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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 details the brand portfolio according to prefecture. Download the map.

Andy Pates, owner of Cream Wine Company, and Dan Fullick, On Premise Sales Manager, are considered Advanced Sake Professionals (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. They did not simply hear about rice type differences and yeast type differences, they tasted them. They not only absorbed technical data about yamahai, kimoto, nama genshu, aged sake and region-related difference, they absorbed the pertinent flavors and aromas within the related sake as well. Andy and Dan are available for seminars on sake, as well as consulting on sake-related projects. Interested parties please contact them through Cream Wine Company.

Along with Andy Pates and Dan Fullick, Dustin Ryan, James Adam and Krassi Boboshevsky have passed the Level I Certified Sake Professional Course. The Cream Team now has many professional sake warriors to help you with sake-related projects.

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.