There are 5 elements in IWA. Bottle size is 720 ml. The sake is still, not sparkling
Richard Geoffroy, former Chef de Cave or Cellarmaster of Champagne Dom Perignon, has released his IWA 5 sake in Japan.
IWA means “Rock” and comes from where the winery is situated, namely Shiraiwa or “White Rock”.
True to his Champagne roots and instincts (Geoffroy was at Dom Perignon for 28 years), IWA is not a single brew but the result of blending.
IWA 5 refers to the five elements involved in creating the sake.
The rice is from three varieties: Yamada Nishiki, Omachi, and Gohyakumangoku. As for the yeast, five strains are brought together. The origin of the rice is also important, so too the yeast propagation method (moto) and the regimes of fermentation. Five elements.
‘The making of IWA 5 is not a stable recipe but an experimental process which will be reconsidered every year,’ Geoffroy informs.
IWA 5 is a work in progress. And a learning process. Both for Geoffory and the sake lover.
You may also want to read …Wine of the Week • 12 August 2020
Richard Geoffroy has been visiting Japan for 30 years since 1991
The Shiraiwa kura or winery has access to pure local water amidst some of the heaviest snowfall in the world
Shiraiwa is located in the town of Tateyama in the prefecture of Toyama.
There is a 10-hectare rice paddy.
The Shiraiwa kura or winery will open in January 2021.
It sits on a line between mountain foothills and arable flatland. With access to pure local water directly from the “rooftop” of Japan, amidst some of the heaviest snowfall in the world.
It is not rare to encounter groups of red-faced monkeys crossing the paddy fields. If you are so lucky.
To the south, the Hida Mountains extend across the entire region. They are dominated by Mount Tate, one of Japan’s “Three Holy Mountains”. To the north-west stands the city of Toyama, an entrepreneurial centre with ambitions of sustainability.
For Richard Geoffroy, Japan has never been an abstraction. Following an initial spark in 1991, countless trips following that have stoked his love of sake and for the country, its culture and its people.
IWA 5 is the result of that fiery affair.