The wine is called “WAH”. The company says it was co-created with leading 4th generation Japanese sushi chef and owner of Michelin-star sushi restaurant Ginza Sushi Kou, Mamoru Sugiyama, from Tokyo’s fashionable Ginza district.
WAH was created as the Jacob’s Creek brand owners saw an opportunity to develop a wine that was specially crafted to compliment sushi/sashimi.
The wine is available in selected retailers and sushi restaurants in Japan only.
Pernod’s Australian wine division, Orlando Wyndham said work on WAH began with the arrival of Mamoru Sugiyama in Australia. After a visit to the local fish market to buy the freshest ingredients, Sugiyama-san prepared a selection of sushi pieces at the Jacob’s Creek facility in the Barossa Valley.
Jacob’s Creek winemaker Rebekah Richardson said, “WAH is designed to work in synergy with any Japanese dish using dashi or soy sauce, in particular with most sushi. Sugiyama-san taught us that the sushi dining experience is as much about taste – in terms of the balance of sweet, sour and salty - as it is all about the texture of the food.”
Richardson said, “WAH has the necessary texture and palate weight required to match the oily richness of tuna and salmon. WAH’s aromatic components also lighten the palate so the wine doesn’t overwhelm delicate sushi and also contributes additional layers of taste.”
On being involved in the project Sugiyama-San said, “I am very proud of WAH, and am excited to introduce the wine to the people of Japan. I was involved in the process from beginning to end and am looking forward to consumers enjoying WAH with Japanese cuisine”.
WAH is said to exhibit “lifted fruit aromas and subtly melded flavours of pear, peach and citrus. The palate is crisp, with softened corners that yield a lovely refreshing yet smooth mouth-feel”.
The company explains: “The character for WAH has many meanings including Japan itself, Japanese cuisine, story-telling and is also the first syllable in the word ‘wine’”.
The recommended retail price of WAH is ¥1,680 (approximately USD$17 per bottle).
