Classic Presentation of Premium Wines: Basi and Sake (Article in progress)

Classic Presentation of Premium Wines: 

Basi and Sake 

Dr Abe V Rotor

“Wine cheers the sad, revives the old, inspires the young, and makes weariness forget his toil.” - Lord Byron

 

 

 

Sunset brings tired bodies and souls to pray, 

in simple rituals to thank the day;

happily from field with friends and family,

 find the world kind and aplenty.

  

Japanese guest Takehito Kabayashi visits 18th century basi wine cellar at the Living with Nature Center in San Vicente, Ilocos Sur.  Right photo, author presented a five-year old bottle of basi.  In return his guest complemented it with a premium sake.  Both bottles became the subject of this article - Classic Presentation of Premium Wines - their indigenous manufacture, importance to local culture and industry - and their ancient origins, which remains a subject of continuing research.

* Basi is a traditional Filipino fermented alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane juice, deeply rooted in the culture of the Ilocos Region in Northern Luzon. It is fermented in earthen jars (burnay) using samak bark and leaves, resulting in a 10-13% alcohol content, often described as having an earthy, sweet-to-acidic flavor. It has been produced in Northern Luzon for centuries, predating the Spanish regime. 
Sake, saké, or saki, also referred to as Japanese rice wine, is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Wikipedia