Katsunuma, Yamanashi Prefecture, is a treasure trove of wines that Japan is proud of. In search of delicious wines endorsed by fermentation designer Hiraku Ogura, FASHON HEADLINE visited two wineries. Koshu wine has been produced since the Meiji period. We spoke with the winemakers behind this winery's history.
■ Delicious wine for your dinner table: Soleil Wine, made by a husband and wife team
Our first stop was a residential area in Yamanashi City, adjacent to Katsunuma, a major grape-producing region. We visited Soleil Wine, marked by its triangular roof. Soleil Wine's predecessor was Kyokuyoshu, a block winery established after the war where approximately 380 farmers gathered to brew wine for their own homes. At the time, the Liquor Tax Act was enacted, making it difficult to freely brew wine, leading to the emergence of cooperative wineries like Kyokuyoshu, run by associations for private wineries. Later, as the number of grape farmers decreased, the association was dissolved and, realizing that there was no successor, Tsuyoshi and Junko Suzuki, who worked at a sake brewery in Katsunuma, revived the wine as "Soleil Wine."
The "Kyokuyoshu" sign and underground cellar remain as they were back then, but the winery continues to grow every day, introducing French oak barrels for each vineyard's wine. With the goal of "making wine that we ourselves can drink with peace of mind and that we find delicious," they have been making wine that people will enjoy for 15 years, and today they continue to deliver gentle-tasting wines that reflect the personalities of the two winemakers to dinner tables.
The grape farm, which spreads across an entire hill, is managed by his wife, Junko.
The Kofu Basin, with its gentle slopes and even sunlight, is the perfect environment for growing high-quality grape varieties.
"Soleil Classic White" has a fruity taste with just the right amount of acidity and sweetness.
It pairs well with a variety of dishes, is easy to drink, and is recommended for wine novices. It would also make a great gift for a special occasion.
[Interview cooperation]
Soleil Wine
857-1 Obara Higashi, Yamanashi City, Yamanashi Prefecture
TEL: 0553-22-2236
Website: http://www5e.biglobe.ne.jp/~soleilwn/
■Winemaking at Marusan Winery, a long-established winery taken over by a musician-turned-winemaker
Next, we headed to Marusan Winery, a long-established winery in the same Katsunuma district, about a 15-minute drive from Kyokuyoshu, which has been in business for about 300 years, dating back to the Edo period. The winery and store are located on a site surrounded by vineyards.
Marusan Winery's wine is a hybrid of grapes grown on their own farm and grapes purchased from local farmers. They brew about 25,000 bottles of wine per year. There are still traces of the block winery here, with neighboring grape farmers entrusted with winemaking, and Marsan Winery brews the grapes from those farmers, bottling them, and delivering them. Apparently, the exchange system is one bottle of wine for every kilogram of grapes. Wakao, the representative of Marsan Winery, says, "We get along very well with other wineries. While making delicious wine is important, we want to place even more importance on communication." Winemaking is highly dependent on the weather and requires physically demanding work, so the neighboring wineries cooperate and cooperate to carefully brew the wine.
Wakao-san, the company's president, used to be active in the music industry in Tokyo.
I was impressed by the large number of records displayed in the brewery.
Left: Marusan Winery "Koshu Hyaku" A dry white wine that makes you feel like you're biting into juicy, fresh Koshu grapes with the skin on.
Right: I was drawn to "Vindewakao" by its stylish bottle. A rosé that resembles a white wine.
A small-batch wine that harmonizes the varietal aroma, rich fruitiness, and clean acidity to match its gorgeous, sweet aroma.
By passing on the production background and brewing techniques of Koshu wine and supporting each other between farmers and wineries, Koshu wine, which is recognized worldwide, is produced. In Katsunuma, there are many young people who have spent time in other places before returning to their hometown to work in agriculture and winemaking, and I strongly felt that Koshu wine will be carefully passed down into the future.
[Interview cooperation]
Marusan Winery
3111 Katsunuma, Katsunuma-cho, Koshu-shi, Yamanashi Prefecture
TEL: 0553-44-0160
Website: http://wakao-marusan.com/
■ Delicious wine for your dinner table: Soleil Wine, made by a husband and wife team
Our first stop was a residential area in Yamanashi City, adjacent to Katsunuma, a major grape-producing region. We visited Soleil Wine, marked by its triangular roof. Soleil Wine's predecessor was Kyokuyoshu, a block winery established after the war where approximately 380 farmers gathered to brew wine for their own homes. At the time, the Liquor Tax Act was enacted, making it difficult to freely brew wine, leading to the emergence of cooperative wineries like Kyokuyoshu, run by associations for private wineries. Later, as the number of grape farmers decreased, the association was dissolved and, realizing that there was no successor, Tsuyoshi and Junko Suzuki, who worked at a sake brewery in Katsunuma, revived the wine as "Soleil Wine."
The "Kyokuyoshu" sign and underground cellar remain as they were back then, but the winery continues to grow every day, introducing French oak barrels for each vineyard's wine. With the goal of "making wine that we ourselves can drink with peace of mind and that we find delicious," they have been making wine that people will enjoy for 15 years, and today they continue to deliver gentle-tasting wines that reflect the personalities of the two winemakers to dinner tables.
The grape farm, which spreads across an entire hill, is managed by his wife, Junko.
The Kofu Basin, with its gentle slopes and even sunlight, is the perfect environment for growing high-quality grape varieties.
"Soleil Classic White" has a fruity taste with just the right amount of acidity and sweetness.
It pairs well with a variety of dishes, is easy to drink, and is recommended for wine novices. It would also make a great gift for a special occasion.
[Interview cooperation]
Soleil Wine
857-1 Obara Higashi, Yamanashi City, Yamanashi Prefecture
TEL: 0553-22-2236
Website: http://www5e.biglobe.ne.jp/~soleilwn/
■Winemaking at Marusan Winery, a long-established winery taken over by a musician-turned-winemaker
Next, we headed to Marusan Winery, a long-established winery in the same Katsunuma district, about a 15-minute drive from Kyokuyoshu, which has been in business for about 300 years, dating back to the Edo period. The winery and store are located on a site surrounded by vineyards.
Marusan Winery's wine is a hybrid of grapes grown on their own farm and grapes purchased from local farmers. They brew about 25,000 bottles of wine per year. There are still traces of the block winery here, with neighboring grape farmers entrusted with winemaking, and Marsan Winery brews the grapes from those farmers, bottling them, and delivering them. Apparently, the exchange system is one bottle of wine for every kilogram of grapes. Wakao, the representative of Marsan Winery, says, "We get along very well with other wineries. While making delicious wine is important, we want to place even more importance on communication." Winemaking is highly dependent on the weather and requires physically demanding work, so the neighboring wineries cooperate and cooperate to carefully brew the wine.
Wakao-san, the company's president, used to be active in the music industry in Tokyo.
I was impressed by the large number of records displayed in the brewery.
Left: Marusan Winery "Koshu Hyaku" A dry white wine that makes you feel like you're biting into juicy, fresh Koshu grapes with the skin on.
Right: I was drawn to "Vindewakao" by its stylish bottle. A rosé that resembles a white wine.
A small-batch wine that harmonizes the varietal aroma, rich fruitiness, and clean acidity to match its gorgeous, sweet aroma.
By passing on the production background and brewing techniques of Koshu wine and supporting each other between farmers and wineries, Koshu wine, which is recognized worldwide, is produced. In Katsunuma, there are many young people who have spent time in other places before returning to their hometown to work in agriculture and winemaking, and I strongly felt that Koshu wine will be carefully passed down into the future.
[Interview cooperation]
Marusan Winery
3111 Katsunuma, Katsunuma-cho, Koshu-shi, Yamanashi Prefecture
TEL: 0553-44-0160
Website: http://wakao-marusan.com/
![Japan's proud "Koshu Wine." The winemakers who support its history [Life in Yamanashi - Touring Katsunuma's Wineries]](https://wrqc9vvfhu8e.global.ssl.fastly.net/api/image/crop/200x200/images/migration/2016/07/5b50340c76fb28f0bdce1fc22d98ffd9.jpg)
