Since its founding in 1937, Katsunuma Jozo has worked with local grape growers to create wine that values ​​the uniqueness of the region. They specialized in Koshu wine from an early stage and are a pioneer in Koshu. The red wine made from Muscat Bailey A has a wonderful taste, and the ``Argano Monte 2018'', which is especially tailored to Japanese food culture, is a wine that will satisfy even those who are used to drinking European wine.

By the way, Muscat Bailey A is now the most cultivated black grape variety in Japan. It was created in 1927 by Zenbei Kawakami, known as the ``father of Japanese wine grapes,'' through cross-breeding. It has a fruit aroma like a wild blackberry, a sweet spice aroma like cinnamon and nutmeg, and an earthy aroma like sweet potato.The taste is gentle with acidity and astringency, and a charming fruit flavor with a sweet aroma. be. The variety itself was born in Niigata, but now about 6% of it is grown in Yamanashi Prefecture.

You can also try chilling this red wine a little on hot summer days. Muscat Bailey A can be drunk deliciously even when chilled without accentuating the bitterness and astringency. Muscat Bailey A is a combination of sweet and spicy seasoning using soy sauce, mirin, miso, and sugar. By drinking Argano Monte with teriyaki chicken or okonomiyaki, you can easily enjoy the harmony of home cooking and Japanese wine.

Once, in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, I paired ``Argano Monte'' with a dish full of conger eel, a specialty. The wine had a sweet spice flavor, earthiness, and a toasty aroma from the barrel brewing, with a gentle astringency. I experienced a moving compatibility with not only the earthy flavor of grilled conger eel, but also the sweet, salty, and fragrant taste of grilled conger eel. It would definitely go well with grilled eel.

Argano Monte (red) 2018 Alga Mountain

Maker:Katsunuma Jozo Co., Ltd. / Brewer Yuji Ariga
Location:Katsuma Town, Koshu City, Yamanashi Prefecture
Variety:Muscat Bailey A (more than 85% grapes from Hosaka-cho, Nirasaki City, 15% from quality farmers in Yamanashi City)
Characteristic:Founded in 1937. Founding family member Yuji Ariga became the third president in 1999. The three sons are responsible for brewing, sales, and cultivation, and the winery is set up with great promise for the future. We started exporting to Europe in 3 under the philosophy of ``world-class wine.'' We have a lineup of wines named after farmers' names or the names of the regions where their fields are located, and have won many awards at international wine competitions. Koshu's sparkling wine ``Alga Blanca Brilliante,'' which is produced through secondary fermentation in the bottle, was selected for the G3 Ise-Shima Summit. The winery, built in a 2008-year-old Japanese-style house, is popular with visitors from Japan and abroad for wine tours and tastings while viewing the terraced vineyards. He also manages the directly managed restaurant Kaze, which is about a 7-minute walk away, and is working to spread the word about wine culture based on local food and climate.
Dishes you want to pair with:If you want to match the wild berry flavors and earthiness of wine, try conger eel or eel. The sweet flavor of wine is perfect for sweet and spicy seasoned dishes, so it is also recommended for teriyaki chicken, okonomiyaki, hot pot meat, and bibimbap.
Price: 3,300 yen (tax included/Katsunuma Brewing Online Store)

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 starred restaurant in Paris for six years. After returning to Japan, he worked as a sommelier at Oriental Tokyo before becoming independent. Currently, Caplan works as a lecturer at wine academies and other institutions, and is also involved in activities to popularize wine.