Autumn Topics from Hokkaido
Hello everyone.
Has it really been 20 years since I started wholeheartedly supporting Hokkaido wine??
I am Sayuri Arai from the Hokkaido Wine Cheer Squad.
In Hokkaido, the harvest for the 2025 vintage has concluded, and the grapes are currently fermenting at the winery.
Inside the cellar, you can hear the energetic bubbling sounds of the grapes transforming into wine.
These are days filled with tension, yet also very soothing.
For red wines, this is the time when we constantly monitor the state of the wine through pigeage and fermentation checks.
Methods vary, from pushing down by hand to using tools.
I imagine many of you took part in harvest events as well.
Recently, an increasing number of wineries are recruiting harvest volunteers,
with winemaking progressing thanks to everyone's cooperation.
With Hokkaido's harvest season arriving slightly earlier each year,
the harvest at Shin-ga in Nayoro, the northernmost winery, took place about two weeks earlier than before.
It feels as though climate change is gaining even more momentum.
Bird damage, which was notable in Hokkaido in 2023, began showing up from early summer this year as well, and an increasing number of vineyards set up bird netting depending on the location.
Vineyards that did not implement countermeasures unfortunately suffered bird damage during harvest time.
It is sad, but simply putting up countermeasures is not a simple solution; bird netting requires extra work time,
and diseases appeared in those covered areas, making it quite a challenging year.
Additionally, some areas suffered damage from raccoons, likely because they ran out of food in the mountains.
Even so, the grapes grown with such care undergo careful sorting at the winery
before brewing begins.
Sometimes, instead of using machines, we remove the grapes from the stems one by one using a method everyone calls "amijo."
I wonder if this term is unique to Hokkaido, lol.
Once brewing is underway and along with the crucial fermentation checks in winemaking,
the winery begins bottling wines brewed the previous year, and pruning work begins in the vineyards.
The busy days continue unabated.
Pruning in this season when snow begins to fall is very tough, as it's a battle against the cold!
Even so, it is an essential task to give thanks for this year's grapes and to ensure good grapes can be grown again next year.
Spotting remaining grapes while pruning makes for a comforting snack.
It's a moment that brings a sigh of relief.
About "Hokkaido Wine Festival 2026" & "LOVEWINE HOKKAIDO"
Once winter preparations are finished, people head outside Hokkaido, and starting after the New Year, various events will also be held within the prefecture.
The Hokkaido Wine Cheer Squad will hold the "Hokkaido Wine Festival 2026" in the new year on Saturday, January 31.
This event has been running for quite a long time, but nowadays, many people preparing to start new wineries also participate.
It is a great chance to discover Hokkaido wines early on!
Hokkaido Wines Gather! Hokkaido Wine Festival 2026 | Peatix
Additionally, a TV program dedicated to Hokkaido wine information is airing again this year.
LOVEWINE HOKKAIDO
LOVE WINE HOKKAIDO : TVh Television Hokkaido
The next broadcast will be on Sunday, November 30, and it will also be uploaded to YouTube afterward.
It is a program where you can learn about wineries across Hokkaido no matter where you are.
Please be sure to tune in.
Next year, we will also hold a nationwide tour of events to enjoy Hokkaido wine.
To restaurant owners who say, "Host it at our place!":
To Hokkaido wine fans who say, "Host it here!":
Please feel free to contact us (^^)/
