Flowering Viewing around Yamanashi and a Little Taste of Wine

by Brandon Moore

Last week I had the opportunity to ride around various spots in Yamanashi to enjoy the blooming sakura (cherry blossoms). Yamanashi has a lot of great spots to few the beautiful, light pink flowers, which bloom from late March to early April.

Our first stop was a place called Budo-no-Oka (lit. "Grape Hill") where we were able to enjoy the sakrua outside the winery. As we walked up the stairs, we were greeted with the beautiful image of the fountain surrounded by blooming sakura trees. This image gave a very elegant feel to the winery.

There are also a number of tables found outside next to the fountain and under the sakura trees. This makes for a great place to relax outside while enjoying the amazing view, perfect for conversing with friends or even for a meal outside.

The back of the restaurant also provides an amazing panoramic view of the area, replete with sakura trees, a view of the mountains, and also a view of the cityscape. You can relax and enjoy the view while spending the day enjoy all that Budo-no-Oka has to offer.

The facility also sports an onsen, a hot spring, so you can relax after a long day.

Finally, one of the biggest draws to this place is the wine tour! You can participate in the wine tasting tour for 1100 yen, or about $10. The wine cellar boasts a number of different wines, organized from white wine to red wine, with rose wine, a mixture of the two, located in between. You can work your way through this wine tour by slowly working your way from one end to the other, enjoying a natural transition between the two different tastes.

The winery is so famous that the crown prince has actually visited here before. The winery has a picture of the visit on display in the basement section.