It is no exaggeration to say that the Katsunuma district of Koshu City, Yamanashi Prefecture is the center of Japanese wine. It is also the place where Japan's first private winery was established in 1877. Marufuji Winery is also widely known under the brand name ``Rubaiyat'' and is one of the long-established wineries in Katsunuma, celebrating its 130th anniversary. Haruo Omura, the 4th generation head of the family, is one of the important figures in the Japanese wine industry. He has many juniors and admired fans for his warm and cheerful personality.

Marufuji Winemaking is based on Omura's beliefs. "Rather than limiting ourselves to Japan, we will compete with the world with wines made from international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, and feed back that know-how to local varieties of Koshu." Among the various wines they have released, the wine I would like to recommend this time is the red wine ``Rubaya Trouge Barrel Storage 100'', which is made with 2017% Merlot from Shiojiri, Nagano Prefecture. If you love red wine but don't like heavy wines, or if you think red wine can be a bit tiring on a hot summer day, this is a must-try for people like you.

The Merlot grape variety is not too astringent or acidic, and brings the richness of fruits such as red berries and plums to wine. Therefore, it is a popular variety all over the world, and in France, Merlot is ranked number one in terms of cultivated area, surpassing other varieties. In Japan, it is cultivated mainly in Nagano prefecture, but also in Yamanashi and Yamagata prefectures.

This wine has the pure fruit of ripe plums, with earthy aromas of root vegetables and mushrooms. When there is not enough sunlight, this variety tends to have a green pepper-like aroma, but this wine doesn't have that. This is proof that the grapes used as raw materials have matured properly. The taste is spherical and well-balanced, with a rich fruit and umami flavor that spreads throughout the mouth. The fine-grained tannins are not too heavy, and the soft acidity makes it easy to drink.

Japanese Merlot is characterized by the nuances of root vegetables. It goes perfectly with Japanese-style home cooking using root vegetables, such as sweet and spicy lotus root meatballs and meat and potatoes. It's an easy-to-drink red that you can enjoy at home as a summer evening drink.

Rubaiyat Rouge Barrel Storage 2017

Maker:Marufuji Wine/Head Haruo Omura
Location:Katsuma Town, Koshu City, Yamanashi Prefecture
Variety:100% Merlot from Shiojiri from Nagano Prefecture, limited edition of 7,099 bottles.
Characteristic:They have been making authentic dry wines since their founding, and ``Rubaiyat Koshu Sur Lie'' is even considered a benchmark for Koshu wine by sommeliers. ``Rubaiyat Petit Verdot 2012'' was selected at the Ise-Shima Summit, and its reliable winemaking has been praised. The wine shop and tasting room, which is a renovated main building, houses a former brewing cellar and white wine fermentation and storage concrete tanks, both of which are registered as tangible cultural properties by the Agency for Cultural Affairs. You can also view important materials.
Dishes you want to pair with:Standard dishes that go well with Japanese Merlot include Japanese-style home-cooked dishes such as stuffed peppers, lotus root meatballs, and meat and potatoes. In addition, tonteki with sweet and spicy sauce made with ginger is perfect for the ginger flavor that is essential for summer. When I asked Chef Kudo of Wine Living Signature in Omotesando if there was a slightly more twisted combination, he recommended chili con carne. For the secret ingredient, it's best to use slightly sweet Kyushu soy sauce or tamari soy sauce. I tried making it right away and it was delicious. Please give it a try.
Price: 2,640 yen (tax included, suggested retail price)

Rie Matsuki
Sommelier　WSET® Level 4 Diploma, ASI World Sommelier Association Certified International Sommelier Diploma- Gold. He moved to France in 2006 after working with Taillevent Robuchon and others. He studied under Enrico Bernardo, the world's best sommelier, in the south of France, and then worked as a sommelier at a star-rated restaurant in Paris for six years. After returning to Japan, he became a sommelier at Oriental Tokyo before becoming independent. Currently, Caplan is working as a lecturer at wine academies and other institutions, and is also involved in activities to popularize wine, such as explaining wine in the official theater pamphlet for the play ``Sideway.''