LONDON － A brand of sake from Kitakata, Fukushima Prefecture, has been chosen as this year's "champion sake" by the International Wine Challenge, the world's largest wine competition.

Homare Sake Brewery Co.'s Aizu Homare Banshu Yamadanishiki Junmai Daiginjo was chosen in July as the overall winner of the IWC's sake division, the largest sake competition outside Japan.

　世界最大規模のワイン品評会、インターナショナル・ワイン・チャレンジ（ＩＷＣ）は７月、ＳＡＫＥ（日本酒）部門の今年の最優秀賞「チャンピオン・サケ」に、ほまれ酒造（喜多方市）の「会津ほまれ　播州産山田錦仕込　純米大吟醸酒」を選んだ。同部門は日本国外で最大の日本酒品評会。

　This is the first time a brewery in Fukushima Prefecture has won the top sake prize, demonstrating to the world the prefecture's resilience as its products struggle with problems related to the nuclear crisis.

　福島県の蔵元のチャンピオン獲得は初めてだ。県産品が原発事故の風評に苦しむ中、世界に福島の底力を見せつけた。

　"This is a wonderful thing for all the sake breweries in the prefecture," Homare Sake Brewery President Hiroyuki Karahashi, 42, said at the awards ceremony in London. "We've proved we have the skills that have made us No. 1 in Japan, winning the gold medal [at the Annual Japan Sake Awards] three years in a row."

Fukushima Gov. Masao Uchibori also attended the ceremony.

　「県内の酒蔵全体にとって、すごくいいこと。（全国新酒鑑評会）金賞数３年連続日本一の実力を証明できた」。ロンドンで行われた授賞式で、唐橋裕幸ほまれ酒造社長（４２）は、内堀雅雄知事と共にセレモニーに参加し、喜びを分かち合った。

　The IWC's sake division is judged by people highly knowledgeable about sake, including sales around Europe. This year 876 brands from around Japan were submitted in seven categories, including junmai sake and ordinary sake.

Aizu Homare won for the first time in the junmai ginjo and junmai daiginjo category.

　ＩＷＣの日本酒部門は、欧州各地で日本酒の販売など経験豊富な関係者が審査する。本年度は純米酒、普通酒などの７部門に日本全国から８７６銘柄の出品があり、純米吟醸酒・純米大吟醸酒部門の会津ほまれが初の栄誉を射止めた。

　Four years and four months after the March 2011 disaster, the nuclear crisis is still casting a shadow over Fukushima Prefecture's products. The atmosphere surrounding sake is no exception: Exports to China, South Korea and other countries have been suspended, and brewers in the prefecture must still conduct independent radiation tests.

　震災から４年４カ月たっても、原発事故の影響は県産品全体に影を落とす。酒造りをめぐっても、中国や韓国との輸出ルートは絶たれ、安全を証明するための独自の放射性物質検査を続けなければならないなど、環境は変わった。

　"It will take time, but all we can do is change our image through good taste," Karahashi said. "I hope the award helps dispel misinformation about the prefecture."

　唐橋社長は「時間はかかるが、おいしさでイメージを変えるしかない。受賞が県内の風評払拭（ふっしょく）の一助になればうれしい」と喜んだ。

　Despite Fukushima sake receiving such international recognition, the prefecture still tends to have a dark image due to the nuclear crisis, Karahashi said with moist eyes. "I want children to be proud they live in Fukushima Prefecture. I want this to contribute, if only a little bit, to shaping their dreams and futures," he said.

　原発事故で福島県が暗いイメージで見られがちな中、県内の日本酒が世界に認められたことについては、「子どもたちに福島に住むことへの誇りを持ってもらいたい。彼らが夢や未来を描くことに少しでもつながってほしい」と目を潤ませた。

　Uchibori said, "International recognition of sake from our prefecture, which suffers from misinformation, will give our reconstruction bid a boost.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（　Translated by The Japan News　）

　内堀知事は「風評に苦しむ本県の日本酒が世界で認められることは、復興を進めるための大きな後押しになる」と喜びを語った。

　International Wine Challenge

　The IWC was founded in 1984, and receives more than 13,000 entries from around the world. The sake division was established in 2007. The overall champion sake is chosen from winners in seven categories: junmai; junmai ginjo and junmai daiginjo; honjozo; ginjo and ginjo daiginjo; koshu, ordinary sake; and sparkling.

　インターナショナル・ワイン・チャレンジ（ＩＷＣ）　１９８４年に創立されたワイン品評会。全世界から１万３０００以上の銘柄が出品される。ＳＡＫＥ（日本酒）部門は２００７年に創設。純米酒、純米吟醸酒・純米大吟醸酒、本醸造酒、吟醸酒・大吟醸酒、古酒、普通酒、スパークリングの７部門の「トロフィー」受賞酒から世界一の「チャンピオン・サケ」を選ぶ。

　【　２０１５年７月１８日・本紙掲載　】