Drinks with bubbles make your heart flutter, not just on special occasions. The consumption of sparkling wine in Japan is said to be increasing rapidly. Champagne is the most famous sparkling wine, but if you want it to be an affordable, everyday wine that you can easily drink, lighter flavors like Italian Prosecco or Spanish Cava are more suitable. In fact, sparkling wine requires a higher level of skill than still wine, and the more you try to make it delicious and of stable quality, the more the cost goes up. There is a Japanese sparkling wine that I drink so much that I keep a bottle of it in my home. Mann's Wine's ``Yeast Foam Koshu Brut''.

This year marks exactly 60 years since Mann's Wine began producing wine at Katsunuma Winery. During that time, he has worked with local farmers in Katsunuma, Yamanashi Prefecture, and Komoro, Nagano Prefecture to create wine that matches Japanese food culture. In 2016, ``Yeast Awa Koshu'' was offered as one of Japan's representative sparkling wines at the Ise-Shima Summit.

Hassaku-like Japanese citrus fruits and the aroma of bread dough derived from yeast. It has a crisp taste and a pleasant fizzing and fine bubbles. It seems to have a refreshing taste, but the mid-palate has umami and creaminess, so it is a wine that can accompany delicate dishes such as Japanese dishes that use dashi stock.

When my family ordered oysters from Hokuriku and made a hot pot, this ``Yeast Foam Koshu Brut'' was a big hit. The gradual umami flavor and creamy texture of the wine are in harmony with the creamy flavor of the oysters. The wine had a Japanese citrus aroma that was reminiscent of squeezed yuzu, making the dish even more gorgeous. If the season is coming, we recommend cooking with spring vegetables such as spring cabbage, asparagus, and rape blossoms. The wine will bring out the sweetness of the vegetables.

Yeast bubbles Koshu Brut

Maker: Man's wine
Location:<Katsunuma Winery> 400 Yama, Katsunuma-cho, Koshu City, Yamanashi Prefecture, <Komoro Winery> 375 Moro, Komoro City, Nagano Prefecture
Variety:100% Koshu variety from Yamanashi Prefecture
Characteristic:Established in 1962 as Katsunuma Yoshu Co., Ltd. In 1964, the name was changed to Mann's Wine Co., Ltd., after the parent company Kikkoman's "man" and the Latin word "manna" (food manna given from heaven). Komoro Winery mainly produces premium wine, and Katsunuma Winery mainly produces daily wine. In the 2000s, we released the ``Solaris'' series of premium domestic wines, which clearly emphasized our emphasis on quality over quantity. It has received high acclaim, including being used at state VIP banquets and winning awards at domestic and international competitions. In 2008, we released "Koshu Yeast Awa," which later became Japan's leading sparkling wine. He became a pioneer in this field.
Dishes to pair with:This delicate and flavorful wine is best paired with dishes that bring out the flavors of the ingredients without being too heavy. The homepage of parent company Kikkoman has many recipes for dishes that go well with wine. For example, you can definitely pair it with prosciutto, asparagus salad, rape blossoms, and cream-stewed clams.
Price: 1,877 yen (tax included/official online shop)

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.