May 30th 2025
Sake and Wine: How to Pair the Two for a Unique Experience
There’s something special about exploring new tastes, especially when tradition and innovation blend into something truly unique. That’s what we’ve discovered in pairing sake, the iconic Japanese drink, with wine. While both have rich histories and cultural roots, bringing them together opens up a new world of food pairing possibilities.
At Woodland Hills Wine Company, we’ve seen how beautifully sake and wine can pair together, in flavor and philosophy. Whether having an Asian-themed dinner party or a worldwide tasting evening, the two can be paired together and create a new experience like never before.
In this blog, we’ll explore the key differences between sake and wine, highlight their unique flavor profiles, and show you exactly how to pair them, both with food and with each other, for a truly unforgettable tasting experience.
What Sets Sake Apart?
Sake is a fermented drink, but not made from wine. It's brewed from polished rice instead. That means its taste doesn't come from fruit, but from umami-heavy rice, water quality, and koji mold—placing it closer in process to beer but closer in experience to wine. Sake isn't like grape wines that range from fruity to tannic; sake is more toward creamy, nutty, or floral, according to variety.
Try the Daimon 'Road to Osaka' Nigori Tokubetsu Junmai Sake (720ml), for example. Its very cloudy color and gentle sweetness make it a fine introduction to nigori sake. A style that leaves some of the rice sediment for a creamy finish.
Shared Roots: Artistry in Fermentation
Although they have different origins, both sake and wine are the product of careful fermentation, local terroir, and centuries of tradition. Just as a Pinot Noir will taste the Burgundy's dirt, a Junmai sake will show the terroir of its rice and water source. Both are crafted to express place and process, something we greatly admire at WHWC.
Understanding the Flavor Profiles of Sake and Wine
When exploring sake and wine side by side, one of the most fascinating discoveries is how their flavor profiles can mirror and complement each other, despite their entirely different origins. While wine expresses the fruit, terroir, and grape variety, sake brings out the richness of rice, water, and fermentation technique.
Sake varieties to familiarize yourself with:
- Junmai: Robust, earthy, and umami-based. Imagine a sake equivalent to a Chardonnay.
- Daiginjo: Light, floral, and elegant. Much like a delicate Sauvignon Blanc.
- Nigori: Foggy, creamy, and sweet. A dessert wine or a fruity Moscato, in essence.
We adore the way these echo classical wine varieties, it's almost constructing a cross-cultural taste axis that simply makes sense.
How to Pair Sake and Wine with Asian Cuisine
Asian cuisine sparkles with sake and wine pairing. Sushi and sashimi? Match them with a dry white or the refined Hakutsuru Sho-Une Soaring Cloud Sake (720ml).
Spicy Thai or Korean food pairing? Sample an off-dry Riesling or the full-bodied, slightly sweet Narutotai "Red Snapper" Ginjo Nama Genshu Sake (720ml) to cut the heat.
Earthy foods such as miso-glazed vegetables? Drink Yuho Rhythm of the Centuries Sake (Jumai Yama-oroshi) or a light red wine pairing such as Pinot Noir.
Fusion Pairings: Western Foods That Shine with Sake and Wine
Yes, sake is far more than sushi. Cheese board? Pour Kikusui Junmai Ginjo "Chrysanthemum Water" Sake. It slices through creamy textures like a dry Champagne.
For pork belly or roast chicken, the well-balanced Gekkeikan Horin Ultra Premium Sake is a great substitute for oaky Chardonnay.
And for dessert? The creamy Eiko Fuji "White Sun" Nigori is heavenly with chocolate or crème brûlée. Or go savory? A truffle burger with Momokawa Diamond Junmai Ginjo is going next level.
Host a Sake & Wine Tasting at Home
Tasting both at one sitting? Begin with light sips: Tozai Snow Maiden Junmai Nigori (5PK) with a crisp white. Then proceed to bolder pairings such as Wakatake Onikoroshi "Demon Slayer" Junmai Ginjo and a smooth Pinot.
Use wine glasses for both. Serve chilled, in small pours. Add contrast; bold with bold, or sweet with spice.
And yes, burgers, ramen, and sushi can all be on the same menu.
Explore WHWC’s Curated Sake and Wine Collection
Our shelves at WHWC are filled with top-quality bottles from the other side of the world as well. We have an extensive range of sake, ranging from refined Daiginjo to full-bodied Junmai, all handpicked to complement your collection.
Browse our curated sake and wine pairing collection at WHWC. From the earthy Manatsuru Mana 1751 Muroka Genshu (720ml) to the delicate Hakutsuru Ukiyo-E Daiginjo (720ml), we’ve got bottles to match any meal.
Sake and wine don’t compete, they complete. Sip them side by side.
