By Yuri Yuhara
 |
| Koshu grapes at Lumiere Winery |
Yamanashi grapes are synonymous of sweet
and juicy high quality grapes, being usually sold in fancy department stores or
high-end groceries shops not only in Japan but also overseas. But not all
grapes produced in Yamanashi come to our tables in their original shape: in
fact, Yamanashi is the largest wine producer in Japan, and only in Katsunuma
area we can find about 40 different wineries.
Koshu grapes, a Japanese original variety
of the fruit, started being cultivated in Katsunuma area more than a thousand
years ago and since the end of the XIX century it has been used to produce the
unique Japanese Koshu wine. Nowadays, Japanese wine is worldwide recognized for
its quality, being some of the wines produced in Yamanashi awarded with
important prizes, as the Decanter World Wine Awards.
It is possible to visit many of the
wineries located in Yamanashi. Some of them welcome visitors in the best Omotenashi
style, and you can taste their wines for free or paying only a small fee.
We joined a guided tour, where Mr. Arai, a
guide interpreter from Yamanashi, helped us to learn about three wineries
history and products. The first winery we visited was Fujicco Winery, which
produces wines under the name“Fujiclair”. After seeing their production line and learning about their wine
making methods and products, we headed to the store, where we could taste many
different kinds of wines.
From there, we visited Chateau Mercian, one
of the oldest and most famous wineries in Japan. Before the tasting, we visited
the winery museum, which shows the history of wine making in Japan and walked
around its beautiful garden, from where it is possible to glance at one of their
vineyards. The store/restaurant has outdoor tables, being an amazing place to
have lunch in sunny days or to just relax while enjoying a glass (or many) of
wine.
At the store visitors can try two different
tasting sets. One has 4 different kinds of Koshu wine, made by different aging
techniques. In the other set you can taste a red, a white and a rose wine. All
wines are produced in Japan, mostly with grapes cultivated in Yamanashi,
Nagano, Fukushima and Akita Prefectures.
Our last destination was the Lumiere
Winery, where is also located the famous Zelkova restaurant. At Lumiere, we
could see not only the old buildings were wine was produced decades ago, but
also walked around the vineyard, where we saw Koshu grapes growing. The grape
harvest actually finished a month ago, but in a part of the winery Lumiere
grows grapes to be late harvested on purpose, to allow visitors to admire this
beautiful scenery during more time.
For the tasting, Lumiere has a self-service
system. Visitors receive a glass and a card, the last used in the serving
machine every time you choose a wine (different fees are charged according to
the wine). In the end, you just need to give the card to the staff, who will
calculate the tasting fee. It couldn’t be easier!
This tour is being offered in a partnership
with the Yamanashi Wine Taxi Association and Yamanashi Prefecture Tourism
Association. Up to 9 people can ride one taxi, which will take you around the
wineries and some touristic spots, and enjoy Japanese wine without worrying
about transportation.
Access from Katsunuma Budou-kyo Station (only 90 min by train from Tokyo!)
Access from Katsunuma Budou-kyo Station (only 90 min by train from Tokyo!)
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