Autumn Pressing Begins in Earnest for White Wine in Kaminoyama, Yamagata, with Acidity Shaped by Temperature Swings

Japan is best known as a land of sake, but winemaking has also taken root in many regions. At Bellwood Vineyard, a winery in Kaminoyama (Yamagata Prefecture), an inland part of the Tohoku region in northern Honshu, processing of this year’s harvested grapes has begun in earnest. This season the winery plans to produce around 20 types of wine, amounting to roughly 25,000 bottles a year.

A Landscape Defined by Day-Night Temperature Swings

Suzuki Tomoaki, the company’s representative director, describes Kaminoyama as “an ideal place for growing grapes”. The reason he gives is the large difference between daytime and night-time temperatures. It is generally said that daytime warmth lets sugar build up in the fruit while cool nights preserve acidity, and the diurnal temperature range is a condition often cited by growers in cooler regions. Mr Suzuki points to a “crisp acidity” as the distinctive character of Kaminoyama wine.

Pressing Begins with Sauvignon Blanc

On 14 September, the winery processed a white wine made from Sauvignon Blanc. The harvested grapes were fed into a machine to remove stems and twigs, then the fruit was lightly crushed and the juice pressed out. White wine is normally made by fermenting the juice alone, without leaving it in contact with the skins, so this first step is said to influence the wine’s aroma and the impression of its acidity. Sauvignon Blanc is a variety known in France’s Loire region and in New Zealand, characterised by fresh acidity and green, herbaceous aromas.

For Readers in Europe

In Japan, only wine made entirely from domestically grown grapes and produced within the country may be labelled “Japan Wine”. When looking for Japanese wine in Europe, try checking whether the name “Yamagata” appears in the place-of-origin information on the label. If you do taste it, you might compare it with a Sauvignon Blanc from a more familiar region such as the Loire, and see whether you can pick out the difference in the “crisp acidity” that temperature swings produce. Served with white-fish sashimi, salt-grilled fish or a light starter with a touch of citrus, it should bring the shape of the acidity into focus. You could also set it on the same table as sake and enjoy the breadth of Japanese drinks.