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Sep 18 2007 4 Comments

Japanese grape growers

Tokyo, it has to be said, is not exactly blessed with greenery, but in neighbouring Yamanashi Prefecture, they have a veritable glut of the stuff.

Yamanashi Japan

Although thankfully for the purist, there is a generous enough smattering of concrete accommodation to give it at least a hint of that traditional Tokyo-like topography.

Yamanashi Japan

Somewhat surprising however is that a large amount of the colouring comes from grapes, with this part of Yamanashi in particular positively bursting with them. A crop that, considering the Japanese love affair with packaging, thankfully comes complete with wrapping — or at least a preliminary part of it.

Yamanashi grapes and wine

Such an abundance also means that the region is blessed with wineries, making the thought of a trip all the more worthwhile. But despite the use of foreign names,

Japanese winery

and complicatedly carved barrels,

Japanese winery

the end product could be politely described as poor, unpalatable even. The labelling of one particular tipple as すごい ワイン (great wine) arguably taking optimism to previously uncharted territory.

Japanese winery

And then some.

Categorized: Food and Drink, Photography

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Gavin says

    9/18/2007 at 9:10 pm

    Ahh, Japanese wine. Most of it tastes like $*^#… but you do sometimes find the odd good-ish one.

    However, those good ones are made by growing Western grape varieties in Japan and making wine from that. The horrible, undrinkable junk is made from Japanese local grape varieties.

    Reply
  2. Bunny says

    9/18/2007 at 10:16 pm

    That story warmed my enviable cockles. Nothing like a good libation of Mercian wine to finish the day with… if you’re alcoholic, that is.

    Reply
  3. Harvey says

    9/18/2007 at 10:21 pm

    SUGOI! WINE!

    I can’t believe the label says… SUGOI WINE.

    How can I best translate that… Let me give it a shot.

    “WHOA! WINE!”

    “AMAZING! WINE!”

    “It’s FREAKIN’ AWESOME WINE!”

    Too funny.

    Reply
  4. Adam says

    9/19/2007 at 2:33 pm

    So humble, just like the Japanese.

    Reply

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