We are starting out the New Year with some delicious recommendations for red wines. Nagano is increasingly becoming known for the quality and variety of its red wines. Merlot remains at the top of the heap and we have a very nice 100 percent Merlot from the Manns Winery in Komoro City that will make … Continue reading January Recommendations
Category: Recommendations
December Recommendations
The Christmas Season is approaching and there is no better time to enjoy the “fruits of the vine” than this period. So, we are recommending two delicious reds that will compliment your turkey and gravy. Many Japanese winemakers have embraced the notion that they need to make wines that go well with Japanese foods, such … Continue reading December Recommendations
October Recommendations
This month we are featuring wines from the Chikumagawa Wine District of Nagano. The area is named for the river running through it from the Japanese Alps over 350km to the Sea of Japan. The vineyards are principally situated around Saku, Komoro, Tomi, Ueda and Suzaka cities. Over the past 15 years, these local governments … Continue reading October Recommendations
September Recommendations
We are starting to see signs of the coming Fall season in the mountains of Nagano. The local farmers are preparing the fields for the rice harvest, which starts mid-month, and the soba fields are now covered in white flowers. The temperature is also dropping, and we are awakening to mornings in the high teens … Continue reading September Recommendations
August Recommendations
Summer has arrived in Nagano. The usually brief rainy season is over and the prefecture is less troubled by typhoons than localities on Japan’s Pacific Coast. Nagano also does not suffer as much from Japan’s summer heat as its neighbors in Yamanashi, Gumma, and Saitama prefectures. One reason is the higher elevation – generally over … Continue reading August Recommendations
July Recommendations
July is one of those in between months in Japan: rainy at the start and then full-on summer by the close. We are bringing to you three wines that should help you through the transition. Interestingly, two of them are made from Japanese local varietals and the third is a successful experiment in combining Chardonnay grapes from different vintages.
June Recommendations
We would like to recommend some Nagano Chardonnays to start your summer off right. Both of the wines featured below are made in relatively small volumes, but you should be able to get your hands on either one through the producer's online shop or a major online shopping site. Happy drinking.
