Trilateral Rendition: The Wine Known as “The Amur Grape” : Amur Grape 2018 by Hitomi Winery

The Amur River and Its Tributaries Attribution: Kmusser; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amurrivermap.png The Amur River forms part of the vast border that Russia shares with China. It, along with the Amur Valley that straddles that river, lends its name to a species of grape known as Vitis amurensis. The grape is actually a survivor from pre-glacial days. As … Continue reading Trilateral Rendition: The Wine Known as “The Amur Grape” : Amur Grape 2018 by Hitomi Winery →

Musée du Vin BLACKQUEEN 2018

As might be suspected, we at drinkingjapan.org evaluate a large number of wines in any given year, ranging from international varieties to the indigenous. It’s a tough job, of course, but someone has to provide this social service, so we have agreed to meet the challenge. We have been diligent, but in one instance, we … Continue reading Musée du Vin BLACKQUEEN 2018 →

(Maybe) Just What the Doctor Ordered

Do you feel fatigued, have weak digestion or poor appetite? Do you suffer chilliness in your extremities, such as fingers and toes? Yomeishu is intended for people who suffer such symptoms. Based on oriental medicine, it is intended to address Mibyou, which is a pre-symptomatic state or as the Yomeishu website puts it, “…a physical … Continue reading (Maybe) Just What the Doctor Ordered →

Authenticity

Readers of this blog will need no introduction to Yamanashi Prefecture, its major winemakers and their output. In addition to the international varieties produced therein, there are the “native” ones, like Koshu, whose provenance, strictly speaking, is not Japan. There seems to be an ongoing debate in certain quarters as to whether Japanese producers should … Continue reading Authenticity →

Port and Something Else

Symington Family Estates, a name closely associated with such prestigious ports as Graham’s, Cockburn’s, and Dow’s, recently launched its School of Port, an online program designed to educate “wine professionals and wine lovers about port and the Douro,” the valley whence the wide array of grapes permitted in port production come. The first module covered … Continue reading Port and Something Else →

Totally Tea

Serving Shizuoka Tea Though we have a strong affinity with John Barleycorn, Bacchus, and kindred spirits, it was never our intention to focus exclusively on Japanese alcoholic beverages. There are other drinks worthy of attention, and in this week’s blog post we will look at one of them—tea—specifically the beverage derived from the leaves of … Continue reading Totally Tea →

Umezake from Nozaki Shuzo (Brewery) in Akiruno, Tokyo

Umezake Non-grape wine varieties have often been stigmatized by wine snobs, who consider them unworthy of serious consideration. They are the oenological equivalent of the cinematic crazy in the basement or loony in the attic, risky relatives best kept locked away. What a pity! Drinking Japan: It’s Not Just Sake O’Connor & O’Connor We started … Continue reading Umezake from Nozaki Shuzo (Brewery) in Akiruno, Tokyo →