The story of this wine is that botrytis is such a nuisance, Takahiko thought he had to do something positive about it. So why not make a botrytis blanc de... read more →
Takahiko purchases the pinot for this wine from a neighbor’s plot. He said that the land had once been dedicated to forest and cherries, and the vineyard has little topsoil.... read more →
Earlier versions were 50/50, but now this blend is 85% pinot and 15% zweigelt—though the percentages depend on the vintage, then it is fermented in plastic tubs and raised in... read more →
Suzuki destems, but ferments whole berry in open vats. He says because he works solo, open vats are easier, and anyway, he says, his wife likes this style of wine.... read more →
The chardo here is a combo of their fruit from their Hokadate vineyards and from bought Yoichi fruit that is sustainable. Whole cluster pressed there’s a bit of CO2, and... read more →
Over the years the use of yeasts in sake has bugged me. No matter how high end, it seemed as if all sakes were too manipulated by aromatic yeasts, trying... read more →
Brewer Inoue Seikichi gives this a 65% polishing (so only 35% was buffed off), this nears the texture I love in sake: a tiny bit coarse. The brew is from... read more →
We were at the end of the Le Clown evening when joined by Lulie, the caring “wine selector” of A.T. She had something she needed to show us. Japanese merlot,... read more →
The equivalent to natural in the sake world is referred to as pure sake. Now that the European-based Yoigokochi Sake portfolio has found a U.S. distributor, we now have more... read more →
The enthusiastic, blunt and charming Kuniko Mukai is one of the rare female brewers and brewery heads. She works in the seaside town of Ine, in the northern part of... read more →