What to drink with sashimi: An exploration of Japanese wine

What are the best wines to drink with sashimi? As they say, ‘What grows together goes together,’ so let’s explore Japanese wine!

An overview of Japanese wine 

Kaizen is the Japanese word for ‘change for the better’ and in a business context, it means ‘continuous improvement’. There isn’t a direct English word for the same concept. For me, the kaizen philosophy encapsulates the humble Japanese drive for excellence and goes some way to explain the leaps that have occurred in the Japanese wine industry in the past few decades. 

When we think of Japanese wine, saké and shōchū perhaps might first spring to mind, as these wines, made from rice (saké), or sweet potato, barley or rice (shōchū), are very much embedded in the drinks culture of Japan. But grapevines have actually been growing in Japan for thousands of years and wine made from grapes is produced in 36 of the 47 prefectures.

Sarah Abbott MW describes Japan as a ‘knife-edge place to make wine’. As an island country buffeted by elemental forces, it’s an extreme place to grow wine grapes. However, Abbott emphasises that ‘the Japanese dedication to craft and technical mastery is extremely high’ and, in the spirit of kaizen, the larger producers (Suntory, Manns and Mercian) have shared their expertise with smaller winemakers in a collaborative way. This has allowed the industry to develop at a faster pace and move away from the sweet Port-like wines of the 1950s and towards drier wines for the global palate.

>Read Non-Eurocentric food and wine pairings

As wine consumers, the Japanese are the sixth biggest importer of wine by value and tenth by volume, demonstrating that Japanese wine lovers have expensive tastes! This is reflected in the domestic wines being produced: quality is paramount and there are little or no ‘entry level’ wines coming out of Japan. Culturally, there is a strong connection with France and this is evident in the styles wines being made, using grape varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Even wines made with Japan’s native grape Koshu often share similarities with French wines, particularly the clean, mineral-driven whites and the Traditional Method wines.

German winemaking influences are also evident in some regions and grapes such as Riesling and Gewürztraminer grow successfully in cool climate areas, producing beautifully aromatic, floral wines. There is also a new wave of young winemakers, who are enthusiastic about experimenting with skin-contact wines and natural ferments for the first time, making the Japanese wine scene one of the most exciting in the world right now.

The best Japanese wines to drink with sashimi

Sashimi is all about showcasing the purity and simplicity of high-quality Japanese ingredients, so any drink you choose to enjoy alongside sashimi should ideally respect the delicate flavours of the fish and not overpower them. As an example – heavily oaked, tannic wines aren’t generally recommended, as they overwhelm the palate and mask the flavours of the sashimi.

A perfect pairing would depend on the type of fish and its texture. Generally, oily fish pairs well with high acidity wines, which cleanse the palate; leaner fish is complemented by softer, rounder wines. A fattier style of fish can withstand some tannin and the heat from wasabi can go very well with bolder whites with a touch of spice, like Gewürztraminer and Viognier.

Salmon

The Koshu grape used to be known for making very delicate, elegant wines, but as winemakers have become more confident, Koshu wines can vary in character and can possess surprising tenacity. The best Koshu comes from the foothills of the Yamanashi basin, a rural area influenced by Mount Fuji, and the main wine producing region in Japan. 

The fresh, steely notes of the Koshu Clareza and the Grace Koshu Private Reserve cuts through the oiliness of the salmon, while the Grace Kayagatake Koshu adds a touch more minerality and texture to the experience.

Riesling is a fabulous bedfellow for salmon sashimi and the Solaris Shinano Riesling Karakuchi from Nagano has a blade-like acidity which slices through the fat. Another Solaris wine, the Shinshu Chardonnay Tarajikomi, is also surprisingly good with salmon and soy sauce. I found that the soy overpowered the floral, peachy notes in the Riesling, but brought out the nuttiness and fruit in the Chardonnay.

Tuna 

The ‘meatiness’ of tuna can withstand more structured wines and I thought that the Chateau Mercian Mariko Syrah was a great match. Mercian is one of the largest wine producers in Japan, with one winery in Yamanashi and two wineries in neighbouring Nagano. Nagano has much more of an epic landscape, surrounded by high mountains used for trekking and skiing, and it was where the bigger producers, like Mercian, Manns and Suntory, could expand and plant at scale. Nagano used to be known for making sweetened wines but now the region is at the very forefront of the new wine movement in Japan.

Another great wine for pairing with tuna (and pretty much all sashimi) is Lumiere Prestige Orange from Yamanashi. Though it is a gentle style of orange wine, it has a saffron muskiness and some tangerine pith, which gives it depth of flavour, helping it to even stand up to the soy sauce.

>Read How To Create The Perfect French Picnic

Yellowtail 

Yellowtail sashimi is lean with a subtle flavour, so something light-bodied with precise, pure fruit, such as the Tazaki Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc from Hokkaido, would pair well with it. The island prefecture of Hokkaido is very different to the rest of Japan climatically, with arctic-like conditions in the winter. The region is very influenced by German winemaking and you’ll find grape varieties such as Zweigelt and Gewürztraminer growing there. The Tsurunuma Gewürztraminer would be a complementary companion to yellowtail due to its delicate floral and herbal notes. If you can’t get on board with the rose notes in a Gewürz, a soft, elegant Chardonnay, such as the Hokushin Left Bank Chardonnay Rivalis would also do the trick. This is a polished style of Chardonnay, with notes of almond and a sumptuous texture, which caresses the fish without battling for attention. There’s no need for a high acidity wine here to cleanse the palate of fat because yellowtail is such a lean, clean fish.

Japanese wine all-rounder

If you’re looking for a Japanese wine that goes with all kinds of sashimi, splash out on a bottle of bubbles. The Lumiere Sparkling Koshu is from one of the oldest wineries in Japan, situated in Yamanashi. It’s a small production wine with soft autolytic characters and a bright acidity, which will cut through any fattiness, without bulldozing the gentle flavours. This is a nice and light Traditional Method wine, with notes of green apple and fresh citrus fruits – perfect for a whole range of sashimi and lovely with a seaweed and sesame salad.

I hope you enjoy your exploration of Japanese wine with sashimi - please feel free to message me your favourite sashimi pairings here.

>Read Sparkling Wine From Italy and Around The World