The Hotel Grand Pacific’s International Winemakers Dinner series continues on September 12 with a Sake Dinner with the Artisan Sake Maker on Granville Island owned and run by Masa Shiroki.

Masa Shiroki makes two things perfectly clear: “Sake is not distilled alcohol and it is not similar to beer. It is produced by fermentation. It is rice wine.” Shiroki, who lectures on sake for International Sommelier Guild courses, should know. In January 2007, the Japanese-born entrepreneur opened Canada’s first sake “winery”, Artisan Sake Maker on Vancouver’s Granville Island, where the sake is fermented from top-of-the-line Japanese Junmai rice and pressed and bottled by hand. It is also unfiltered and free of preservatives, producing a beverage with delicate fruit-like aromas and flavours
much different from some of the cruder sakes dominating the B.C. market.

To take a sip – a long, thoughtful sip – of Masa’s sake is to taste what all sakes should be. Executive Chef Rick Choy and Restaurant Chef Michael Minshull will strive for a delicate balance as they pair numerous courses with a selection of outstanding sakes, aiming to bring out the nuances and enhance the flavours and unique characteristics of both the food and the sake.

The event begins at 6:00 pm with a sake and canapés reception and an introduction from Mr. Masa Shiroki. Dinner follows at 7 pm. Tickets are $125.00 per person (all inclusive with complimentary valet parking), and reservations are available by calling 250-38…. Hosted in The Mark, an intimate dining room with only 28 seats, the dinner will sell out quickly.

Diners are invited to stay overnight at the Hotel Grand Pacific with a special room rate of $165.

For more information about The Mark, in Victoria’s Hotel Grand Pacific, visit www.themark.ca. For more information about the Hotel Grand Pacific on Victoria’s Inner Harbour, visit www.hotelgrandpacific.com.