid jazz label: bright, tart, and playfully modern.
🍶 Sakaya Hachibei Junmaishu — A classic daily drinker made with Gohyakumangoku; rounded sweetness with earthy hints of cypress and caramel.
🍶 Sakaya Hachibei Sen Junmai Daiginjo Yamadanishiki — Competition-grade sake for Japan’s National New Sake Awards; Yamadanishiki polished to 35% with elegant green apple and mineral notes.
🍶 Kino (Flagship) — A limited flagship release using Ise Nishiki grown organically (pesticide-free) in their own fields; traditional kimoto method expressing pure terroir.
🍶 Kino 2 — A second release using Ise Nishiki from contract farmers with conventional cultivation; the same kimoto method, in a more accessible style.
🍶 Hachibei Hotaru (語蛍) — Produced only when fireflies appear at their water source—their presence signals water purity; part of the sales supports river conservation.

Your Evening Includes
🍶 Six premium sake tastings from Gensaka Sake Brewery
🧀 A carefully selected cheese pairing to complement the sake
🛍️ Opportunity to purchase featured sake and ochoko (small sake cup) with a 10% discount
🤝 Networking time with the group

Perfect For

• Wine lovers curious about understanding sake through style
• Wine professionals looking to expand their tasting framework
• Anyone interested in Japanese culture and craftsmanship
• Couples seeking a thoughtful, sophisticated afternoon
• Expats looking to connect with fellow wine and sake enthusiasts

No prior sake or wine knowledge required—just curiosity and an open palate.

About the Host
The workshop is guided by Kazumi, who was born and raised in Japan and now curates sake experiences for wine lovers in Amsterdam. Through firsthand brewery visits and direct interviews across Japan, she brings the producer’s stories, sense of place, and stylistic intent into the glass—translating sake in a way that feels familiar to anyone who already thinks in terroir.