Dewazakura wins two Platinum awards at the Milan Sake Challenge

Dewazakura Sake Brewery, based in Yamagata Prefecture, won five awards at the Milan Sake Challenge 2026, a sake competition held in Italy, including two Platinum awards. The brewery reported the results on its official website on 31 July 2026, the day they were announced. In the land of wine, the breadth of sake styles and their affinity with food were recognised.

Platinum awards for a nigori and a Tsuyahime

Dewazakura is a sake brewery in Tendo, Yamagata Prefecture, in the Tohoku region of northern Japan. The two bottles that won Platinum awards in the tasting category were “Ginjo Nigori Tobiroku” and “Junmai Ginjo Tsuyahime”. “Ginjo” refers to sake brewed from rice polished down to 60% or less of its original size and fermented slowly at low temperatures to bring out a fragrant aroma. “Nigori” is a cloudy white style that keeps fine rice particles (lees) after pressing, and is known for its smooth texture. “Junmai” indicates that the sake is made only from rice, rice koji and water, with no added brewer’s alcohol. “Tsuyahime” is the name of a rice variety developed in Yamagata Prefecture.

Sparkling sake, plum wine and truffle

In the same tasting category, the sparkling sake “AWA SAKE” won a Double Gold award. The “Honkaku Umeshu” also took a Gold award. Umeshu is a liqueur made by steeping Japanese ume fruit in alcohol, and is known for its balance of sweetness and acidity.

Of particular note is that “Junmai Ginjo Tsuyahime” also won the Food Pairing Award (Truffle). In Italy, where the combination of food and drink is highly valued, it was recognised for how well it matches rich, earthy ingredients such as truffle. It is one result suggesting that sake can suit not only Japanese cuisine but European dishes too.

How to enjoy it in Europe

At specialist sake shops and online retailers, searching for the brewery name “Dewazakura” is the easiest way to find these bottles. With nigori, one approach is to tilt the bottle gently to mix in the lees, then drink it well chilled. Junmai ginjo tends to open up its aroma when served slightly chilled in a wine glass. Following the award, you could also pair it with a risotto or pasta made with mushrooms or truffle. The sparkling AWA SAKE makes a fine toast, while the umeshu can be served on the rocks or with soda as an aperitif. Comparing the different styles made by a single brewery is part of the appeal of this list of awards.