Many of our readers are, not surprisingly, familiar with Japanese wines. Names like “Yamanashi,” “Nagano,” and “Yamagata” evoke names like “Koshu,” “Muscat Bailey A,” and “Campbell Early,” as well as international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. It is not often that one comes across a wine from, say, Miyagi Prefecture or a Pinot Gris-Gewürztraminer blend, with a name like “Field Blend Blanc” to boot. This is a product of Akiu Winery, which is located in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture’s capital city. We uploaded an entry on Sendai not too long ago. The link is here: https://drinkingjapan.org/2025/02/23/grilled-tongue-and-raw-whale/
I met the people from Akiu at the Gourmet Show, which was held at Tokyo Big Sight in February of this year, and tasted their Field Blend Blanc for this entry.
Sensory Evaluation: As is my custom, I tasted this blind, without even knowing that it was a Pinot Gris-Gewürztraminer (PG and G) blend. I immediately identified the aromatics as indicating the presence of the latter. Color: lemon/straw. Nose: floral notes and fruit. The smell of lychee, a hallmark of Gewürztraminer, is there. I also picked up on honeysuckle. Palate: Sweetness: off dry. Acidity: medium (-). Alcohol: 11%. Other: slight effervescence. Finish: medium. General Comments: This is not an Alsace-style wine. It is similar to PGs and Gs from some other viticultural areas. It is designed for early drinking and for pairing with spicy dishes. The latter point is made by the winery, and I fully concur. Its low alcohol and fruity characteristics should balance the aggressive nature of some spices.
Link: http://www.akiuwinery.co.jp
[Breaking News: Recently, we ran a series on marketing sake domestically and the Monaco Sake Awards. The 2026 winners have been announced, and the link is here: https://monacosake.com/. Let us hope that sake brewers, retailers, and trade organizations will adopt some of the recommendations we have made to increase sake sales in Japan. Congratulations to the winners!]
