Grace Winery Toriibira Vineyard Koshu 2019

More white fleshed fruit, a little dash of pepper, apple skin, light grip, fresh and fine, a dusty texture, but a smoother and more composed wine than the Hishiyama, and little longer, though perhaps that’s splitting hairs. So lovely.

This wine was grown in the Toriibira district, Katsunuma-village in Yamaanashi on Clay Pebble soil. The vines were trained via the Pergola training system then hand picked.

Yamanashi is the first Japanese Geographical Indication (GI) for wine. Established in 2013, it is situated in the prefecture of the same name. Yamanashi is promoted as the birthplace of Japanese wine production.

Koshu is a thick skinned grape and purplish-pink in colour. Research confirms that it is over 90% vitis vinifera, meaning the grape is European in origin and suitable for winemaking. It likely arrived in Japan with Buddhism about 1,000 years ago via the Silk Road through China. Winemaking first started in Japan in the 1870s, with Katsunuma as its birthplace and still the most important area for wine-making in Japan. “Grace” originates from the “Three Graces” in Greek mythology.