Download the complete Wine Country Tour map for 2020.

If you haven’t read the first part of this two-part article series, please read part 1 first here. 

Note: This article was written by David Ellis of Close to Mount Fuji and has been republished with permission.

New Kōshū Wine Tour Part 1

This walking tour of Japan’s premier winery region begins at Haramo Winery (est. 1924). Although Haramo’s main building was constructed in 1884, the winery has only been operating for about 100 years. If you have lunch or tea in their café, which is open from April to the end of November, you’ll see how a Kōshū-gable-type house looks from the inside. Such houses have a central gable that once allowed for air circulation on the uppermost floor where silkworms chewed their way through piles of mulberry leaves. Many of the vineyards in the Kōshū area were once filled with mulberry trees for the express purpose of feeding millions of these silkworms. However, after World War Two, the fields were quickly transformed into pergola-style vineyards of highly-prized table grapes. Although Katsunuma’s vineyards produce the most delicious table grapes I have ever eaten, I am more interested in the surrounding area’s 80+ wineries!

Winter comforts at Haramo Winery.
Winter comforts at Haramo Winery.

The Japanese doma (dirt place) is an area which is normally found in traditional Japanese homes like Haramo’s main building. A doma is an area of hard compacted dirt that extends the size of the entranceway and functions much like an American vestibule. However, unlike a vestibule, the doma functions as a semi-public space. Haramo Winery has transformed its doma into a very attractive tasting area by tiling the floor and installing a long tasting counter. Until today, people in Japan enter such indoor spaces to announce their presence. This is very different from America where you would never enter someone’s home without their permission. When you enter Haramo’s tasting room, you are continuing a tradition that predates the winery. Haramo’s doorway is less of a barrier than you might imagine. You are still considered to be outside, but you are inside. This communicates much about the intimate traditions that continue to shape daily life in modern Japan.

The architectural drawing of the main winery building and its surrounding property.
The architectural drawing of the main winery building and its surrounding property.

Take a look at this architectural drawing on the back wall of the winery’s tasting room.

Look closely at the red lines that intersect the centre of the drawing to get an idea of how important Feng Shui was to the ancestors of the current operator of the winery.

Such historic drawings are an artistic delight!

The entrance to Haramo Winery's tasting room.
The entrance to Haramo Winery’s tasting room.

During the warmer months, you can sit under the shade of the pergola while you taste a clean, crisp Kōshū wine. I quite like the Kōshū that’s barrel-aged in French Oak for 11 months.

Haramo doesn’t produce any Muscat Bailey A, but it does produce a Black Queen which is another of Kawakami Zembei’s hybrid grapes.

If you are looking for something more recognizable, you might want to try Haramo’s Merlot.

The view from the tasting room at Haramo Winery.
The view from the tasting room at Haramo Winery.

Haramo’s 3rd-generation owner studied winemaking in France as a young man and returned to Yamanashi to develop a wine that he would like to drink. When it comes to food, he told me, the Japanese people love freshness above all else, and that is why they keep seasoning to a minimum in their cuisine. I don’t know any place where farmers invest as much time in nurturing quality produce as the farmers in Japan do.

Yes, Japanese produce is expensive, but it is the best. You will definitely be able to find less expensive fruit and veg in your home country, but it is often of inferior quality. It takes time to grow the best produce, and time means money. In the pursuit of efficiency, many overseas factory farms have made the decision to cultivate heartier varieties that may not taste quite as good. However, due to Japan’s strict protection for its farmers, such produce cannot be imported to the country. This means things are expensive, like Japanese rice which is protected by a 700% import duty, but it also means that the fruits here are awesome!

When it comes to food, I must reiterate that the Japanese value freshness above all else. When you try their delicate Kōshū wines, remember that these wines were made to accompany washoku, that is, Japanese cuisine. This wine is not meant to accompany Italian, French or any other cuisine. It suits the sensitive taste of the Japanese.

Here is the owner of Haramo Winery behind the tasting counter.
Here is the owner of Haramo Winery, Shintaro Furuya, behind the tasting counter.

 

Freshness is the most prized ingredient in Japanese cuisine, so why would we make a wine that masks its subtle flavours?–Shintaro Furuya

Haramo is open daily from 9:00~17:00 (9:30~16:30 on Sundays). The café, Casa da Noma, is open from 11:00~17:00 (closed on Mondays). The cafe is very popular, so be sure to arrive early to get a seat. The owner says tasting is free but proper etiquette dictates that you buy a bottle of wine.

Casa da Noma Menu

Please click here to go to Haramo’s Japanese website.

The old Tanaka Bank is the next stop on your itinerary. I just love this building with its interpretation of Western-style architecture. The roof is 100% Japanese but the rest of the building looks like it could be anywhere in Europe. Japanese interpretations of Western architecture are a recurring theme in Hayao Miyazaki’s popular animated feature films, so don’t be surprised if the building evokes this aesthetic. This structure is one of many Western-style buildings constructed by the famous Japanese temple builder, Terushige Matsuki.

Tanaka Bank was built in 1897.
Tanaka Bank was built in 1897.

 

When the building is open during the warmer months, you’ll be able to see right through to the backyard.

The interior of Tanaka Bank
The interior of Tanaka Bank

The woodwork on the interior of the building has a distinct Japanese feel but that is what makes it worth taking a look at.

Go upstairs and look out to the street below. You can almost imagine you have traveled back in time.

Behind Tanaka Bank

Behind Tanaka Bank

Don’t forget to go into the backyard of the Tanaka Bank to see a number of old kura (Storage buildings). The old Tanaka Bank is open from 9:00~16:00. It is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays from April to October, and it is only open on the weekends between November and March.

Meganebashi (eyeglasses bridge)

Meganebashi (eyeglasses bridge)

This historic footbridge along the Hi River, Hikawa, can be seen as you descend the pathway to the next winery on your itinerary. As you walk downhill, look to the east  to see the Meganebashi (eyeglasses bridge). Once you have spotted the bridge, it will be about time to make a sharp right turn. Follow the narrow path heading west with the Hi River on your left. Be careful not to misstep or get poked by any unruly bamboo as you admire the vineyards below and the view of the South Alps on the western horizon.

Koshu Grapes

In season, you can find Kōshū grapes growing on the trellis above the outdoor dining area of Château Mercian

I have already written about the next winery on your itinerary, Château Mercian and Miyakoen, so please click the link below to get more details.

If you enjoy history as much as I do, you’ll want to save the wine tasting until you have visited the two museums on site. In addition to wine tasting, you can have a light lunch at Château Mercian’s wine gallery.

Please visit my previous post regarding Château Mercian & Miyakoen.

Keisenan Hoto Restaurant

Keisenan Hoto Restaurant

If you feel like something more substantial for lunch, you might want to try Keisenan Hoto Restaurant (Open every day but Tuesday from 11:00~16:00) for a hearty meal of thick noodles in a miso stew.

The hoto restaurant is located near the end of the narrow pathway. The menu is really simple: squash hoto ¥1,300/ meat hoto ¥1,400/ Keisen set ¥1,600/ Ozara (cold noodles on the side with soup for dipping) ¥900/ coffee & sweets.

Click here to learn how to make hōtō at home.

New Kōshū Wine Tour Part 2

New Kōshū Wine Tour Part 2

Kurambon Winery is your last port of call on this tour but feel free to continue on to another winery if you think you have time. Kurambon is open from 9:00~17:00, but I noticed they are often closed in the mornings during the winter months. The owner told me that they are only open from 13:00~17:00 on the weekdays, and 9:00~12:00 & 13:00~17:00 on the weekends. Again, this winery’s main building is another fine example of a Kōshū-gable-type house.

Kurambon's Kōshū-gable-type house.

Kurambon’s Kōshū-gable-type house.

Go inside to get a feel for traditional Japanese architecture.

The interior of Kurambon Winery.

The interior of Kurambon Winery.

You must experience Kurambon’s rustic, yet tasteful, showroom located at the centre of this lovingly-maintained, 140-year-old house. The winery, which has been in operation since 1913, offers wine tasting for a very reasonable ¥500 per person.

Kurambon's tasting room

Kurambon’s showroom

If you are lucky, you might be able to join their tour at 14:00 (weekdays) or at 11:00 (weekends), but the tours are only conducted in Japanese and you must reserve online using a Japanese form:

Click here for Kurambon’s English website.

Click here to make a tour reservation but you will have to do it in Japanese!

Kurambon's wine cellar

Kurambon’s wine cellar

 

NHK has created a short documentary regarding Yamanashi wine!

The taxi drivers at JR Chuo Line’s Enzan Station (south exit) are very accommodating to foreign visitors and will do their utmost to take you wherever you want to go. It is their job to know the winery scene as they ferry customers to the various wineries on a daily basis. On your return journey to the station from the last winery on your itinerary, you can call a taxi at: 055-332-3200. The person who answers may not be very proficient in English, but if you keep it simple, you should be fine:

Customer: Taxi, please. Kurambon Winery to Enzan Station (speak slowly and repeat if necessary).

Taxi Company: 10 minutes…

The taxi fare from JR Enzan Station to Haramo Winery is ¥2,000, and the fare back from Kurambon Winery to JR Enzan Station is ¥2,500. These taxi fares reflect 2020 prices. In addition, most of the taxis can only accommodate 4 passengers.

If you are carrying bags that you do not particularly want to drag around with you all day, you can put them in a locker at JR Enzan Station. Be forewarned that there are not many lockers, so there is no guarantee that one will be available, particularly on weekends.

JR Enzan Station

There are 17 lockers just to the left of the exit from the station platform. The bottom four lockers can hold standard-sized airline baggage.

 

Please use the following JR schedules (subject to change each year) to help plan your visit to Japan’s premier winery region:

  1. JR Shinjuku Station to JR Enzan Station Option 1
  2. JR Shinjuku Station to JR Enzan Station Option 2
  3. JR Enzan Station to JR Shinjuku Station Option 1
  4. JR Enzan Station to JR Shinjuku Station Option 2

For anyone considering including a winery tour on their way to Matsumoto Castle:

  1. JR Enzan Station to JR Matsumoto Station Best Option
  2. Map of JR Kofu Station
  3. Begin your adventures off the beaten path by booking a night in my Airbnb property.

 

Note: This article was written by David Ellis of Close to Mount Fuji and has been republished with permission.

Copyright ©  David Ellis | All Rights Reserved

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