Copyrighted material, April 2016

THEESSENTIAL GUIDE TO

Takasago(Hokkaido)

Ama no To(Akita)

Kanbara(Niigata)

Tentaka (Tochigi)

Nanbu Bijin(Iwate)

Takatenjin (Shizuoka)

Tozai (Kyoto)Fukucho

(Hiroshima)

Chiyonosono(Kumamoto)

Rihaku(Shimane)

Mantensei (Tottori)

Konteki (Kyoto)

TOKYO

Tensei(Kanagawa)

Yuho (Ishikawa)

RUUSSIAAICHCHHINNNAAA

Mt.FujiElev 12,388

SAKE BREWERIES & PREFECTURES

RTHKOKOKOKOKOKOORER AAAAAAKOR

Bushido (Kyoto)

Hokkkkkkkaiaiaiaaidododdd

HoHonsnsnnshuhu

ShShShShShikikikikikokokokokkuuuuku

KyKyKyyyususuusuushuhhuu

PACIFIC OCEAN

SEA OF JAPAN

JAPAN

13

2.6%3.2%6.2%

14.2%

73.8%

low q

ualit

y

ALL

SAK

E M

ADE

h

igh q

ualit

y

DAIGINJO

GINJO

HONJOZO

AT LEAST 50%(50% or moremilled away)

AT LEAST 60%(40% or moremilled away)

AT LEAST 70%(30% or moremilled away)

NO MINIMUMREQUIREMENTS

Increasing quality, price, fragrance, complexity

SUPER PREM

IUM

PREMIU

M LO

W GRADE

700 A.D.YEAR SAKE IS BELIEVEDTO HAVE ORIGINATEDIN JAPAN

1,000NUMBER OF SAKEBREWERIES INJAPAN TODAY

55%OF JAPAN’S FARMLAND

IS RICE PADDIES

15%-17%AVERAGE ALCOHOLBY VOLUME IN SAKE

LESS THAN 6%OF ALL JAPANESE SAKE IS

CONSIDERED SUPER PREMIUM

31NUMBER OF PREMIUM

SAKE IMPORTED BYVINE CONNECTIONS

JUN

MAI

GIN

JO &

JUN

MAI

DAI

GIN

JO

NO

N P

REM

IUM

SAK

E

GIN

JO &

DAI

GIN

JO

JUN

MAI

& T

OKU

BETS

U JU

NM

AIH

ON

JOZO

SAKE RICE VS. TABLE RICE

JUNMAI

DAIGINJO

JUNMAIGINJO

JUNMAI

FUTSU “TABLE SAKE”Table sake often using automated brewing processes and plenty of distilled alcohol. Futsu represents about 75% of the entire sake market.

SAKE GRADE LEVELS

RICEMILLED

TO:

JUNMAIBrewed using Rice,

Water, & Koji Mold only(NO Distilled Alcohol)

NON JUNMAIBrewed using Rice,Water, Koji Mold,

& Distilled Alcohol

HEIGHT:sake rice is25% taller thantable rice

WIDTH:a grain of sakerice is 20% largerthan table rice

WEIGHT:sake rice isheavier (weighs25-30 grams)

CONTENT:sake rice has morestarch, less fat, &less protein

I N F O G R A P H I C P R O V I D E D B Y V I N E C O N N E C T I O N Sfor more information visit vineconnections.com

PREMIUM JAPANESE SAKE FACTS

NUMBER OF RICE VARIETIESREPRESENTED IN VINECONNECTIONS SAKE

RICE VARIETIES

VINE CONNECTIONS SAKE PORTFOLIO

A comprehensive portfolio offering everything from the highest quality everyday sake to the ultimate drinking experience.

We have selected top breweries from 13 different Japanese prefectures spanning the entire country, from Hokkaido to Kyushu.

Vine Connections is the leading U.S. authority on Japanese sake and is known for its consistency of quality, supply, and price stability. Our approachable sake education, innovative marketing and packaging, and sales materials truly set us apart from our competitors.

ABOUT VINE CONNECTIONSVine Connections leads the charge for representing sake and wines that change minds – unearthing high quality sake and wines, regions, and people who inspire you to become part of the VC movement.

Vine Connections is one of the leading authorities and educators in the U.S. for Japanese ginjo sake, along with premium wine from Argentina, Chile, and California.

Based in Sausalito, California, Ed Lehrman and Nick Ramkowsky pioneered the first nationally-imported portfolio of artisan wines from Argentina in 1999, and then introduced Japanese ginjo sake from 11 brewers in 2001. These small, traditional family brewers produce the world's most delicious premium sake. In 2013, Vine Connections’ “The New Chile Portfolio” revolutionized the category with boutique wines from Chile’s diverse appellations. VC also represents a set of unique and innovative California wines.

Vine Connections champions regions and people that deserve to be known.

- UNCORK THE UNEXPECTED -

SAKE SENSEI

JOHN GAUNTNER is recognized as the world’s leading non-Japanese sake author-ity and expert. John was instrumental in compiling the Vine Connections sake portfolio. A long-time resident of Japan, he has written several books and articles about sake and is often regarded by the industry as the person who made sake popular outside of Japan.

John is the only non-Japanese certified Master of Sake Tasting in the world and has also achieved the very difficult Sake Expert Assessor certification from Japan’s National Research Institute of Brewing. No other non-Japanese in the world has both of these certifications.

He is the founder of the not-for-profit Sake Education Council and has educated over one thou-sand sake professionals worldwide through his Sake Professional Course.

NICK RAMKOWSKY, the co-founder and owner of Vine Connections, has an extraordinary enthusiasm for championing unknown regions.

Nick started working as a wine buyer at North Berkeley Wine, a well-known wine shop in the Bay Area, while attending UC Berkeley. Upon graduation, Nick moved to France for a year to explore its wine country, and later began working in wholesale distribution when he returned to the US. He started Vine Connections with Ed in 1999 after a trip to Argentina where they had a vision of the great future of that wine country. Soon after, the company seized the opportunity to import sake and became leading experts in the premium ginjo category.

Nick is a visionary who leads VC’s portfolio development, sake and wine quality, supplier relations, and sales strategy.

ED LEHRMAN is the co-founder and owner of Vine Connections, and he pairs a passion for sake and wine with a keen business acumen.

Ed’s wine career started at the New York premier wine shop, Sherry-Lehmann, after he graduated from Duke University. He soon made it to California to get his MBA at UCLA before moving to SF to work at Kendall-Jackson and later Seagram Classics. He started his first business, Passport Wine Club, in 1994 and Nick became one of his main wholesale suppliers. Ed’s sake epiphany came in 2001 at a dinner in SF where he tasted his first group of incredible ginjo sake with several Japanese brewers.

Based in the Sausalito office, Ed is involved in the day-to-day management of Vine Connections. He leads long-term strategy development and oversees all departments.

MONICA SAMUELS is one of the country’s most accomplished sake professionals and leads the Vine Connections team through education, marketing, and sales to drive retail, restaurant, and consumer demand.

With over 9 years of experience, Monica brings a unique perspective to the industry. She was the Sake Ambassador at Southern Wine & Spirits in New York as well as the Corporate Sake Somme-lier at the Sushi Samba restaurant group. She has a unique understanding of pairing sake with food, particularly outside of traditional Japanese settings.

Monica holds several professional sake honors, including an esteemed judging role for the annual US National Sake Appraisal. She was recently named a “Top 40 under 40 – America’s Most Influ-ential Tastemakers” by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Additionally, Monica is a Level 3 Certified Instructor for the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and has lectured on sake for the Culi-nary Institute of America’s academic program.

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Sake

rice

is h

arve

sted

in th

e fa

ll. M

ost s

ake

brew

ers

do n

ot o

wn

thei

r ow

n ric

e fie

lds,

and

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y do

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n us

e ric

e fr

om

the

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ectu

re w

here

thei

r bre

win

g fa

cilit

yis

loca

ted.

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rice

is p

olis

hed

in a

ve

rtic

al m

ill th

at s

low

ly

shav

es o

ff th

e ou

ter

laye

rs o

f ric

e.

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e w

hite

pow

der

resi

due

is le

ft o

n th

e ric

e af

ter p

olis

hing

; thi

s is

w

ashe

d of

f and

the

rice

is s

oake

d.

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g th

is s

oaki

ng

proc

ess

the

wat

er

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rptio

n ra

te o

f the

ric

e is

det

erm

ined

so

that

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n st

eam

ing

can

occu

r lat

er.

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bat

ch o

f ric

e ta

kes

abou

t an

hour

and

is

cook

ed b

y st

eam

risi

ng

from

und

erne

ath

the

rice

stea

mer

. Th

e ta

rget

te

mpe

ratu

re o

f the

rice

is

100

degr

ees

Cels

ius.

The

rem

oval

of

rice

and

yeas

t sol

ids

(sak

e ka

su) f

rom

the

liqui

d.

The

mos

t com

mon

met

hod

is th

roug

h an

ass

aku-

ki,

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ch is

an

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aped

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hine

that

sq

ueez

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e sa

ke m

ash

thro

ugh

a fin

e m

esh.

The

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enta

tion

proc

ess

take

s be

twee

n 30

-40

days

for p

rem

ium

sa

ke.

Durin

g th

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erio

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rific

atio

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tatio

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ppen

s si

mul

tane

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y in

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rred

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ultip

le

para

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enta

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the

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se o

f fou

r da

ys, g

radu

ally

in

crea

sing

am

ount

s of

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ater

, koj

i ric

e, a

nd

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med

sak

e ric

e ar

e ad

ded

to th

e ta

nk.

In a

sm

all t

ank

(aro

und

1/10

the

size

of t

he e

ntire

fe

rmen

tatio

n), s

team

ed

sake

rice

and

koj

i ric

e is

co

mbi

ned

with

wat

er a

nd

culti

vate

d sa

ke y

east

.

15-2

0% o

f the

tota

l ric

e in

a b

atch

of s

ake

will

be

take

n to

a ro

om c

alle

d th

e Ko

ji M

uro,

whe

re th

e ko

ji m

old

will

be

slow

ly

grow

n on

the

stea

med

sa

ke ri

ce.

Char

coal

fini

ng to

rem

ove

any

colo

r, re

mai

ning

sak

e ka

su, o

r tra

ce o

rgan

ism

s fr

om th

e sa

ke.

Wat

er d

ilutio

n of

the

sake

to re

duce

the

alco

hol c

onte

nt.

Bott

ling

is d

one

befo

reor

aft

er p

aste

uriz

atio

n. I

t is

gen

eral

ly th

ough

t tha

t bo

ttlin

g be

fore

pas

teur

i-za

tion

keep

s th

e sa

ke a

s fr

esh

and

unex

pose

d to

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emen

ts a

s po

ssib

le.

Past

euriz

atio

n is

don

eto

pre

vent

any

yea

st o

r en

zym

e ac

tivity

in th

e bo

ttle

, and

ext

ends

the

shel

f life

of s

ake.

6 m

onth

s to

a y

ear o

f te

mpe

ratu

re c

ontr

olle

d m

atur

atio

n to

fully

de

velo

p th

e sa

ke’s

char

acte

ristic

s.

SAKE CONTINUES TO THRIVE

4.9 millions of liters of sake imported to the US in 2015. 47% increase in sake import

volume over the last 6 years.

Sake imports haveINCREASEDevery year for the past 15 years except during the

2009 recession.{

Source: http://www.fas.usda.gov/gats/default.aspx

SAKE SALES SURGE AT VINE CONNECTIONS

30%increase in shipment revenue

from 2012 to 2015.

15%increase in revenue from 2014 to 2015.

6%increase in points of distri-bution from 2014 to 2015.

DECODING A BACK LABELVine Connections was the first importer to develop a sake back label that clearly outlines the important facts for describing or learning about each sake. These include:

BRAND NAMEPRODUCT NAMEGRADEFLAVOR PROFILEORIGINRICE VARIETY USEDBREWERY OR SAKE FACT

The bottle graph shows the % of each grade of sake produced in Japan, and the darkened area shows the grade level of the particular sake.

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

Mill

ions

of L

iters

Volume of Sake Imports - Japan to US

SAKE SERVING SUGGESTIONS

POURING ETIQUETTEJapanese culture places importance on respecting each other during all customs, including sake consumption.• Pour sake with both hands by holding the neck of the bottle or carafe as much as possible.• Pour each other’s cups when sharing sake.

DRINKING VESSELS• Serve sake in a wine glass for the ultimate sensory experience.

• More traditional vessels include wooden box cups (masu), porcelain cups (ochoko), and carafes (tokkuri).

TOP 6 MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT SAKEMyth #1 Sake should be drunk hot.There is a great range of enjoyable temperatures to drink sake, but serving it steaming hot masks its subtlety and exacerbates the alcohol.

Myth #2 Sake is low in acid relative to wine.Sake lacks the acids associated with wine (tartaric and malic), but it is higher in amino acids than wine is. This makes it a perfect pairing for food.

Myth #3 Sake is high in alcohol.Sake yeast is only capable of fermenting a bever-age until it reaches 20% alcohol, and the sake is usually diluted afterward to bring down the level of alcohol to 14 to 18%.

Myth #4 Sake should be cheap.Large format bottles of table sake are inexpensive, but the same is not true for premium sake. The high quality raw materials and the careful precision that goes along with crafting the beverage is very expensive.

Myth #5 Sake causes hangovers.Excessive drinking of any alcohol will eventually cause a hangover. However, premium sake has no sulfites, additives, or preservatives, which is what many people to believe to cause hangovers.

Myth #6 Sake oxidizes in the same amount of time as wine does.Once opened, premium sake will remain fresh for at least one week. Some sakes stay fresh for even longer!

原酒

吟醸

地酒

乾杯

生もと

石

麹

古酒

蔵

酒母

飲み会

酒飲み

精米歩合

心白

- 酒

杜氏

特別

山廃

酔っ払い

酒

1 Sake for DrinkingWarm & Cooking

1 Entry LevelPremium Cold Sake

1 Nigori(Cloudy Sake) 1 Plum Sake

Sake Intro: shelf space for 4 sake SKUs

TRY:

Toza

i Typ

hoon

SIZE

: 720

ml o

r 1.8

L

TRY:

Toza

i Sno

w M

aiden

SIZE

: 300

ml o

r 720

ml

TRY:

Toza

i Blos

som

of P

eace

SIZE

: 720

ml

e Intro

TRY:

Toza

i Typ

hoon

or To

zai L

iving

Jewe

lSI

ZE: 7

20 m

l

Sake Stepping Up: shelf space for 6 sake SKUs

1 Premium Sake,Elegant & Complex

+1 Super Premium Sake,

Daiginjo or Junmai DaiginjoTR

Y: K

onte

ki Te

ars o

f Daw

n,

Kont

eki P

earls

of S

impli

city,

or

Gin

ga S

hizu

ku D

ivine

Dro

plets

SIZE

: 300

ml o

r 720

ml

TRY:

Taka

tenj

in S

word

of t

he S

un,

Riha

ku D

ance

of D

iscov

ery,

Chiyo

noso

no S

hare

d Pr

omise

, or

Toza

i Well

of W

isdom

SIZE

: 300

ml o

r 720

ml

lf space fo

HOW TO BUILD A SAKE RETAIL SHELF SET

Sake Pro: shelf space for 12+ sake SKUs

Additional Junmai GinjoSelections

+Additional Categories:

kimoto, yamahai, sparkling, dry nigori

TRY:

Yuh

o Rh

ythm

of t

he C

entu

ries

or R

ihak

u D

ream

y Clou

dsSI

ZE: 3

00 m

l or 7

20 m

l

TRY:

Fuk

ucho

Moo

n on t

he W

ater

, Ka

nbar

a Brid

e of t

he F

ox, o

r Nan

bu

Bijin

Sou

ther

n Bea

uty

SIZE

: 300

ml o

r 720

ml