Starting February 24th, Isetan Shinjuku will host the "World Travel Wine Exhibition - Packing Bread and Cheese in Your Bag" event, featuring wines from around the world and the bread and cheeses that pair with them, in the event hall on the 6th floor of the main building. The event will run until the 29th.
This year's wine exhibition will bring together approximately 1,200 wines from 30 countries. While there are many criteria for judging wine, such as origin, grape variety, and vintage, this event will adopt an innovative style that allows visitors to choose by "producer type." By highlighting the individuality of each winemaker, the event aims to encourage visitors to taste wines from around the world. In recent years, South Africa, Chile, and Argentina have become popular wine-producing regions, making this an event not to be missed for wine lovers, as it allows them to easily sample brands from countries they previously had no access to.
Producer types are broadly categorized into four types. "Trad" focuses on artisanal winemakers who continue to preserve traditional winemaking methods; "Friendly" brings together small-scale producers who value coexistence with nature and wineries that make wine with the desire to allow people to enjoy it in a casual setting; "Passion" brings together wineries with a strong passion for varietals, land, and winemaking methods; and "Cool" focuses on up-and-coming urban wineries that are not bound by convention.
Another highlight of this event will be the collection of bread and cheese that go well with wine. 15 stores will be participating, including "Parlor Ekoda," "Hirami Pan," and "Squisse." Cheese will also be available at notable stores such as "Cheese no Koe," which just opened in Kiyosumi Shirakawa. The eat-in corner will feature "Fujimaru Brewery" from Kiyosumi Shirakawa, as a place where bread and wine meet. Popular bakeries Tarui Bakery, Boulangerie L'Ecrin, and Parlor Ekoda have created a bread plate exclusively for the eat-in event, allowing visitors to sample breads that go perfectly with wine. There will also be a daily special plate created in collaboration with a different bakery. The venue will also feature a museum where visitors can see all the original labels of Chateau Mouton Rothschild, one of the Five Great Châteaux, including those from the 1920s, as well as a tasting bar run by Berry Brothers & Rudd, a British wine merchant with over 300 years of history. Daily wine seminars featuring wine producers will also be held in the event space.
