Sake, the strong Japanese wine made from rice, has become an increasingly common selection on menus throughout the United States, even as its popularity plummets in Japan.
American sake imports jumped 30 percent from 2003 to 2004, part of a steady increase over the past decade. Much of the rice wine’s success in the U.S. is owed to marketing campaigns supported by the Japanese government. Sake has fallen out of fashion in the Land of the Rising Sun, and, to stay afloat, the sake industry has been forced to look overseas for customers.
On Point contributor Scott Haas wanted to see what all the buzz was about, so he went right to the source: the 2nd Annual Sake Festival in a region of Japan that features 97 sake breweries.
Guests:
On Point contributor Scott Haas reporting from the second annual Sake Festival in Niigata, Japan.
