”Takahata Winery” Excellent wine made in grape country

Double gold medal winning wine

The wine that won gold medals in the rosé class and the sparkling class at the 2013 Domestic Wine Competition were made here at Takahata Winery.
The gold winner of the rosé class “Takahata Classic Muscat Berry A” is a dry type rosé. It will go with any dish and is very popular. “Yoshi – Sparkling Chardonnay” won gold in the sparkling wine class. Sparkling wine is often something in which only the bubbles are enjoyed, but this sparkling wine has a refreshing sourness while having a firm taste.
Takahata Winery is located in the Okitama region in southern Yamagata Prefecture. It has the same geographical feature of a basin, same as the Kofu Basin in Yamanashi Prefecture which is also famous for its grapes. Because of this feature, the temperature difference between daytime and nighttime is big, making it suitable for grape cultivation. Takahata-machi is famous for its fresh grapes. At Takahata Winery, they grow their own grapes in addition to the grapes purchased from contracted farmers, and strive to improve the quality of the grapes themselves.

Chardonnay made the traditional way

We were shown the warehouse first. The interview was with Ken Murakami, President, and the brewing manager Hisayuki Kawanabe. The centerpiece of attention was the Chardonnay. It is one of the most famous breeds of grapes for wine, but in fact the taste of the ones produced in Japan are said to be greatly different from the ones overseas.
So we got to see the Chardonnay wine that is made by the traditional method of fermenting and aging in French oak casks. Kawanabe poured the wine directly from the cask, and handed the glass to Nakata. “It’s good.” Nakata said. “It tastes very formal.“ he added. “We could never make Chardonnay that tasted right. But we learned the traditional method and we got to this taste. It’s a pleasure to hear you say that.” commented Kawanabe.

What it means to enjoy wine

Another line of wine that requires attention at Takahata Winery is the wine made from the Pinot grapes. “For example, the Pinot Blanc” explained Kawanabe. “This is a wine that can take us from appetizer to the main course. The reason we wanted to make such wine is to suit the changes in eating habits and eating culture. If a couple goes out to have dinner, you will probably have just one bottle between the two. That’s why we wanted to make a wine that can take you through an entire meal.” Nakata tried the wine. It was not too edgy and smooth, yet there was some sharpness and some sense of minerals. It wasn’t too strong but mild, so that you can enjoy your meal while enjoying the wine itself. When Nakata asked Kawanabe “What kind of wine are you aiming at?” He answered “The textbook answer on how to squeeze juice from the grapes is to squeeze gently. However in reality, if you squeeze gently, the taste will remain in the squash. This is because the real taste is on the inside of the fruit skin. I think 80% of wine making is decided when you squeeze the juice. It’s all about how to get the most out of the fruit. Everything about studying yeast and bringing out taste through chemical reaction only comes after that. Kawanabe used to teach about wine brewing. And he talks about bringing out the taste of the raw materials and is convincing. Yes, the wine at Takahata Winery did make us taste the grapes.

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TAKAHATA WINERY Co., Ltd.: 2700-1 Nukanome, Takahata, Higashi Okitama Gun, Yamagata Prefecture; URL http://www.takahata-wine.co.jp/