Sunday, October 28, 2012

Wine festival@Manns winery


両親と祖父母と一緒に小諸マンズワイナリーの収穫際にいってきました。年に一度の秋のワイン収穫祭です。
I went to “Manns winery” in Komoro-City with my parents and grandparents. Manns winery holds this harvest festival once a year in October.


新酒が爽やかで野外で飲むにはもってこい!このようなイベントを通して日本のワインも広めていきたいですね。
Wine was very fresh and light body, so it was just right for drinking on the grass! I hope we can spread “casual wine-drinking “throughout Japan through these kinds of events.



野外ではまず¥500でグラスを購入します。白も赤もおかわりには¥50かかりますが、たっぷりとグラスに注いでくれます。味は新酒だからジュース感覚で飲めてしまうような軽いワインです。
At this event, you can get a wine glass(¥500) with plenty of white or red wine. When you finish one, you can have more with the glass and it only costs ¥50 for another glass of wine!(it was free of charge before though...)

ワイナリーの敷地内にある立派な日本庭園の一角に地下セラーがあり、そこではソラリス等のグレードの高いワインが有料試飲出来るのです。ワインのグレードによって値段が違い、1¥500のワインと2杯で¥500のものがありました。
In the winery, there is beautiful Japanese garden and underground wine cellar in the corner. It only opens for special occasion and you can enjoy high-grade wine like “SOLARIS” in the cellar. There were 2 options for tasting, one was ¥500 for a glass, and the other one was ¥500 for 2 glasses.(depends on the grade)

せっかくなのでやっぱりソラリスが飲みたい!シャルドネ、リースリング、カベルネソーヴィニヨン、メルローと4種類試飲しました。この土地に相性が良いメルローが一番美味しかったです。
Of course I tried some SOLARIS series since I was at Manns winery! I had Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot…I liked Merlot the best because it is well-suited with the solid and climate here in Nagano.

ソラリスクラスを飲むと日本のワインはまだまだ伸びるはず…と思う一方、同じ値段ならフレンチワインのプルミエクラスが飲めるお値段。そう考えてしまうとなかなか手が伸びないのが事実かもしれないですね。
After I tried SOLARIS, I thought Japanese wine has a lot of potential. However on the other side, good Japanese wine is as expensive as great premier cru wine…I think this is why it is hard to be popular as other country’s wines.
この後紅葉を見に軽井沢の雲場池に行ってきました。去年初めて来たのですが、ここの紅葉は最高に美しい!
四季があるって素晴らしいとしみじみ感じました。
After we enjoyed a lot of wines, we went to "Kumoba-Ike" in Karuizawa to see beautiful leaves turned red in autumn.
It was amazingly beautiful and no words to say...
We have beautiful views that changes of the season and I think it is the greatest thing in Japan!