← Next On Scene: The Human Behind The Brand
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- [00:01]
A
Welcome back to Becoming Next on Scene, everybody. It is your host, Jackie Zucker. This is another awesome day for another awesome episode of how to become Next on Scene in your field of business or in your passion. Before I bring on my amazing guests, I always like to start with a marketing tip to get your week started and a self care tip to keep your week going. But I actually think that this words of wisdom I want to share today kind of tie into both. I think it is so important to really work on the internal things that we need to face. Things that trigger us, things that make us fearful, things that we postpone or avoid. I think it's so important to face them head on because it allows us to evolve to our next level. And we are so. You're so not alone in this arena. As somebody who has done a lot of internal work and will continue to do it, I think we're all here to kind of continue to face things in order to reach next levels for ourselves. And I just want to talk about the importance of that today because I feel like in order to really achieve and evolve, we have to work on things that make us triggered, make us fearful, make us nervous, and then once we face them, the other side is so incredible that sometimes going through the hard works out so much better than expected on the other side. And it's not easy to face that stuff. Right. And excuse my language, but like, it's not. And I just think that sharing from firsthand experience, like once you start doing that, it is so worth it in the long haul. So just felt inspired to talk about that today. I felt like I've been networking and talking to a lot of people around that topic and wanted to share that with you. My amazing guest today, now I'm so excited to share with you is Marie Marina Giordano. She is the executive director of Sake Day east, which happens in Boston every year. This is her fourth year doing it and I am so excited to be a part of the team and really inform you on how much fun this event's going to be, what you can expect. She is really taking sake and expanding it all across New England and inspiring so many people to taste it, learn about pairings. And she's also a sake educator herself, so she just knows all the things. So if you're looking to expand your wine palette, definitely come down to Sake Day east in September, September 21, and Marina is going to share a lot more information with you and we can't wait to see you there. Welcome back to Becoming Next on Scene Everybody, I am so excited to be here with the amazing Marina Giordano. She is the executive director and producer of Sake Daisy. Hi, Marina. How are you today?
- [02:44]
B
Jackie? Great. Thanks for having me.
- [02:46]
A
Of course. Did I say that okay, that you're the director and producer? I feel like you do all the things.
- [02:50]
B
Well, yeah, kind of all the things. Everything except for pouring the sake. But I have been known to pour the sake while I'm there, so. Just about everything.
- [02:57]
A
Yeah, for sure. I think that's definitely the truth. So tell us a little bit about what Sake Day east is and how it came about.
- [03:04]
B
Okay. So Sake Day east is New England's largest tasting of. Largest celebration of World Sake Day. So World Sake Day is marks the beginning of the brewing season in Japan. So it's celebrated with different tastings and events all around the world. And so it's actually like a thing. It seems kind of crazy that we have a sake day, but we do. And so I was inspired by events that I attended in Toronto, in San Francisco, and other sake events, and I thought, we need something like that here in Boston. So four years ago, I created Sake Day east, so taking place here in Boston. And we have over 70 sake. We have about 15 distributors and importers who show up. Sometimes the brewers are there, including our local brewers. Our local brew, the brewer Farther Star, coming out of Medfield, and we actually have a brewer from Brooklyn also that'll be here. So to walk around tasting, you get a glass and you get to taste all the sake you'd like.
- [04:02]
A
So cool. And we need to know, like, how did you fall into the world of sake? Like, how did this all come about?
- [04:07]
B
Yeah. So some of you know that my background is in TV and I've been doing that for 30 years. And I kind of panicked and started learning about wine and. Because, like, a backup career, I was going to teach wine. I am teaching wine. And so a friend introduced me to sake and I fell in love with it and thought, how can this be made? What it like, tastes like fruit and it's made from rice. That can't be. They're putting stuff in there. Like, how is this made? I went home from that lunch and I googled sake classes, and within three months, I was in Texas taking a class, and six months later, I was in Japan. So. So that's where it all started. And then I started teaching sake classes. And like I said, bringing sake to Boston has just been my goal. Getting better sake into this market and introducing people to this amazing beverage that's ancient and it's subtle and it's fascinating and it's so diverse and people just don't really get it. And so I want people to get it.
- [05:05]
A
So I remember too, when we first chatted, because you've been on my podcast before, but sake actually lasts. Doesn't it last longer than wine?
- [05:12]
B
So open? It does, yeah. So you don't want to, like, buy your sakis and seller them, although there are such thing as age sakis. And you could experiment and age them yourself, but typically you want to taste them fresh. That's how the brewer intended you to drink them. But once you open that sake, it lasts 2, 3, 4 weeks open, whereas, like a bottle of wine, you really want to drink within a couple days. So a lot of sakes, especially bigger, richer styles, they could easily stay open for four weeks. Some brewers recommend tasting theirs, like, a couple months later, after it's been open. Just keep it in the refrigerator. Put the cap back on and keep it in the refrigerator and it'll last a long time. So it goes a long way. Sometimes people think, oh, sake is a little expensive, but if you think of it, that you're actually going to be able to drink that whole bottle instead of using half of it for cooking or using, you know, dumping half of it because it doesn't taste good anymore. You can really make it last.
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A
Amazing. And so tell us what we can expect. So September 21 is the date, like, what can we expect when we go? Like, walk us through the process.
- [06:11]
B
Yep. So for our general admission, it starts at 7pm on Saturday, September 21, and you'll come in the door, you'll get a wristband and you get a glass. And then we have two separate rooms with tasting. So you go around and you can pick. You have a map of what's there, what sakes are available to taste, or if you don't really know much about sake, you can just start at a table. And the people who are pouring sake are all experts in sake, so they can answer your questions. They'll let you taste different styles, they'll guide you through where to start or which ones. If you get gave some opinions on what you think you like, they've been able to guide you on what kind of sakes they have that you might enjoy. There's food for purchase. There's some complimentary food, too. We're at 100 High street, which has the High street market, so that's downstairs too, which is a food court. There's a Japanese potter that'll be there. We have some Other vendors coming, so there's lots of stuff to do before the event starts. We actually have a VIP hour, one hour early entry. There's only 45 tickets for that and they're selling out quickly. So interested in that. It gets you early entry, less crowd, and then you also get a bento box and some other gifts. But we also have some classes, little half hour guided tastings led by a sake expert, where you taste three to four sake and they focus on a specific topic. This year we have the sakes of Niigata, we have a rice tasting, and we have a yeast tasting. Plus this year we've added the sushi class, where you can take a sushi class where you learn how to roll sushi. So it's a lot of fun. You can get involved, you can meet people, get to taste my favorite beverage and hopefully your favorite beverage too.
- [07:51]
A
And I love the tie in too, this year that you're doing with a charity. Can you talk a little bit about that too?
- [07:56]
B
Yeah, yeah. So we're working with. We're providing a portion of our profits to the Noto Peninsula Breweries. So there was a devastating earthquake that happened in Japan early in the year, and many of the breweries were destroyed or were damaged, and so some of their sake was damaged or they weren't able to continue to produce for this year. So we're donating a portion of our profits to the charity that'll help support those brewers. So right back to the Japanese.
- [08:24]
A
I love it. And I just want to give you, like, credit with, like, you're teaching class in San Francisco, you're coming back and forth, like, you're so well versed in this, and I just want to commend you for that because with all the things that you do, Marina, it's very impressive. I just have to tell you that.
- [08:38]
B
Thank you. I love it. It's really. It really is. Just sitting down today, just like, writing a couple, like, little blog things about sake. And as I'm going through, I'm like, this is just such a fun beverage. I just really love doing it. It just makes me really happy. So.
- [08:52]
A
Yeah. And one unique thing that I also want to talk about too, that you didn't talk about yet is the cool, like, map you get when you come in. So, like, people will know, like, where to stop. And can you talk a little bit about that too?
- [09:01]
B
Yeah. So it's kind of like a floor plan of the building. We have two separate rooms, like I said this year, so we're going to be spread out Pretty far. We have also have a little outdoor, nice patio where you can lounge. So what you'll get is information on where each of the sakes are. So if you have a favorite producer, favorite style of sake or someone you make somewhere you want to make sure you get to, you're going to know exactly where to go. And there's also a list of sakes on the back. So, you know, like I said, if there's something specific, you know you love Desai Desai Blue is going to be there, which is brewed in New York City in New York, Northern New York. You can go and find them exactly where they are and go right to their table. Or. Or you can just wing it and walk around.
- [09:40]
A
So do you find that people that have come are a big, like, saki people, or do you find you're starting to get new people, like, into tasting sake?
- [09:48]
B
We have a full range. So whether it's people who have tasted sake for a long time and are love with sake, we have a lot of those people that come back every year. But we also have people who've maybe had sake once or twice and aren't really sure it's a great opportunity. Like I said, there's over 70 sake. And most people don't. They think of sake as like this. You know, it's one style. There is a huge range of sake. And so I always say there's a sake for everyone. So coming to the event, you get a chance to taste all the different sake, try different styles. If there's something that, you know, sometimes people are like, oh, I don't think I really like that. But you may find this really fruity style that you do like. Or maybe it's sparkling sake or aged sake or sweet sake. There's just so many different, different varieties. So yeah, we get people who have really not had much sake. Some people have had a little bit, want to expand their knowledge. And then we've got people who are sake lovers, who've been sake lovers for a long time.
- [10:41]
A
So cool. So cool. And I love the collaboration too. I know you're like collaborating with colleges now and teaching those too. Can you talk about that also? I think that yes.
- [10:50]
B
Yeah. So both BU's wine and food studies, they'll be there with a table talking about their program. And then we also have Commonwealth Wine School coming. Who's. Which is the school that I work with right now teaching my WSET classes. Wine, spirits, beer. They'll be there too, and talking about our sake classes. But all their other offerings, same with bu, so it's really exciting that we've got this educational component for people who do wanna learn more people, you know, if you're in the industry, this, like, is a great place to get an opportunity to taste sakes and so can also advance your learning too.
- [11:24]
A
I love it. And deep dive more into the individual classes that you teach because obviously you're doing this for a reason. So let's talk.
- [11:32]
B
Well, the real reason is to bring better sake here. But yeah, I teach sake classes, so I teach certificate classes where with Wine Spirit Education Trust or wset, we have three different levels. With sake, I also teach blind levels too. So everything from basic to the level three is super in depth. Like, we talk about everything in the world you could ever want to know about sake. But then I also teach a lot of little consumer classes, like those fun classes you could go to on a Friday night or Saturday night, sometimes on a Sunday afternoon. Everything from sake and chocolate, which we're going to offer this fall. Like a sake 101, which is the basics, so you can kind of look at a label and say, oh, okay, now I think I know what I might be buying. Helps you to kind of guide you through that and what you like and don't like. We'll do a sake and cheese class, hoping to bring back sake and pizza. And hopefully we'll bring the sushi class will be at Saki the East. Hopefully we'll bring them back in for another class too at Commonwealth. So there's a huge range of classes. We've done bonsai class too, where you get to make your own bonsai tree and sip sake at the same time.
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A
So that's pretty cool.
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B
We'll do it all. Yeah, yeah.
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A
Lots of fun, like pairing, because you are going to have food on site. Like, can you talk a little bit about pairings?
- [12:46]
B
Yep. So pairings to sake, like, there's actually a phrase in Japanese, sake never fights with food. And it's really true. And what I like to explain to people is when you try to pair wines you often get, you often get mismatches, but when you get a really good pairing, it's like amazing. Like the flavors just go together so well. Sake, those are really rare to find those really, like amazing pairings. But sake just, like I just like to say, supports the food. It never fights with it, it just helps the food. It doesn't. It's never the star. It just slides in and supports the food occasionally, like I said, if you find somebody who really knows how to pair really well, they'll pull out typically the same flavors. So like if you have a umami rich sake that has a lot of that savoriness, like mushroomy, and then you pair that with mushrooms or like fried mushrooms, that just goes. So it kind of makes this big huge, like, wow, that was awesome. Or sometimes you can really get that with sweet sakes, but in most cases just supports the food, which is awesome because then it pairs with everything, right? So I tell people, don't, you know, don't do just Japanese food, don't do just sushi. Think about like pairing with pizza or with spaghetti, meatballs or barbecue, like pulled pork or a steak. Or my favorite is brunch. It really goes well with cheese, with egg, with like brioche bread, with fruit. It's really hard to pair fruit with wine because the sugar and the acid levels, but sake has residual sugar, has much lower acid. So it goes really well with fruit. It even goes with coffee. So it just really is an easy pair. It's such a great drink. It's not high in alcohol. People think, you know, it's a spirit. It's not, it's 15 to 17%. It's closer to like wine, a little bit on the higher end of wine, but still you can find lower examples too, that just pairs really well. So it's simple, easy match.
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A
So cool. And this might be a silly question, but, like when you're tasting, how do you not mix the tastes? Like when you're done sipping one, like, what is your advice when you go to a tasting? You finish one and then you're on to the next one. And it's totally different flavors, but you're still tasting the last one. Right? Like, what advice do you have for that?
- [15:02]
B
So hopefully when you're at one table, they're going to taste you in the right order. They're going to make sure that you're not going to taste like a very rich style of sake and then a light style sake. But say you leave that table with the last thing you tasted was very light and the next table's got big, bold sake. Take. There's water around at the, at the whole event. So just take some water. You can rinse your glass or oftentimes what they'll do is they'll just take some sake and pour it into the glass. You swirl it, dump it. They'll just pour a little bit and then they'll pour you a glass that helps to like, what you call, like season the glass. It just sort of, it puts that new sake in There, and then they'll pour it, and you'll be all set.
- [15:37]
A
So fun fact. Fun fact. I'm like, yeah, I was thinking, like, I feel like the water, like, has help, but not all the time. So that's like, a fun fact, I feel like.
- [15:46]
B
Right. And then sometimes there's just. There's water in your glass. So now it's diluted the sake, too. So by putting a little bit of sake, or even if you're, you know, if you're at home tasting different sakes or different wines or different spirits, if you. If you have to use the same glass again, just take a little bit, pour it in, swirl it, and dump it. And then it just helps to season the glass, changes the flavor and aromas in it to what you're tasting now. And then pour yourself your tasting sample and taste that way. Huh? Spitting helps, too. I mean, we offer spit buckets and sake it in. You don't have to spit, but it does. If you spit your palate, you're not getting drunk, so now you can actually taste. So we do have the opportunity to purchase sake. So if you're thinking about purchasing, you might not want to drink everything, so you actually can taste it and you know what you're tasting and what you prefer. But saki gives you a really nice, happy buzz. So I don't know. Spitting is a little tough, and in public, people are always embarrassed to spit. But. But there is the option we offer you. The option to spit.
- [16:48]
A
That is hilarious. Thank you. Caring that. That was very fun. So what's, like, big picture, like, outside of, like, where do you want to take sake to? East, like, outside of Boston? Like, what's, like, the goal?
- [16:59]
B
Oh, wow. Well, you know, there's a lot of. Like I said, there's a lot of tastings around the country and around the world for sake day. So, you know, bigger markets already have them, and it's all about trying to support the brewers. And the sake market here is really so just growing the program here is really the big goal. And then just expanding classes and getting more people into class so they can learn more about sake. So we get better sake here in Boston. It's really has always been the goal is just when I started this, it was tough to get good sake here. I was always. If I. If I was getting sake, I was buying it from a different state and having it shipped in or carrying it with me when I came home from San Francisco. And now there's actually places if I want a sake tomorrow or tonight, I can go and buy it and bring it home with me.
- [17:44]
A
That is awesome. Share with us. Like how people can get tickets where everything is available to check out, share all the things.
- [17:51]
B
Yep. So the tickets are available on Eventbrite. The easiest way to get there is to go to our website, sakideayeast.com and right at the top, right under the explanation of what Sake day is, there's a link to tickets and that'll get you over. We have general admission tickets. We have that VIP that gives you an hour early entry and then you get to stay for the rest of the event. We have our tastings, our guided tastings. There's three different half hour tastings. The first one begins at four and then we have the sushi class which starts at 5:00. There's two different sessions of that too. So all that's there they can just click in and buy. So it's all set.
- [18:29]
A
And all the vendors are on Eventbrite too. So they can see who will be there and all the things, right?
- [18:34]
B
Yeah, they can see what importers, what distributors will be there, what vendors we have coming, which food vendors will be there. So yeah, everything is on on that Saki Days page and then same information is also on the eventbreak page.
- [18:47]
A
So cool. And just to clarify for our listeners, there's like over 70 Sakis, over 70.
- [18:52]
B
Sake to be available to taste. The majority of them are from Japan, but we do have the local brewers of Farther Star which is out of Medfield, Mass. Brooklyn, Curra and then Dasai. Blue Desai is a big brewer in Japan but they're now brewing in in the States in New York. So they'll be there too.
- [19:09]
A
Cool. So cool. And how can we follow you on social media?
- [19:12]
B
I'm Wine Socky Chick. So Wine Saki Chick on Instagram, Marina Giordano on Facebook and then we're also Sakide east on Instagram and Sake, the east on Facebook too.
- [19:22]
A
Perfect. Thank you. Everyone definitely needs to get tickets for this amazing event. Do not miss out. It's going to be awesome. And thank you Marina so much for coming on today. You are awesome.
- [19:32]
B
Thank you Jackie.
- [19:34]
A
And thank you everyone so much for tuning in to becoming next on scene. And stay tuned for who's next on scene.
- [19:47]
B
The ups, the downs and all the in between. What it takes to become next on scene. Are you next? Follow us at Next on Scene.