Katsunuma is located in the Japanese Yamanashi Prefecture, and you might not realize you’re in one of the most renowned wine-producing regions. Instead of landscapes of rolling hills that are dotted with vines that you’ll see on the outskirts of European as well as New World wine regions, Katsunuma is home to tiny vineyards that are sandwiched among houses planted side-by-side with apple, peach, and Kiwi orchards. These small plots of cultivation are not uncommon in Japan because of how land is divided; the individual fields could be tiny, and farmers may possess a few non-contiguous actions scattered across a community.
Most of the grapes grown here can also be grown region-wide in a particular way. The vines are over the ground and are planted on high, flat pergolas to allow the growers to walk under them. The pergolas keep the grapes away from the soil (which can be muddy during the summer months and could trigger diseases, shield their limbs from hot temperatures, and allow for more air to circulate through each bunch to combat the high humidity. This method also boosts the amount of grapes per square meter, which benefits these tiny plots. It can also help local varieties like kosher, one of the grapes that make skinny, light-flavored white wine.
In other regions, wineries appear slightly more like those with a Western eye. For instance, at Domaine Mie Ikeno, a lively winery owned by the nation’s most famous female winemaker, rows of vines stretch up to the top of a hill, offering fantastic views of the snow-capped Mt. Fuji.
However, if you stroll through the field during the summer, the ground remains wet and squishy from rain. The abundant grass between rows is a haven for all sorts of insects. The air is so swarming with butterflies that Ikeno scrubs them off like insects. Ikeno’s vines are also cultivated above the ground, and long plastic strips across each row shield the grapes at the bottom.
Although Yamanashi has begun to be recognized as a wine area, it’s still unknown to outsiders and isn’t easy to navigate. The site is vast, 1,723 square miles east of Tokyo Prefecture, and includes many towns, cities, and sub-regions. Wineries can be a long distance away, and only a handful have tasting rooms open to guests. However, those providing an experience are a unique blend of blend Japanese and Western traditions, including procedures and customs taken from traditional French wineries and tasting rooms adapted to the local taste.
Specific wineries are constructed in the traditional Japanese, featuring sliding screens and mats. Some others give an authentic European feel, giving guests the impression that they’ve left Japan for a few hours. In Risonare Yatsugatake, one of the largest resorts in the region, there are restaurants set along a pedestrian street designed to look like an idealized model of the typical French town, with farms in the midst.
Many of the wines produced in Yamanashi are different from those from European as well as New World areas. The wines are made for local drinkers and go well with Japanese foods. Yamanashi’s wines are often leaner and softer than their European and New World counterparts, and tasting notes highlight flavors that are more familiar to those with a Japanese palate, such as roses or black tea. Some wines feature unusual flavor notes like Vaseline or a hint of salty soy sauce. Some are more robust and intended to be paired with the most intense dishes or ingredients, such as uni. Some wines draw their cues from those of the Old World and have more familiar tastes.
After a few days of tasting the wines from different Yamanashi wineries, It becomes apparent that the region has a lot to offer, and no single style defines the wines of Yamanashi.
Risonare Yatsugatake Wine House
For a brief introduction to Yamanashi’s wine, go to this tasting room within the wine-themed resort. A part of a tiny wine shop, the tasting room has a selection of wines from the region, including many from smaller wineries without private tasting rooms. The most famous wines are chardonnay, pinot noir, and the merlots of Domaine Mie Ikeno, which has a relationship with its resort.
Marufuji Winery
Marufuji is the oldest winery in Japan; Marufuji was first established in 1890 by the Omura family, who continued to manage it for four generations afterward. It is the ideal place to learn how wines are designed to suit the tastes of the area and are designed to be paired with local cuisines. The Hushed tasting room is situated in a traditional Japanese wooden house. It offers an array of wines, ranging from kosher and petit verdot.
Grace Vineyard
Grace Vineyard is one the most renowned wineries in the Yamanashi and has received international accolades for the Koshu. This tasting area is in an old concrete structure covered with ivy at the winery. It is located on a street that is a part of the city of Koshu. The tastings are held in the second-floor wine shop.
Chateau Mercian Katsunuma Winery
The winery is among the largest and most well-known in the area. Mercian is famous for its Bordeaux-style reds, Chardonnays, and merlots, and the variety of koshus. The contemporary, boxy winery provides a range of tastings and tours. They all fill up fast and must be booked at least two days before the date of your visit.
Komaki Vineyard
This family-owned, small-scale vineyard provides a more relaxed, intimate, and personal tasting. The owner, Yasunobu Komaki, is a sommelier employed at the famous Imperial Hotel for three decades. The vineyard offers tastings by reservation only under an encircling tiny tree grove and the possibility of reserving for lunch (prepared with his spouse) or even spending the night in a cozy Yurt. As one would think of a sommelier who worked in a prestigious hotel for a long time, Komaki’s wines are attractive and well-balanced to those with a Western palette.
Yatsugatake Esaki
When the well-known Tokyo eatery Aoyama Esaki was stripped of its three Michelin awards in 2017, it moved to Yatsugatake. The restaurant is tiny and offers only a handful of reservations (for both dinner and lunch) and a fixed menu that includes fresh, contemporary Japanese dishes featuring local seafood and produce.