TokyoTomo Travel Guide

Generally, Yamagata wine is made out of commonly-used Delaware, traditional Wild Grape, and Muscat Berry A. Western varieties such as Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are also cultivated, but many of them are dedicated to growing local Japanese grapes, as most of the wine made in these small wineries are consumed within Yamagata. Being produced and consumed within the same region, it is difficult to get these wine elsewhere. Thus, Yamagata wine becomes even more precious.

Now, I would like to introduce to you the wineries I visited in this trip.

TAKAHATA WINE(TAKAHATA WINE)

Founded in 1990 in Takahata-cho, this famous winery welcomes many visitors every year. The winery makes fresh attempts, such as cultivating grapes in each area and producing wine representing each soil’s characteristics. Since the establishment, the winery has received many awards in various contests. This is the largest winery in the area where you can observe the vinification and enjoy tasting different kinds of wine at the wine shop.

OUSUI WINE(SUDO BUDO-SHU)
All the works from growing and harvesting wines, vinification and bottling are done by manual labor of one family. The self-own vineyard called “Shikin-en” grows special grapes for wine in the extensive field, and is also opened to visitors for grape picking from August to mid October. Ousui Wine is a homey winery that approaches winemaking in the traditional style, drawing out the characteristics of the grapes while leaving its original scent and taste.

ASAHIMACHI WINE(ASAHIMACHI WINE)
Producing wine based on the climate of Yamagata. The winery also grows European grapes for vinification. With its long tradition and experience, Asahimachi Wine produces tasty and fragrant wine from its high quality grapes and state-of-the-art wine producing technology. The head-quarter of the winery, “Asahi Wine Castle” is in front of the self-owned vineyard, and there, visitors can watch the bottling process while tasting 20 over kinds of wine and brandy.

KINKEI WINE(SATO BUDO-SHU)

With the motto “Winemaking starts from growing grapes,” the president himself produces grapes in his vineyard. The winery focuses on using 100% of those grapes and Yamagata-produced grapes in all of the products. Being a small winery, they do not produce wines in large volumes, but try to maximize the characteristics of the grapes by a careful and delicate craftsmanship during the vinification.

GASSAN WINE (GASSAN WILD VINE RESEARCH INSTITUTE)
This is a winery in the mountain village located between Asahi Mountain range and Dewa Sanzan with the sacred Gassan as the highest peak. You can enjoy wine tasting while observing the wine producing process. Using the wild grapes that naturally grows in mountain forests and the woods, the locals of this region has loved drinking this wine from the old times even before the name “wine” was known to the Japanese. The wild vine wine awaits for its maturity in the cellar that was once a tunnel of an abandoned national route.

ZAOSTAR WINE(TAKEDA WINERY)
This is a winery known only to those who are familiar with Michinoku-born “Zaostar Wine” and “Chateau Takeda.” Located on a south-facing hill on the base of Zao Mountain range, near Kaminoyama hot spring village. Takeda Winery is one of the oldest winery established in 1920, and since then the winery has been growing grapes with the motto of “good grapes produces good wine.” In the vast vineyard, the winery actively works on cultivating grapes by natural farming methods and brewing its own wine.

See Part 1: Yamagata “Wine Route” Tour in the Middle of Autumn (1)

Source: Travel Vision

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