First winery opens in Fujimi, Nagano
In Fujimi, Nagano Prefecture, a former journalist who moved from Tokyo has launched the town's first winery, using grapes he has grown for around eight years.
In Fujimi, a mountain-ringed town in Nagano Prefecture in the heart of Japan, the town’s first winery has opened. It was set up by Yoshiji Sato, 59, a former journalist who moved there from Tokyo. The winery is located within Fujimi Panorama Resort, a mountain resort in the town. Mr Sato has spent around eight years growing wine grapes at the foot of nearby Mount Nyukasa. It was reported that he plans to begin his first winemaking with this autumn’s harvest.
A vineyard started from scratch at the foot of the mountain
Mr Sato says he chose Fujimi because he saw potential for winemaking in the area’s geology and climate. After moving there, he cleared the land, created a vineyard and has kept tending it ever since. Rather than buying vineyards in an established wine region, he cleared mountain land from scratch, which is a major characteristic of this winery. In Japan, it has become more common recently for people who have changed careers to start small wineries. Mr Sato is one of these new producers.
From harvest to winemaking: a first step
Until now he only grew grapes, but with his own winery in place, the grower can now carry out the winemaking in the same location. A winery inside a resort may be an unusual arrangement. According to the report, the first wine was due to be made after this autumn’s harvest. No one yet knows what it will taste like. Attention is focused on what kind of first wine will emerge from this new highland wine region.
For readers in Europe
The first-year wine is expected to be produced in very small quantities, so it is unlikely to reach Europe any time soon. Even so, it is a good example for understanding how Japanese wine is spreading to cool mountain regions. If you come across Nagano wine at a specialist Japanese wine shop, pay attention to the details provided, such as the producer’s background, the altitude of the vineyard and the characteristics of the soil. Knowing the background of a region may help you see the differences and similarities with European mountain wines.
Sources
This article was written by The Sake Wire editorial team, summarising the public sources listed above. Images are our own.
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