Soy sauce is one of the traditional seasonings of Japanese cuisine.
Thanks to its delicate aroma and flavor, Japanese wine pairs easily with Japanese cuisine and can be enjoyed alongside dishes made with soy sauce without clashing.
However, wine and soy sauce are inherently a difficult pairing, and it might not be a combination where Japanese wine and soy sauce proactively harmonize.
Under such circumstances, a soy sauce that pairs well not only with Japanese wine but with wine itself has been born.
These are "SHINKO NOIRE" and "SHINKO BLANCHE", soy sauces created by Yuasa Soy Sauce Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Yuasa Soy Sauce).
In this article, we tried "SHINKO NOIRE" to test whether it truly pairs well with wine.
For those who have been looking for a soy sauce that goes well with wine, as well as those in the restaurant industry, this is a must-see soy sauce.
Please use this as a reference.
About "SHINKO NOIRE" and "SHINKO BLANCHE"
"SHINKO NOIRE" and "SHINKO BLANCHE" are soy sauces produced by Yuasa Soy Sauce, the soy sauce division of "Marushin Honke," a long-established brewery founded in 1881 in Yuasa Town, Wakayama Prefecture, known as the birthplace of soy sauce.
When people think of soy sauce, everyone imagines a traditional seasoning made by major domestic seasoning manufacturers or long-standing soy sauce breweries in Japan, but surprisingly, "SHINKO NOIRE" and "SHINKO BLANCHE" are soy sauces produced in France.
What is even more surprising is that the brewer is Chateau Coutet, a winery in Saint-Émilion, France.
It is a historic chateau in Bordeaux Saint-Émilion, one of the world's premier wine-producing regions, and a prestigious estate among the prestigious that has been practicing organic farming since ancient times.
Yuasa Soy Sauce has been collaborating with Adrien David Beaulieu, the owner of the chateau, since 2023, consistently crafting French-made soy sauce of the highest quality.
The soy sauce is crafted with meticulous care, using French ingredients and fermenting and maturing in wine barrels from Chateau Coutet.
"SHINKO NOIRE" is a soy sauce made using French organic soybeans and wheat, as well as salt from Île de Ré crafted in salt marshes, and carefully aged for 12 months in wine barrels.
"SHINKO BLANCHE" uses the same ingredients as "SHINKO NOIRE", but with a different blending ratio, using more wheat and carefully aged in stainless steel tanks for wine.
Furthermore, it is finished in a carefully designed container that pursues convenience amidst a sense of luxury, featuring a wooden box that also serves as beautiful interior decor, a resin spout inside the bottle rarely seen in Japan, and a cap made of wood on the outside and resin on the inside.
While it is an attractive soy sauce that seems easy to pair with a wide range of Japanese dishes, what is of keen interest is its compatibility with wine.
Does Japanese Wine Go Well with Soy Sauce?
As mentioned at the beginning, pairing wine and soy sauce is said to be difficult.
Even so, Japanese red wine has delicate aromas and flavors, and varieties such as Muscat Bailey A have savory caramel-like nuances, so their compatibility with soy sauce is not bad.
However, in recent years, the number of Japanese wines made with international varieties has increased, evolving to a level of quality comparable to wines from overseas.
Looking at it from another angle, even if Japanese wine is not running on the exact same track, it can be considered that it has approached the style of overseas wines.
For this reason, one can no longer simply assume that just because it is Japanese wine, it will pair outstandingly with soy sauce without careful thought.
So, why is pairing soy sauce and wine said to be difficult in the first place? Let us explain below.
It Accentuates the Wine's Tannins
The appeal of soy sauce lies in its dynamic saltiness, sharp acidity, and complex flavors.
Strong umami derived from amino acids, primarily glutamic acid, brings out the flavors of food.
However, with red wine, particularly full-bodied wine, the tannins are accentuated by that saltiness and acidity, disrupting the balance of flavor.
Although it is said to be easy to pair with Riesling, unoaked Chardonnay, and sparkling wine, the flavor of soy sauce inevitably overpowers them, making it questionable whether it can be called a truly superior pairing.
Red wines with low tannins and sweet sparkling wines are also recommended, but as mentioned above, the presence of soy sauce asserts itself strongly no matter what, so there is no need to "force a wine" to fit.
Do Sushi and Sashimi Go Well with Wine?
Dishes where soy sauce can be tasted directly are sushi and sashimi.
Because sushi and wine are increasingly becoming a classic pairing, many people may have the impression that soy sauce and wine go well together.
However, with vinegared rice, fatty fish, savory seared items, or those sprinkled with salt or citrus, it becomes a question of pairing ingredients with wine rather than soy sauce.
The same goes for sashimi; although people often think that pairing with soy sauce is fine because sushi and sashimi pair well with wine, pairing soy sauce on its own is difficult, and it can be considered that the ingredients serve as a bridge for the pairing.
"SHINKO NOIRE" and Full-Bodied Red Wine
For the reasons above, the affinity between soy sauce and wine, particularly full-bodied red wine, is considered difficult.
However, what about "SHINKO NOIRE" and "SHINKO BLANCHE"?
A wine-like soy sauce brewed at a historic chateau in Bordeaux, which can be called the holy land of full-bodied red wines.
In this article, we tested the compatibility between wine and "SHINKO NOIRE", which has been carefully aged in wine barrels for 12 months, without holding back.
The Shock of Not Clashing with Wine
Originally, it should have been tested with Japanese red wine, which is said to pair easily with soy sauce, but here we took the plunge and tested its compatibility with an overseas full-bodied red wine, considered the most difficult to pair with wine.
If it goes well with this wine, its affinity with Japanese wine is beyond doubt.
To make it easy to compare, we paired red wine with general dark soy sauce made in Japan and with "SHINKO NOIRE".
First, the pairing with general dark soy sauce.
The moment you taste the soy sauce and then the wine, it does not feel like they clash that much, but in the aftertaste, the tannins of the wine stand out, while the saltiness and acidity of the soy sauce are emphasized, so even flattery could not call it a "good match."
For those who do not usually drink wine much, it is a combination that creates some reluctance.
Next, "SHINKO NOIRE".
When you put "SHINKO NOIRE" in your mouth, a surprisingly fruity flavor spreads across the palate, and the aftertaste is elegant.
When paired with a full-bodied red wine, it was truly astonishing.
The fruitiness, refreshing acidity, and gentle sweetness of "SHINKO NOIRE" resonate with the elements of the wine, and instead of the soy sauce asserting itself in the aftertaste, the wonderful aroma of the wine wafts through.
Far from emphasizing tannins, it makes them feel silky—a surprising result.
Without compromise, we have discovered a soy sauce that matches wine.
Summary
We also paired "SHINKO NOIRE" drizzled over silken tofu with a full-bodied red wine, and this pairing was also perfect.
Tofu and red wine is an unexpected combination, but the presence of "SHINKO NOIRE" acts as a bridge, elevating the pairing of red wine and tofu into something wonderful.
It is great as it is, of course, but arranging it for carpaccio seems like it would make it pair even better with wine.
On the other hand, "SHINKO BLANCHE" has a gentler mouthfeel and allows you to enjoy sweetness and savouriness, so it would likely pair easily with fruity, aromatic white wines.
For wine connoisseurs looking for soy sauce that pairs with wine, as well as those in the restaurant industry, "SHINKO NOIRE" and "SHINKO BLANCHE" are masterpieces you will certainly want to get your hands on.
Why not check them out on the website below?
Reference
Yuasa Soy Sauce
https://www.marushinhonke.com/
Official Online Store
https://www.marushinhonke.com/c/3555/22182