Celebrated wine aficionado, Ron Kapon, who is known in wine circles as the Peripatetic Oenophile — the traveling wine expert — answers questions that Cheese Connoisseur readers have asked.
Cheese Connoisseur: What is sake?
Ron Kapon: Sake or saki (pronounced sah-keh) is a naturally-fermented alcoholic beverage made from a combination of rice, water, yeast and koji.
Because sake is fermented, not distilled, it is not a spirit. It is more akin to beer than wine, as it is produced from rice, which is a grain, rather than from a fruit. However, flavor-wise, sake is closer to wine than beer.
