Takizawa Winery is located in the Sorachi region, one of Hokkaido's leading wine producing regions. As a ``boutique winery'' that aims to produce small quantities of high-quality wine, the winery is particular about using only wild yeasts for fermentation and using as little chemical fertilizers and pesticides as possible. The owner, Nobuo Takizawa, was a former owner of a home-roasted coffee shop, and began cultivating the fields in 2004. In 2013, he developed the ``Domaine'' style, which covers everything from cultivation to brewing to bottling.

This wine is made from Hokkaido's unique grape called ``Tabiji.'' It was originally an edible variety called ``Beishioya'' that grew wild in Otaru, but apparently it came to be called ``Tabiji'' after the title of an NHK morning drama. Wild yeast is used in everything from macerating the reddish-purple fruit skin and fruit juice to extract the color and flavor, to the secondary fermentation in the bottle to create bubbles. Because the lees are left in the bottle, it is slightly cloudy, but has a gentle rosé color, and when made into wine, it has a sweet aroma reminiscent of strawberries and plums, and a refreshing herb-like feel.

As for the taste, the gentle fruitiness of the red fruits that I felt in the aroma spreads, and the bubbles that emphasize the freshness spread in the mouth along with the umami that blends in with the body. "Saint Soufre Ajute" means no added sulfites. Very careful brewing is required, leaving the lees and not adding sulfites, but the wine has a beautiful finish and perfectly embodies Takizawa's goal of ``making wine that brings out the power of Hokkaido's nature as much as possible.''

This umami flavor and low sulfite content make it a great weapon when pairing with dishes. It is difficult to get the smell of ``fresh fish or fish roe,'' which is very difficult to pair with wine. When I tried it with pickled tuna yam and tartar sauce with fried salmon, it went perfectly with the creamy foam texture derived from secondary fermentation in the bottle. Regular meals have become more colorful.

Tabiji Rosé 2020 Saint Soufre Ajeute

maker:TAKIZAWA WINERY / Representative Nobuo Takizawa
Location: Mikasa City, Hokkaido
Variety: Journey 100% (Yoichi Town, Hokkaido) Limited to 2054 pieces
Features:We produce approximately 25,000 bottles a year, including wine made from our own vineyard on a south-facing slope developed near the winery in the Tatsufu district of Mikasa City, and wine made from grapes purchased from growers in Yoichi. On the second floor of the company's brewery, which is surrounded by a white birch forest, there is a shop with a great view overlooking the wine fields, where they not only sell wine, but also offer tastings (for a fee). (May be canceled to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus infection.Please confirm)
Dishes you want to pair with: In addition to the pickled tuna pile and tartar sauce with fried salmon, the shrimp shumai that goes well with the umami of the wine and the gentle fruit flavor will make you unable to stop eating with your chopsticks. For Italian dishes that are easy to make at home, pair tomato and peach cappellini with fresh basil, a combination that brings out the aroma and lightness of wine.
Price: 2,860 yen (tax included)

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.