19th April, 2013
by
Patrick Schmitt
Jacob’s Creek has launched a new wine designed specifically to pair with Japanese food.
Called WAH, the new blend was created in partnership with Mamoru Sugiyama, Japanese sushi chef and owner of Michelin-starred sushi restaurant in Tokyo called Ginza Sushi Kou.
The character for “WAH” has many meanings according to the Australian brand owner Pernod Ricard, including “Japan” itself, “Japanese cuisine”, or “story-telling” as well as being the first syllable in the word “wine”.
The new product has been blended using grapes from the Adelaide Hills to complement foods using dashi or soy sauce – above all sushi – according to Jacob’s Creek winemaker Rebekah Richardson, who worked with Sugiyama on the wine.
“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,” she added.
Continuing, she explained that the new wine was created with “the necessay texture and palate weight required to match the oily richness of tuna and salmon”.
She also said that WAH’s aromatic components are designed to lighten the palate so the wine doesn’t overwhelm delicate sushi.
The wine is aimed at the Japanese market and has a recommended retail price of ¥1,680, which is approximately £11 per bottle.
Although Jacob’s Creek focuses on more mainstream offerings for key export markets, the brand is always experimenting with new blends and grapes at its base in Australia’s Barossa.
As previously reported by the drinks business, the famous label is trialling a biodynamic Shiraz from the 2012 vintage, as well as other winemaking projects such as an organic Montepulciano and Chardonnay, and a “Limited Release” Fiano and Nero d’Avola.
Such products are sold at its visitor centre in the Barossa, which attracts over 200,000 people each year.