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Ginjo Sake

Since 2002, Cream has passionately represented the exciting and dynamic category of ginjo (pure rice) sake in Illinois. Our extensive and layered collection of regional artisan Japanese sake breweries (kura), imported and pioneered by Vine Connections, is considered by many to be the premier portfolio available in the U.S. The Vine Connections map below details the brand portfolio according to prefecture. Download the map.

Andy Pates, owner of Cream Wine Company, is considered an Advanced Sake Professional (ASP) having passed both Level I (Certified Sake Professional) and Level II of the Sake Professional Course. The Sake Professional Course, recognized by the Sake Educational Council, is an in-depth, thorough educational course that takes place over five days when held inside Japan (as there are two full days of sake brewery visits). The course is geared toward industry professionals wishing to expand their horizons in a thorough manner into the world of sake, and is therefore necessarily somewhat technical in nature, and admittedly somewhat intense. The goal of the course is that no sake stone be left unturned. Every conceivable sake-related topic is covered, and each lecture is complimented and augmented by a relevant tasting. Andy did not simply hear about rice type differences and yeast type differences, he tasted them. He not only absorbed technical data about yamahai, kimoto, nama genshu, aged sake and region-related difference, he absorbed the pertinent flavors and aromas within the related sake as well.

Andy is available for seminars on sake, as well as consulting on sake-related projects. Interested parties please contact Andy through Cream Wine Company.

Sake World Homepage - Sake-world.com is all about sake, and has been created by John Gauntner, the leading non-Japanese authority on sake in the world. 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.