I love natural wine (well, whatever that is…), but as with any style of wine there’s good and there’s bad and then there’s some stuff in the middle. So, here…
What to do in Porto
I’m back again in Porto, for the excellent Simplesmente Vinho festival, and also to catch a bit of the much larger wine fair called Essencia. Porto is a lovely city…
Nagano region, Japan (9) Izutsu Winery
Based in Shiojiri, Izutsu Winery is, by Nagano standards, quite a big operation. This is part of the Kikyogahara Wine Valley, which is the oldest wine region in Nagano, with…
Vineyards of Hampshire tasting: some of England’s best sparkling wines on show
Last week, the vineyards of Hampshire held a tasting showcasing some of the top sparkling wines from this county. Of course, Hampshire is, as a county, a political boundary and…
Nagano region, Japan (8) Northern Alps Vineyards
I head to Omachi, in the north of Nagano Prefecture, in the Nihon Alps wine region. It’s decidedly alpine here, and we’re fringed by mountains, and the vineyard is covered…
Nagano region, Japan (7) Azumino Winery
One of the most beautifully situated wineries in Nagano, Azumino winery was established in 2007 in the Nihon Alps wine valley, in the shadow of the northern alps. Here, on…
Nagano region, Japan (6) Funky Château
Toyohiko (Toyo) and Micchi Kanehashi are running one of the top wineries in Nagano: Funky Château, in Aoki Village. They were working in Tokyo – Toyo as a music producer,…
Nagano region, Japan (5) Cave Hatano
Nobutaka Hatano started his career as a chef, and he fell into winemaking almost by accident. He applied for the chefs job at Villa d’Est in Nagano, but there were…
Nagano region, Japan (4) Rue de Vin
Hideaki Koyami is the man behind Rue de Vin. He began working in Yamanashi 20 years ago. Before that he was employed by an electric company. In 2006 he moved…