Suntory Tomi no Oka Winery, Yamanashi, Japan
The Tomi no Oka Farm was originally set up by a railroad councilor, Shinsuke Koyama, in 1909, and it is named after the beautiful hill on which it is located. It has now been producing grapes for over 100 years. Indeed, it was the first Japanese winery to win a gold medal at France’s Les Citadelles du Vin in 2003.
The Japanese company, Suntory, took over the management of the business in 1936. Suntory is a well-known Japanese multinational brewing and distilling company group, established in 1899.
In 1983, Suntory acquired the management rights to the distinguished Château Lagrange winery in Bordeaux, France, becoming the first non-Western company to operate a Bordeaux Grand Cru Château. In 1988 they expanded in Europe by adding Weingut Robert Weil in Rheingau, Germany.
On the day of my visit, I was unable to see the spectacular views of Mt. Fuji. A return visit in winter, when the skies are clear, is called for.
The nicely sloping terrain (see photos) suggests that the area is perfect for grape growing. Grapes grown at the vineyard include petit verdot, merlot, chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon and koshu (a grape variety of Japanese origin).
In addition to its own vineyards, Suntory sources grapes from other growers in the region. And Suntory has vineyards elsewhere in Japan, notably the following prefectures, Aomori, Yamagata, and Nagano, as well as other winemaking facilities, especially in Nagano. With global warming now having an impact, sauvignon blanc grapes from the northern prefecture of Aomori are now coming into their own.
The surprise for me was the substantial plantings of petit verdot, a grape that originates in southwestern France, but is used in only small doses in Bordeaux. Apparently Petit Verdot is better adapted to Japan’s changing climate than Cabernet Sauvignon and other red grape varieties.
In typical Japanese style, my visit was hyper-organised with a bus trip up into the vineyards, a visit to the cellars, finishing with a tasting. Although I was one of very few visitors, the guide assured me that wine tourism is now very popular, and that they received large numbers of visitors.
I tasted four wines which were indeed excellent.
First, Tomi No Oka Koshu, from the Koshu grape variety. A beautifully balanced dry white wine, with intense citrus flavours.
Second, Tomi No Oka Red, from Petit Verdot (65%), Merlot (24%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (11%). A powerful big red, which was still very nicely balanced.
Third, Shiojiri Merlot, also a lovely wine.
Fourth, Nobel Rot, from Riesling and Italica grapes. Again a beautifully balanced and rich sweet white wine.
As I continue my exploration into Japanese wines, it is difficult not to get the impression that Japanese wines are really going places. By all accounts, the quality has improved enormously over the past decade. And with big companies like Suntory behind the industry, the marketing and branding will surely follow.