Japan Is About to Become the Newest ‘It’ Region for Wine
Although Japan is best known for sake, historians have found that another alcoholic beverage predates this tipple in the country by centuries: wine. In 1958, clay vessels containing vestiges of grape seeds—dating back to 4000 B.C.—were discovered in Nagano prefecture, leading researchers to believe this was an early predecessor to today’s cuvées. Wineries along the archipelago are now working to bring the grape-based beverage into the modern age and create a wine industry on par with the rest of the world.
The lure of Yamanashi
Today, Yamanashi is considered the epicenter of the Japanese wine industry. The ashy, granite soils from nearby Mount Fuji are detrimental to rice production—the well-draining land doesn’t retain enough water for rice paddies—but are ideal for grapevines.
About 86 of the country’s 300 wineries operate in the prefecture, with over 30 clustered in the town of Katsunuma alone. In contrast to the expansive vineyards that drape languidly over hillsides in other wine regions, land ownership in this prefecture is legally restricted; many estates own only about two to three hectares (five to 7.4 acres), and source supplemental crops from a patchwork of farmers. It’s not just the landscape that’s compact; wineries are also modest in size. Some facilities, such as Marufuji, used to house silkworms—it’s believed many of the grape varieties cultivated today came via the Silk Road—and maintain the traditional architecture of the time.
Winemakers in the region consider the Koshu grape and, to a lesser extent, the hybrid Muscat Bailey A, as the signature varieties. These pergola-trained vines arch dramatically overhead; while the canopy makes for a romantic walk through the vineyards, elevating the vines allows for air circulation and reduces the risk of mildew and rot in the humid climate and during fall’s heavy rains. A few wineries even undertake the costly and time-consuming task of placing conical rain hats over each bunch of grapes to protect them from the deluge. Taking cues from Beaujolais and the annual Nouveau release that takes place in November, wineries often create a “nouveau” version of their Koshu and Muscat Bailey A from the current vintage, which goes on sale every Nov. 3.
A region moving forward
Koshu—a pink-skinned, delicate grape—demonstrates a flexibility that allows winemakers to experiment with a range of styles, from light and floral to saline and structured. This diversity comes through in many of the Koshu wines at MGVs Winery (Matsuzaka Green Vineyards). A former semiconductor factory, the airy space, which opened in 2016, incorporates materials from the building’s former life, such as sanitation equipment, into its current iteration.
Owner Hiroshi Matsuzaka’s family boasted grape farmers for over 100 years, but he is the first to transform the lineage from growers into winemakers. Matsuzaka sources grapes from the family estate as well as from vineyards throughout the region. Terroir is a focal point, and he aims to create bottlings, which highlight climatic and soil differences throughout the Yamanashi prefecture. Japanese wines “are delicate and soft, but the taste is very deep,” he notes.
Not all winemakers are as singularly focused on Koshu and Muscat Bailey A. At Marufuji, which became a licensed winery in 1890, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, and other international grapes flourish in the vineyards. President Haruo Omura studied winemaking in Bordeaux from 1976 to 1977, an experience which defines his style. Indeed, the Rubaiyat Flagship Red Blend, comprising Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot, speaks of a country thousands of miles away.
The closest to any kind of traditional wine country experience can be found at Lumière and Katsunuma Jyozo wineries; at the former, the on-site French restaurant Zelkova, gift shop, and tasting room buzz with tourists eager to sample the wide range of offerings, from an orange Koshu to Tempranillo to Chardonnay. The latter estate evokes a laid-back Sonoma feel, with a stream burbling alongside the peaceful, sun-dappled patio. Koshu and Muscat Bailey A are the focus, and guests can pour themselves tastes from the Enomatic machines inside.
Although the humid, rainy climate makes working organically a major challenge, Kurambon winery strives to cultivate its vineyards sans chemicals. In a European-inspired cellar—a former room for silkworms that’s occasionally used as a film set—Kurambon uses native yeasts and doesn’t filter its single-vineyard “N” line of wines, resulting in vibrant, lively Koshu and Chardonnay. As the climate continues to warm, heat-friendly Viognier and Albariño are making their way into the vineyard as well.
At the other end of the spectrum is six-year-old Kisvin Winery. President Yasuhiro Ogihara, a former pro bass fisher and motocross racer, turned his family’s table grape business into a wine venture. His partner, winemaker Mayu Saito, fell in love with winemaking after a stint harvesting in Corsica, France. After graduating from the viticulture and enology program at California State University, Fresno, she interned at the university’s winery before coming home to Japan. They both take a science-driven approach to winemaking and consider how human choices in the vineyard and the winery can yield desired results.
“For Chardonnay, I can do a Chablis style,” Ogihara explains. “There are so many things we can control.” While Chardonnay and Pinot Noir remain central to the winery, Ogihara professes a soft spot for Zinfandel.
Getting around
Katsunuma is very walkable, and many wineries are about a 10-minute stroll from each other. However, language barriers can present a problem, and hiring a tour company is highly recommended. InsideJapan Tours can arrange a guided tour with a native English speaker to help with translation as well as arrange appointments and provide transportation to wineries elsewhere in the region. Guides are also knowledgeable about wine and can deftly explain complex wine concepts to visitors.
Where to stay
On the cusp of Yamanashi and Nagano—another wine-producing area—is Risonare Yatsugatake, which bills itself as a wine resort. Evoking a small European town, shops and eateries line the property’s stone pathways. A wine shop with Enomatic machines features local brands from Yamanashi and Nagano, while the wine bar in the main complex hosts rotating wine-focused events.
Otto Sette, the property’s Italian restaurant, features an extensive list of local wines. If you tire of drinking wine, a treatment at the resort’s spa will give you the same buzz; its skin-care line is produced from grapes at the same winery that makes the resort’s house-exclusive wines.
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