Spring Topics from Hokkaido
Hello everyone.
Could it really be 20 years already since I began fully supporting Hokkaido wines??
I am Sayuri Arai from the Hokkaido Wine Supporters' Club.
First, let me reflect on the fieldwork from early spring...
Even simply calling it Hokkaido, it is vast!
There are slight differences in seasons depending on the area.
Yoichi is home to arai vineyard, the vineyard that I cultivate.
When you hear Yoichi, what comes to mind?
In recent years, the number of wineries in Yoichi has been increasing at an extraordinary pace.
It can truly be said to be the area with the fastest growth in Japan.
Currently, Hokkaido has over 70 wineries, and combined with those aiming to open wineries, the number has the momentum to surpass 100.
The Yoichi and Niki area can be considered the dream destination for Hokkaido's wineries, which have continued to increase at a tremendous pace over the past 10 years or so.
Yoichi is also home to some of the oldest vineyards in Hokkaido.
These are "wine grapes" crafted by master grape growers and our predecessors.
All the masters in Yoichi refer to grape vineyards as "wine fields." (When I first heard it, I imagined wine bottles hanging from the vines, lol.)
About Spring Vineyard Work
The main task in spring is tying up the canes (edage).
Right around when the snow barely starts melting, we raise the grapevines that were taken down for winter protection.
This is truly laborious work.
As the vines grow older and their trunks become thicker, raising the heavy vines becomes quite a struggle.
Furthermore, this work is also done for the grape trellises of table grapes that are used for winemaking as well.
You rarely see this kind of scenery outside Hokkaido.
The wires for overhead grape trellises in Hokkaido are routed above so that the vines do not snap under the weight of the snow.
And just like trellised vines, overhead trellis vines must also be raised and lowered.
Then, a month later, new shoots emerge from branches that seem dead every year.
Now that June has arrived, both the grapevines and undergrowth are growing vigorously, bringing us into a very busy season for vineyard work.
About Upcoming Events
In between all that work, events are also being held all over Hokkaido.
Let me share some scenes from these events with you all.
At veraison, which I operate, we hold relaxed gatherings with winemakers inside the shop as well as pairing events renting out restaurants.
Enjoying wines that are already sold out together with the winemaker is the veraison style.
Together with OSA WINERY in Otaru, we held a relaxed takeover event called "OSA BAR."
Checking the vintage wines was taken quite seriously.
We also travel to various parts of the country to host events.
A blind tasting gathering held in Yokohama.
It is a simple event where you just vote for the wines you like.
After enjoying the event, there are plenty of rare wines unique to veraison! (Leftover wines could even be taken home, lol.)
Following this, it will be held in Nagoya in July and in Sapporo in August!
At the Sapporo event, winery folks will gather in large numbers! Please come and join us.
There are still plenty of events coming up at veraison.
▼ Please check them out here.
Hokkaido Wine Supporters' Club winecafé veraison