Kawatsuru translates to “river crane” and comes from the sighting of a crane in the river behind the brewery. Crane of Paradise is described as “umakuchi,” a combination between sweet, dry and umami flavors. The perfect summertime sip!

The intense complexity of this sake is achieved through an abundance of koji, yamahai, no dilution, and over ten years of careful aging.

This savory sake is inspired by local legends of Niigata’s annual fox-bride festival. Local lore tells of mysterious lights that appeared on nearby Mt. Kirin in the distant past, which are claimed to be the lanterns carried in the fox-bride procession. With a 50% polishing rate, this sake could technically qualify as a Junmai Daiginjo, but the savory notes and food pairing versatility identify more with the style expected from Junmai Ginjo.

Flawless yet incredibly persistent. The purity of the region of Yamagata shines in this sake, with the crispness of their pristine water, the grassy, spicy quality of dewasansan rice, and the opulent textures derived from shizuku free run finishing.

Sparkling sake made through secondary fermentation in bottle. Toji Miho Imada uses a little white koji in this sake, resulting in citrus notes and refreshing finish.

The limestone covered mountains nearby give this sake a rich mineral driven structure packed with tension and pronounced acidity. A timeless style of sake that old-world wine drinkers easily gravitate to.

This undiluted brew is fit for a cowboy – made in the ancient Yamahai style, loaded with umami, and pairs beautifully with meat.

This vibrant showstopper is beautifully soft and feminine, brewed by one of Japan’s only female brewery owners and tojis. Brewed in Hiroshima, the birthplace of Ginjo sake, which is known for remarkably soft water that requires expert skill to use in sake production. Once mastered, it enables a highly controlled, precise fermentation, resulting in vibrant fruit aromas. This Junmai Ginjo is bottled immediately without charcoal filtering.

Miho-san revived Hattanso rice, an extinct heirloom breed, by devoting over 10 years of her life to learning how to grow it and brew with it. Female brewery owner and Toji, Miho Imada, mills the rice for this sake less than most Junmais because she believes it results in the best expression of rice flavor, balance, and complexity.

This cloudy “nigori” sake will transport you to Osaka and the Daimon brewery where they have been crafting fresh, lively sake for six generations.

Daimon brewery is one of very few sake breweries located in Osaka and produces sake that truly captures the spirit of the prefecture – a vibrant region that is culturally rich, colorful and known as the street food capital of Japan. Brewery president and toji, Yasutaka Daimon, is a 6^th generation brewer that is also a jazz musician. Daimon-san often listens to jazz while making sake, believing that both jazz and sake go together hand in hand. Daimon is a globally minded brewery and world famous for their global sake internships along with creating the Sake Export Association to expand sake outside of Japan.

With broad appeal and a memorable, sturdy flavor, this sake has the ability to complement even the most wine-unfriendly vegetables. This Junmai Ginjo is made with Yamada Nishiki rice, known as the pinnacle of quality for sake rice. It is named after the famous Chinese poet, Li Po, who was said to drink a bottle of sake and write one hundred poems.

A commitment from the brewery to make premium sake despite agricultural hardships like those of WWII. Until this sake came along in the 1960’s, all sake had distilled alcohol added to it due to rice shortages and war rationing. After the war, Chiyonosono crafted the first junmai sake (brewed without distilled alcohol nor additives of any kind) and celebrated by sharing it from a large, red lacquered sake cup called a Shuhai.

Made with the heirloom rice Kumamoto Shinriki which was revitalized after being out of use for 50-100 years. Chiyonosono is among the very few breweries who have revived rice strains after being out of use. Shinriki literally means “Sacred Power” in Japanese and represents the bold, briny ocean flavors present in the sake.

On-the-go, hassle free, premium Ginjo Genshu sake in a can. Bushido is the ancient Japanese warrior code of moral values, loyalty, and honor until death. Usually unuttered and unwritten, the code allows the violent existence of the samurai to be tempered by wisdom and serenity.

A red blend that shows the spirit and history of Itata – Chile’s oldest winemaking region.

Named after cellarmaster Román Cisneros who has worked at Marietta for over 32 years, this Estate Zinfandel is from the Angeli estate vineyard in Alexander Valley and the McDowell Valley estate vineyard. One of the grape varieties that Marietta is famous for, this wine captures the bright, juicy character of Zinfandel, and hearkens to an era before dark, thick and oaky styles of Zinfandel took hold. The Virgin of Guadalupe on the label is a nod to Román’s dedication, selflessness, and sacrifice, both for the Bilbro family and his own. It is also a nod to the Mexican-American heritage of Román and many of Marietta’s crew members.

Marietta’s Old Vine Riesling is the most recent and unique extension of the Old Vine series (or “OVR”). Originally intended as a gift for Scot’s partner, Lisa, who is German, the bone dry style of Riesling became a fan favorite and permanent addition. While it is the only wine is the lineup that is not estate grown, it comes from some of California’s oldest Riesling vines and offers an extraordinary value and delightful drinking experience.

Affectionately known as “OVR,” Marietta’s Old Vine Red is a proprietary red wine made to replicate the field blends of the old vineyards in Sonoma and Mendocino counties. A groundbreaking combination of varietals and multiple vintages first produced in 1982, this wine has blazed the path for red blends for decades. With an historic underground following, it is one of the longest lasting and best known red blends produced today. Predominantly comprised of fresh, young Zinfandel, OVR gets its backbone from Petite Sirah with about three years of age in neutral barrel, and its savory component from Syrah with about two years of age in neutral barrel. Occasionally, other varieties like Barbera, Carignan, or Grenache will be blended in to complement the other elements. The goal is always to create an enjoyable table wine made with integrity that combines pure fruit, a supple mouth feel and a rich, solid structure.

Named after Armé, the husband of Marietta and great-great uncle of Owner/Winemaker Scot Bilbro, this Cabernet Sauvignon conveys a taut freshness and aromatic purity. Stylistically balanced between modern California and Old World, this wine is dense with fresh, dark fruit and tempered with a savory, earthy character. The dry fly on the label is a reference to Chris Bilbro’s long family history of fishing with his great uncle Armé along the waterways that now adjoin the three estate vineyards.

Named and styled after Chris Bilbro, affectionately called “Christo” by his great-aunt Marietta, this Rhone varietal blend is gentle but powerful, pleasurable but deep, and refined while raw. An ode to Scot’s father and founder of Marietta Cellars, this blend is largely Syrah from the McDowell estate, blended with Petite Sirah from the Angeli Estate and Grenache from the Yorkville Highlands Estate. The pig snout on the label is a reminder of how Chris Bilbro made wild boar sausage and carted his creations around the country to share with chefs and wine lovers alike as he sold Marietta wines.

Marietta’s family series is an ode to the elements that have unified the family’s winemakers over time: family, hard work, passion, and a love for the creative process that is winemaking.