Sake from Yamaguchi Pref. Wins Top Award in Int'l Contest

London, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)--Sake from Yamaguchi Prefecture, western Japan, won the top prize in the Japanese rice wine category at the annual International Wine Challenge, one of the world's largest wine competitions, on Tuesday.

The 2026 Champion Sake award went to "Tenbi Junmai Ginjo Hotaten," brewed by Choshu Sake Brewery Corp. in the city of Shimonoseki. It is the first time a sake from the prefecture has won the award.

"Junmai ginjo" is a type of sake made only from rice polished to 60 pct or less of its original weight, "koji" mold and water. It is brewed slowly at low temperatures, a traditional method known as "ginjo zukuri" that produces a distinctive fruity aroma.

The top prize-winning sake is made with rice from Shimonoseki and Yamada Nishiki rice grown in Yamaguchi. It features a floral aroma reminiscent of green apples as well as a mellow sweetness.

It received high praise from the judges, with one of them saying that Tenbi Junmai Ginjo Hotaten has "bright acidity, powerful layered flavor on palate with a late lingering finish."

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