Dear Sommelier, Extra Chapter: "Poe"

Good morning! I’ve been writing about wine, but today I want to take a deep dive into ANTELOPE's new mead, "Po," which has a profile quite similar to a dry wine.

To share my personal take on why it feels so similar,

1. "It has almost no perception of residual sugar."

2. "It captures the true flavor of Mr. Miyamoto’s blood oranges."

These were my impressions.

Almost no perception of residual sugar

Among all the meads I've had in the past, this one is particularly dry.

When I asked Okada-kun why, it seems the origin traces back to "Miyamoto," the first blood orange mead he made three years ago. He apparently felt frustrated at the time because, although he aimed for a dry finish, it didn't turn out quite the way he had envisioned.

Determined to create a mead that makes the most of the blood oranges grown by Miyamoto Farm—a producer he deeply respects—Okada-kun decided to take on the challenge once again.

Mr. Miyamoto and Okada-kun. Okada-kun's fresh smile is dazzling

As fermentation progresses, sugar is consumed and the drink becomes drier. In this case, honey sugars were used for fermentation, and with only 1g/L of residual sugar, this is on the lower side even for an ANTELOPE mead. When I asked him why I don’t detect even a hint of honey, despite usually finding it somewhere in their meads, Okada-kun replied:

Honey tastes like honey precisely because it contains sugar.

It sounds straightforward at first, but if you ask why that is, you're still left with a "huh?" Let’s look into it a bit more.

Honey is about 80% sugar (with 20% water), consisting mainly of fructose and glucose, mixed with small amounts of sucrose, maltose, and other sugars. As the main component—sugar—decreases, the likelihood of that "honey" character remaining does indeed seem slim. (While the characteristics of the honey source plants and trace nutrients also influence the flavor, the foundation is sugar.)

I suppose it makes sense—if the sweetness disappeared from cola, it would feel like an entirely different drink, wouldn't it?

Capturing the true flavor of Mr. Miyamoto’s blood oranges

The beauty of mead lies in its ability to express the wonderful qualities of its ingredients. I’ve always thought so, but I felt it especially strongly this time.

It’s often said that high-quality wine reflects the characteristics of the grape variety used and the terroir of the land; with this mead, I genuinely feel a sensation similar to biting into one of Mr. Miyamoto’s blood oranges, rind and all. I actually did eat it skin and all, so I mean that literally.

When I asked why it feels so true to the ingredients, Okada-kun suggested a few reasons:

・To make the most of the acidity that is the hallmark of the "Moro" variety, he didn't use a storage period (storing causes sweetness to increase, as organic acids—mainly citric acid—in the fruit gradually decompose and metabolize, making the sweetness stand out relatively more).

・Using 20% of the total volume as raw fruit (which is about the same as other ANTELOPE meads).

・Choosing not to heat-treat it.

It seems his frustration from last time came from the fact that heat treatment slightly altered the flavor.

Since there is almost no residual sugar, he also chose not to stop the fermentation. Since we’re heading into warmer weather, it’s probably best to keep this mead refrigerated ⚠️

The blood oranges used here are the "Moro" variety, which are known for being deep red and having a distinct, firm acidity. The other type, "Tarocco," is more balanced in sweetness and acidity, making it better for eating as is.

Maybe there are many people who don't actually know what blood oranges taste like. I hope that through "Po," they can discover the charm of the blood orange.

said Okada-kun. I have a feeling it will reach everyone's hearts.

This is a wonderful mead that perfectly reflects the dedication of Mr. Miyamoto, who poured his heart and soul into growing these blood oranges, and Okada-kun, who did the same in brewing the mead. Take your time and savor the passion of these two.

Tasting, and Pairing

So, I started by tasting this wonderful "Po."

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・Appearance: Slightly cloudy, with a solid, deep orange hue that feels like it has a core. A few tiny bubbles float on the surface, and they feel like they’re calling to me, making me excited before I’ve even taken a sip.

・Aroma: An inky scent hit me first. But hiding behind that is a scent like sweet muscat. I also detect notes of passion fruit and honey.

・Taste: There’s no overwhelming punch, but it has a stinging alcohol sensation in the nose. It feels dry, light, and vibrant. The juiciness and slight bitterness, as if eating a blood orange peel and all, are irresistible. It’s a mead that feels pop-inspired but is firmly anchored by a steady bassline of flavor.
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I used to end these posts with a simple recommendation of what food might go well with it, but this time, I poured my own heart and soul into testing five different pairings 🍽️

Let me share a quick thought on the concept of pairing.

The first time I experienced pairing was during my college days, when I was working part-time at Starbucks.

When I tried the pairing of the classic New York Cheesecake and Sumatra coffee, I felt a sensation that made such an impression, I still remember it physically. I experienced a "comfort" in my mouth.

The bitterness and weight of the Sumatra coffee cleanly washed away the acidity of the cheesecake. Conversely, the acidity of the cheesecake erased the bitterness and heaviness of the coffee. As a result, a soft, gentle world expanded in my mouth.

I remember thinking, "I could eat infinite cheesecakes!" (Though that might have just been my hearty college appetite.)

Despite having that formative experience, I hadn't really done much pairing since. This time, I gave it a try with five different options.

What is wine pairing?

Just as I felt with coffee and cheesecake back in college, the hallmark of success is when the best parts of both the wine and the food are highlighted, while the weaker parts disappear, creating a synergistic effect where both flavors become richer.

How do you pair?

The basic steps for enjoying a pairing are as follows:

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1. Enjoy the food in your mouth.

2. Swallow the food.

3. Take a sip of wine and feel the harmony of the flavors.

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Apparently, it’s not recommended to drink the wine while the food is still in your mouth to mix them together. I hadn't been conscious of that, so I'll have to be careful.

So, how should I pair it?

There are many ways to approach pairing. Basically, you want to "match" them—whether by color, origin, aroma, flavor, or weight. Some methods even involve pairing contrasting elements to neutralize each other.

This time, I proceeded based on three criteria:

1. Trying the pairing recommended by Okada-kun.

2. Matching by color (orange).

3. Matching by flavor (bitterness).

In conclusion, the pairing recommended by Okada-kun, "Carpaccio of Tomato and Kombu-cured Sea Bream," was the winner! I’ve written reports for each, so please take a look if you’d like.

1. Okada-kun's Recommended Pairing: "Carpaccio of Tomato and Kombu-cured Sea Bream"

At the sound of the word "carpaccio," I had assumed it was something too difficult for me to make at home. It turned out it wasn't that hard at all.

Since this involved kombu-curing, I wrapped the sea bream in kombu the day before. On the day of, I followed three simple steps: ① Take the bream out and slice it, ② Arrange the tomatoes, ③ Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. (Used this recipe from dancyu; unfortunately, I only had one type of tomato.)

When I sipped Po while the original flavor of the sea bream and the faint aroma of the kombu were still in my mouth, the bitterness of the Po vanished, leaving only a refreshing acidity as if I were drinking fruit juice. Combined with the acidity of the tomato, it beautifully washed away the slight oiliness of the sea bream. It was the best pairing; I couldn't stop eating it.

2. Matching by color (orange)

For the color category, I tried:

・Salmon and new onion carpaccio
・Chicken stewed in tomato

The salmon was the winner here.

Salmon and new onion carpaccio


When I drank Po while the juicy, satisfying sensation of the salmon lingered, the bitterness receded just like it did with the sea bream, and a refreshing acidity spread through my mouth.

For those days when you come home feeling tired, or when it gets hot and your appetite drops, this would be a delightful and easy snack to whip up. It makes for a happy nightcap. Whether it was the oil from the salmon or because I was a bit heavy-handed with the olive oil, Po washed it all away cleanly. I enjoyed it so much that I might have eaten it too fast—a little indigestion ensued.

I tried the chicken stewed in tomato, thinking the acidity might work well, given the color. It wasn't that it didn't match, but I didn't feel the same refreshing sensation I got from the carpaccio.

Chicken stewed in tomato

This resulted in the bitterness of the blood orange lingering firmly in my mouth. This might be the best pairing for those who want to enjoy that bitterness ◎

3. Matching by flavor (bitterness)

In this category, I tried:

・Asparagus and bacon oil pasta

・Three kinds of cheese

I liked both of these.

Asparagus and bacon oil pasta

When I drank the mead, the bitterness of the asparagus smoothly faded away, leaving only a hint of citrus in my mouth. It also washes away the juiciness of the bacon. It felt like I was sipping on a refreshing citrus palate cleanser during a meal. It matched well with food that had bitterness and oiliness.

By the way, I really wanted to try it with Brussels sprouts pasta, but it was unfortunately sold out. I’d love to hear from anyone who tries the Brussels sprouts!

Three kinds of cheese

I had a hunch that blue cheese would go well with it, so I headed to KALDI. They had a three-cheese set, so I bought that to compare.

Out of the three—Danablu, Gruyère, and Brie (from left to right in the photo)—Brie was the best! Here are my brief impressions of each:

＊Danablu
I felt the bitterness of the mead more strongly. A bit of the cheese’s saltiness lingered, so compared to other pairings, it wasn't a "wow" match. Strangely enough, I felt the bitterness more strongly than when drinking the mead on its own.

＊Gruyère
A creamy, mellow cheese with a pleasant touch of acidity. I felt like the deliciousness of the cheese and the flavor of the mead were running on parallel tracks.

＊Brie
A sticky cheese with a unique funk in the mouth. Drinking the mead softened that funk and left behind the refreshing citrusy notes of the blood orange, making it a combination I could keep eating and drinking forever. I thought this would be perfect for chatting with friends while enjoying some Brie 🌸

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This turned out to be a very long post, but how did you like it? I realized that pairing can likely be approached theoretically (e.g., how the compounds in X bond with compounds in Y to create a certain flavor), and I want to dive into the theory of it in the future.

The 750ml bottle of Po was completely finished in two days by myself, including the tasting sessions 🍊 A happy two days spent enjoying three meals thoroughly. If anyone discovers any other wonderful pairings, please let me know in the comments or by DM 📩