This month we are featuring wines from two boutique wineries: Funky Chateau (we still love that name!) and Coteau des Chevrettes (yes, there are goats that help out at the winery to keep the weeds away from the vines).
Category: Recommendations
October 2020 Recommendations
Fall has finally arrived in Nagano – and none too soon. This past summer may have been the worst in years for wines in the prefecture, with June and July overcast and very wet and August hot and humid – reducing the difference between daytime and night temperatures that are important for the right balance between sugar (day time) and acidity (night time). That said, the weather improved in September as we got closer to harvest hopefully keeping things on course for a good year.
Sapporo Grande Polaire Event Wrap-up
For those of you who could not attend of August 10 event, we wanted to give you a brief overview of the wines we tasted and the discussion those wines begat...
July 2020 Recommendations
This has been a rainy season that we all wish to forget. It has rained nearly every day since the latter part of June and continues as we write on July 16. And this is not just any ordinary rain – precipitation has been at record levels causing major flooding in the Matsumoto area and … Continue reading July 2020 Recommendations
June 2020 Recommendations
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.
April 2020 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 2020 Recommendations
March 2020 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 2020 Recommendations
February 2020 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 2020 Recommendations: A Visit to Chateau Mercian Mariko Vineyard
