2020-08-14 - EMW Fine Wines (Shanghai) Limited (EMW) and Gekkeikan Sake Co., Ltd. (Gekkeikan) signed an exclusive import and distribution agreement for the territory of Mainland China for Gekkeikan’s innovative “Chatty Whale” Sake Series.
For almost 400 years, Gekkeikan has been improving and innovating. The cooperation with EMW brings to China Gekkeikan's most innovative Sake, the Chatty Whale Sake series. Chatty Whale has two very unique features. First is a social innovation. The design and concept of Chatty Whale is about lifestyle and friendships. The development was a collaboration with social media personality, Yokomine Sayaka, and the label, the story, the taste of the Sake, were all created to make Sake friendly and easy to enjoy. Second, is a technological innovation in the Sake production. The Chatty Whale Fresh Fruity Sake is non-pasteurized allowing fantastic aromatic expression. It uses a special filtration technique that gently stabilizes the Sake making it not subject to spoiling as other non-pasteurized Sakes may be. We hope that everyone will enjoy this special Sake brand which captures both Gekkeikan’s craftsmanship from centuries of experience and their modern innovation bringing both together and giving an even deeper understanding of the beauty of Gekkeikan Sake.
Gekkeikan is one of the leading sake producers and exporters in the world and is an iconic brewery in the history of Sake from Kyoto. The brewery has been family owned and operated for over 380 years. The current President of Gekkeikan, Haruhiko Okura, is the 14th generation head of the company.
“It was a great honor to know and cooperate with EMW, thank you to Cool Japan and to everybody who worked hard to bring about this agreement. Gekkeikan has had a branch office in China since 2011 and we have been continuously promoting and popularizing Japanese Sake in China. Even though the market has been good, and the sales achievements have been growing, it is still, like a high mountain, hard to conquer in the huge Chinese market. We are very much looking forward to this cooperation with EMW and we would like to expand into new customers that Japanese sake has not been with the help of EMW’s strong connection to luxury hotels and restaurants. For a long time, sake has been consumed mostly in Japanese restaurants. But in the future, it will emerge in all kinds of consumption scenarios. We strongly believe that the cooperation with EMW will make the sake market go up a level in China. It has been over 380 years since Gekkeikan first became famous in the Fushimi area near Kyoto by using natural spring water from the great underground spring – Fukusui – to make a “feminine” style sake which is soft and delicate. The sake of Gekkeikan is rooted in Kyoto, pairing well with all kinds of seasonable ingredients commonly used in Kyoto style Kaiseki cuisine. In addition, the original brewery area is now open to the public as “Gekkeikan Okura Memorial Hall”. It has become the place for people to experience the history and culture of Japanese sake and is very popular among people from all over the world. We are looking forward to welcoming more friends to visit Fushimi, Kyoto; welcoming them to the place that represents the origin of famous Japanese sake.”
Gekkeikan as a traditional sake brand has been in the China market for almost ten years and has become well known for its high quality range of Sakes. Over its history, the company has made great contributions to the development of sake such as providing Sake Association Sake Yeast No.2 to the association, promoting glass containers as the circulation vessel for sake, and in more recent years, improving the quality of preservation through their research and development on non-heating sterilization technology. They also have been promoting sake culture in Japan and abroad. Bringing sake to many countries around the world and helping to introduce sake into local dining habits.
Sake Portfolio
GEKKEIKAN “Chatty Whale Fresh Fruity”
GEKKEIKAN “Chatty Whale Mellow Rich” Junmai
EMW is a leading importer, distributor and brand builder in Greater China market, working closely with more than 90 leading family-owned estates from 16 countries around the world. EMW has an unequalled distribution network to top restaurants, hotels, wine shops, online VIP customers and an exclusive network of distribution covering over 160 cities in China. EMW has been awarded “Best Wine Importer” for nine consecutive years since 2011 by China Sommeliers Wine Challenge/Wine 100 Challenge.
Knight Hu, Sake Brand Manager Knight.Hu@emw-wines.com
Shanghai Office Address: Suite 202, No.664 Xinhua Road, Shanghai, China
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