ALPS markets a very nice Chardonnay for 2700 yen under its Musee du Vin Maestro brand. This wine has a nice gold color and a fruity, fresh taste. But for 300 yen more a bottle, you get an entirely different experience: The Dynastie Shiojiri brand exclusively uses grapes from fields that are managed directly by the company rather than from contract farmers.
Q&A with Kusunoki Winery
Shigeyuki Kusunoki is the owner and winemaker at the Kusunoki Winery located in Suzuka City, Nagano – about two and half hours outside of Tokyo by Shinkansen and local train. Mr. Kusunoki opened his winery in 2011 after a career in the aircraft leasing business and is a graduate of the Oenology Department at the … Continue reading Q&A with Kusunoki Winery
Virtual Wine Tasting with Kusunoki Winery
We are still disappointed to have postponed our dinner event with Apero, a wine bar located in Aoyama. However, we are delighted to have been able to host some of you for a virtual tasting this past Saturday. We were not sure how it would go, but are pleased with how it went and hope … Continue reading Virtual Wine Tasting with Kusunoki Winery
Complete List of Nagano Winery Online Shops
Below is a complete list of Nagano wineries with online shops and a link to each. The list was compiled by Mr. Junya Hanaoka who oversees wine in the product promotion department of Nagano prefecture. You can also see some of our recommended online shops and wines here. Those are the "top hits", great and … Continue reading Complete List of Nagano Winery Online Shops
April Recommendations
Like us, we suspect that most of you are hunkered down waiting out the coronavirus. But despite the “isolation”, we continue to enjoy Nagano wines ordered online directly from the wineries. You can too! Our recommendations this month focus on Nagano wineries that offer a wide selection of interesting wines, payment by credit card and … Continue reading April Recommendations
Friends of Nagano Wine Tasting and Dinner–POSTPONED DUE TO COVID-19
We have decided to postpone this dinner event due to COVID-19. The dinner event is meant to bring together people passionate about wine. We do not believe that we can do so, and do so safely, in the current environment. We hope to be in touch soon with a new date for the event. *** … Continue reading Friends of Nagano Wine Tasting and Dinner–POSTPONED DUE TO COVID-19
March Recommendations
March is an in between month in Nagano. It is still winter – the mornings are below zero degrees and the mountains are still white with snow. But Spring is just around the corner – and none more so than this year when a combination of light snowfall and temperatures rising into the teens have … Continue reading March Recommendations
February Recommendations: A Visit to Chateau Mercian Mariko Vineyard
This past weekend we traveled to Chateau Mercian's new visitor's center at its 30 hectare Mariko Vineyard. Chateau Mercian began developing the Mariko Vineyard nearly 20 years ago naming it after a 6th century scion of the Kinmei Emperor. The area is widely regarded as one of the best wine-growing areas in Nagano Prefecture, because … Continue reading February Recommendations: A Visit to Chateau Mercian Mariko Vineyard
