This year, sake nama chocolates with regional exclusivity debut!

This Valentine's season, a new selection of sake nama chocolates, specially sold with regional exclusivity, makes its debut. These include the "Wine Nama Chocolate," a collaboration with Fujino Winery, known for its commitment to unfiltered wines, offering both red and white varieties. Then there's the "Manazuru Chocolate," crafted with "Junmai Ginjo Manazuru," a sake produced by Tanaka Sake Brewery, which adheres to traditional methods since its founding in Miyagi Prefecture, a prominent sake-producing region in Japan. Finally, the "Fukuju Nama Chocolate" uses "Fukuju Junmai Ginjo" from Kobe Shushinkan, a sake also served at Nobel Prize banquets. Each of these chocolates allows you to savor the unique character of the sake, elevated by the sweetness and signature melt of the nama chocolate, creating a novel taste experience.

<Wine Nama Chocolate>
■ Retailer: Marui Imai Sapporo Main Store
■ Event: Salon du Chocolat Sapporo (Odori Hall, 9th Floor)
■ Period: January 30, 2018 (Tue) - February 14, 2018 (Wed)
■ Price: 18 pieces, ¥1,700 (excl. tax)
■ Features: A collaboration with Fujino Winery, which uses only Hokkaido-grown grapes and insists on unfiltered production. The milk nama chocolate blends the rich aroma of milk chocolate with the subtle herbal acidity and berry notes of the red wine "nonno 2014." The white nama chocolate combines the melting sweetness of white chocolate with the refreshing finish of the white wine "upas 2015," made from Hokkaido-grown Müller-Thurgau, Bacchus, and Kerner grapes, offering pleasant notes of lime and grapefruit. This nama chocolate allows you to enjoy two distinct flavors in one box.

<Manazuru Nama Chocolate>
■ Retailer: Sendai Mitsukoshi
■ Event: Salon du Chocolat 2018 (Main Building, 7th Floor Hall)
■ Period: February 1, 2018 (Thu) - February 14, 2018 (Wed)
■ Price: 18 pieces, ¥1,700 (excl. tax)
■ Features: A collaboration with "Junmai Ginjo Manazuru," brewed by Tanaka Sake Brewery, established over 220 years ago in Kami Town, Miyagi Prefecture, with a history dating back to 1789. "Junmai Ginjo Manazuru" is crafted using traditional handmade methods, including koji production using individual koji trays and temperature control with cedar vats. It is made with Miyama Nishiki rice from Miyagi Prefecture, polished to 50%, and uses subterranean water from the Ou Mountains. This nama chocolate harmonizes the rich aroma of milk chocolate with the gentle ginjo fragrance, deep umami, and richness of the sake.

<Fukuju Nama Chocolate>
■ Retailer: Sogo Kobe Store
■ Event: Valentine Chocolate Paradise 2018 (Main Building, 9th Floor)
■ Period: January 23, 2018 (Tue) - February 14, 2018 (Wed)
■ Price: 18 pieces, ¥1,700 (excl. tax)
■ Features: A collaboration nama chocolate with "Fukuju Junmai Ginjo," brewed by Kobe Shushinkan, founded in 1751 in Mikage, Kobe, at the foot of Mount Rokko. "Fukuju Junmai Ginjo," served at the Nobel Prize official banquet, is a PURE and straightforward sake, born from the blessings of nature: "Miya-mizu," one of Japan's top 100 waters; high-quality sake rice grown in the fertile soil of Ura-Rokko; and the cold winter winds, the "Rokko Oroshi," that breathe life into Nada sake. This nama chocolate combines the melting sweetness of nama chocolate with the "Fukuju Junmai Ginjo," which offers a layered profile of ripe apricot-like aroma, freshness, and mellowness.