Mixing wine and sake with omakase at Shoukouwa

Japanese cuisine is known for natural, subtle flavours from the freshest ingredients – a fact that makes it surprisingly amenable to a variety of alcohol pairings. Sake is the natural choice, but champagne, whisky and wine can all make for successful combinations.

Japanese fine-dining sushi restaurant Shoukouwa at One Fullerton, which recently reopened after renovation, is celebrating this versatility of Japanese food with a top-notch selection of wines and sakes.

The tipples are specially curated by Singapore’s first Master of Wine, Mr Tan Ying Hsien, a former lawyer and one of 419 qualified Masters of Wine globally.

The wines and sakes are respectable, award-winning sips in themselves. But when combined with the hand-crafted omakase dishes by Shoukouwa’s Nagoya-born chef Kazumine Nishida, each elevates the other.

Chef Nishida’s menu at the two-Michelin-starred restaurant sources its ingredients from Tokyo’s iconic Toyosu seafood market to produce a fresh and seasonal menu (from $350++ a person) that varies from day to day.

Alongside this menu, diners can enjoy a mixed wine and sake pairing for $308++, or pair just wines for $348++. A sake-only pairing is $258++. 

The wines include Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc La Crau Domaine Vieux Telegraphe 2021, a woody and balanced white that highlights the fresh, natural flavours of dishes such as Shoukouwa’s Ika (squid) nigiri sushi – finely diced squid pressed together with rice. 

Highlights in the sake selection include the Katsuyama Ken Junmai Ginjo, which won the sake category in the 2019 edition of the International Wine Challenge. It boasts a crisp, smooth profile that complements Chef Nishida’s kasugo (baby seabream) nigiri.

Where: Shoukouwa Sushi Restaurant, 02-02A One Fullerton, 1 Fullerton Road

MRT: Raffles Place

When: Tuesdays to Saturdays, 1 to 3pm, 6 to 8pm, 8.15 to 10.30pm

Info: www.shoukouwa.com.sg

Juliet Victor’s Tokaji sweet wines from Hungary

If you are looking to expand your sweet wine horizons beyond the typical moscato or riesling varieties, wines from Hungary’s historic Tokaj wine region, known as Tokaji, should be your first stop. 

Located 200km to 250km north of Budapest, Tokaj is a Unesco World Heritage Site, surrounded by mountains, but characterised by low hills and river valleys.

The area’s volcanic soil is ideal for grape-growing. But it is the cool and humid microclimate that enables “noble rot” – the “secret weapon” fungus that gives grapes a distinctive sweet taste, while also adding a premium price tag to the resulting wines.

One of the younger players in the Tokaji scene is Juliet Victor, a family-run winery which uses a blend of furmint, yellow muscat and harslevelu grape varietals to produce its signature sweet Tokaji.

Highlights of its offerings include the 2017 Aszu ($150 for a 500ml bottle), a lush, fruit-forward wine showcasing notes of mango and honey. Try it with a spicy bowl of laksa – you might be surprised to find that local Asian flavours pair well with these sweet wines. 

Info: julietvictor.com.sg

California Wine Month returns

The American west coast state of California is known for its verdant landscapes and year-long sunny weather, which also make it a premium location for wine-growing. For instance, it is home to the famous Napa Valley wine region.

More than 110 grape varieties are grown across California’s vineyards, dominated by European species such as chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon, and the wines are likewise diverse, including fortified and sparkling wines. 

To celebrate the wide range of wine offerings from the “Golden State”, more than 30 wine retailers and restaurants in Singapore are participating in the second edition of California Wine Month through the month of June.

For instance, online supermarket RedMart is offering $5 off a minimum $100 spending on Californian wines – use code CALI5OFF from June 7 to July 4. 

And from Thursday to June 30, wood-fire dining restaurant Butcher’s Block at Raffles Arcade in North Bridge Road is serving a sommelier flight of three curated Californian wines. For $148++, enjoy three 125ml glasses of wines from less-known regions such as the Russian River Valley, which is located north of San Francisco and known for its pinot noir vintages.

Info: Follow @CaliforniaWinesSG on Instagram for more information