Wednesday February 18th saw the visit of Mr. Katsunori Kaneko/金子克憲さん, The Sales Executive of GRACE WINE Co (Grace Winery) for a wine tasting party organised by Mrs. Hiromi Hasegawa/長谷川浩美さんat La Sommeliere Wines & Sake Bar in Miyuki-Cho, Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City!
La Sommeliere entrance!
GRACE WINE Co. was founded in 1923 in Katsunuma Cho, Yamanashi Prefecture and is presently managed by the 4th generation in the person of Shigekazu Misawa/三沢茂計さん and the 5th generation in the name of his own daughter, Ms. Ayana Misawa/三沢彩奈さん.
Some of the tables for the lucky 17 guests counting wine specialists and wine lovers from every part of Shizuoka City!
The “GRACE WINE Flag”!
The party was professionally organised with a computerized video projector!
My seat where I was not only eating and tasting but also writing and using my small computer!
Mrs. Hiromi Hasegawa, Mr. Katsunori Kaneko and qualified staff posing for posterity!
Mr. Katsunori Kaneko conducting a last tasting in airs with the meal of the day!
Last preparations!
Mr. Katsunori Kaneko introducing Grace Wines and the winery to a captivated audience.
Grace Wines are steadily getting recognition abroad, in Singapore in particular!
Busy taking notes!
The first wine of the evening!
White “Koushhu/甲州”!
Koshu is a native grape which has been known for 1,000 years in the Village of Katsunuma giving a white wine which truly deserves the name of Japanese wine.
The aroma is very assertive, pleasant and fruity thanks to maturing process “sur lies”.
Very fresh and light attack.
The first dish was a “Na no Hana no O-hitashi”, rape seed flowers prepared in Japanese-style light broth.
The second wine was a more familiar white wine as it was made with Chardonnay grapes.
Very similar in aroma and taste to the better kinds of Chardonnay found all over the world.
Our second dish was a plate of new potatoes boiled in broth and served with dried cherry shrimps and finely chopped scallions!
Our third wine was an intriguing old white wine made in 2002 called Cuvee Misawa.
It has a beautifully rich golden color and tasted like a dry sherry although it was made with Chardonnay grapes only.
We drank for the sake of it waiting for the fourth wine and the accompanying dish!
Our fourth wine was simply called “Merlot” as it was made with Merlot grapes at the rate of 85%.
A typical Merlot grape wine, pleasant and easy to drink, although still a bit young.
The dish for the Merlot, typically French in concept!
Couscous and beans salad!
Extravagant marcassin terrine (wild boar cub) by Chef Yoshinori Kawasaki/川崎芳範さん of KAWASAKI Restaurant in Shizuoka City.
The marcassin had been shot in the wild at the foot of Mount Fuji by Chef Yoshinori Kawasaki/川崎芳範さん who owns a hunting license!
The dessert wine and dessert concocted by mrs. Hiromi Hasegawa!
A dessert Port-style wine called “Shuugoro no Vin/周五郎のヴァン” after the writer Shuugoro Yamamoto!
Very pleasant port-style wine with lots of fruit, especially prunes!
With a beautiful Tiramisu to finish the wine tasting party in beauty!
Incidentally I will conduct a more precise tasting of these wines later in the year, so keep tuned!
LA SOMMELIERE
420-0857 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Miyuki Cho, 7-5, Aiseido Bldg, 1F
Tel. & Fax: 054-266-5085
Opening hours: 11:00~22:00, 12:00~18:00 on Sundays & National Holidays
FACEBOOK (Japanese)
Entirely non-smoking!
RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES
So Good Sushi Restaurant in Nice France
Navigating Nagoya by Paige, Shop with Intent by Debbie, BULA KANA in Fiji, Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pie
rre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,
Must-see tasting websites:
-Sake: Ichi For The Michi by Rebekah Wilson-Lye in Tokyo, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
ABRACADABREW, Magical Craftbeer from Japan
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery
Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents
HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City
SHIZUOKA GOURMET 