Itoshima-based sake maker Shiraito’s Shiraume no Niwa brand plum wine took top prize at the 7th Tenman Tenjin Umeshu Competition in Osaka. 277 companies from around Japan entered 308 brands into the contest, which was held between Feb. 16 and 24. The top 10 brands were selected based on votes cast by visitors who came to taste the libations, after which a panel of sommeliers and liquor shop owners conducted a final screening. Shiraito has been making sake since its founding in the Edo Era, and it brews Shiraume no Niwa using the traditional haneki-shibori method (a method in which stone weights are hung on a long tree trunk to add pressure to the mash). Shiraume no Niwa received high marks for “bringing out the unique flavor of the plums”. Company president Nobuhiko Tanaka said he will “continue making umeshu using combinations of local produce and hopes to raise the profile of Itoshima specialty goods”. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, Mar. 26, Official HP: http://www.shiraito.com/info/ume2013.html
