Asking Hideaki Koyama! The Secret Behind Rue de Vin's Delicious Wines and Its Future

Rue de Vin, a winery whose name means "Wine Street" in French.

Many of you may find this to be one of the first wines that comes to mind when you think, "I want to drink a delicious Sauvignon Blanc!" And with good reason.

This winery is run by Hideaki Koyama, who vaulted to fame several years ago when he created a legendary Sauvignon Blanc.

We visited him to learn about the reasons behind the deliciousness of that Sauvignon Blanc, as well as his initiatives for the future.

Representative Hideaki Koyama started his winery in this area in 2006.
Before that, he served as head winemaker at Azumi Apple, where the Sauvignon Blanc he crafted gained explosive popularity.

Speaking about that time, he recalls, "The grapes themselves were truly fantastic—so much so that I almost wondered if it was really okay for me to make wine with them! " He was amazed by the exceptional quality of the grapes grown by farmers in Azumino Ikeda Town.

When the wine's delicious reputation spread, the grape growers expressed their gratitude to Koyama, saying, "Thank you for bringing our grapes into the light and letting the world see them."

The Sauvignon Blanc vines Koyama grows today are said to come from grape cuttings given to him by those growers at the end, which he has carefully propagated year after year. It is easy to see why it tastes so good!

And Sauvignon Blanc is not the only delicious wine he makes.
He is also deeply committed to sparkling wines made using the traditional method.

"To craft a delicious traditional-method sparkling wine, having reserve wine is key," says Koyama. But for a newly established winery, holding onto reserve wines is no easy feat from a cash flow perspective.

In 2010, just four years after establishing the winery, they suffered a poor harvest.
"None of the red wine turned out well. The only thing we managed to produce was Chardonnay."
Surprisingly, he made the bold decision to turn all of it into reserve wine.

"We really had to pinch pennies and endure! ," he chuckles. But the sparkling wine crafted with such passion gained a stellar reputation and is currently sold out. We look forward to the next release!

Furthermore, the techniques cultivated through crafting that sparkling wine also gave birth to products such as "Kyoho Sparkling," "Poiré," and "Cidre,"which are also immensely popular.

Mr. Koyama kindly gave us a ride in his car and guided us through the vineyards.

The vineyards he has been clearing bit by bit since 2006 now span 6.5 hectares.
And starting in 2020, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris were planted across a 5.3-hectare area known as Mido.

Now in its third year, the vineyard in the Mido district was thriving with vibrant green foliage, and the view from an elevation of 830 meters was so magnificent that Mr. Koyama's vision of an "enriched lifestyle" vividly came to mind.

Construction of a new winery is also scheduled to begin in this Mido area.
"I want to make wine that is easy to pick up and enjoy as part of a lifestyle where people can realize an enriched life by eating and drinking around a large table."These words from Mr. Koyama reflect a large-scale, 10-year project that will shape his future.

There might even be a cheese workshop in the future. It is certainly a winery to keep a close eye on moving forward.