Category Archives: Wine

Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Japanese wine, Wine, Yamanashi Prefecture

Japan Wine Tasting: Yamanashi Prefecture-The Jewels of Kisvin 2012, Viniferia Mix 34 White by Team Kisvin & Château Sakaori (conducted at la Sommeliere in Shizuoka City)

March 7, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

The other day I had the occasion to taste a very unusual white wine made in Yamanashi Prefecture at La Sommeliere in Shizuoka City with good friend sommelier, Mrs. Hiromi Hasegawa/長谷川浩美さん!

The Jewels of KIsvin 2012, Viniferia Mix 34 White?
That is going to take some explanations!

Team Kisvin & Château Sakaori under the name of Kinoshita Commercial Company/木下商仕(株) made this wine in Sakaori City/酒折市 in Yamanashi Prefecture with no less than 34 different grapes harvested locally!

White
Alcohol: 12 degrees
Year: 2012
Grapes: Check this WEBSITE! Go to the year 2012! Good luck!

Clarity: very clear
Color: golden
Aroma: assertive, dry, fruity. Muscat, raisins, Sherry wooden cask, white flowers, grapefruit, lychees.
Taste: very dry and fruity attack.
Almost completely unrelated to aroma.
Old-fashioned taste with dominant dry white flowers, dry citruses, ending up on faint notes of figs.
Constant on the palate and slowly fading away.
Stays dry with food while tending to reveal some petillant.
Will turn into some dry cherry sweets and desserts but will show more acidity with salty dishes.
Although it seems to be willing to start on a complex note, will quickly reveal a stolid and uncomplicated character.

Overall: Remarkable wine for its search into new fields, although 34 grapes might shock quite a few connoisseurs!
Ought to be sampled for the sake of knowledge or as an intriguing quizz!
Very rustic in approach.
Would do well with Japanese food in the place of a dry sake such as an uncomplicated honjozo.
Suggested pairings: sashimi, fruits confits.

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!

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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

Craft Beer, Gastronomy, Shizuoka City, Wine

Tricolor Shizuoka-Cannes Festival in Shizuoka City!

May 16, 2015 dragonlife 1 Comment

La Sommeliere Wine and Sake Shop Stand!

For quite some time now citizens of Shizuoka City have taken over the events held to commemorate the sistership between their city and Cannes in Southern France.
The main attractions are held during the month of May to coincide with the Cinema Festival in Cannes!
One of these is the Tricolor Festival held mainly in Gofuku Cho, Shichiken Cho and Aoba Park Streets.
This year it is organized with all kinds of stands on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th from 13:00 and 18:00.
Let me show some examples (there are just too many, and you will have to discover the others!):

You will find the stand of La sommeliere Wine and sake Shop in Gofuku Cho Street in front of Aoi Tower just across from Shizuoka JR Station!

All kinds of French wines and even beer can be purchased by the glass or even bottle!

They also sell home-made quiches!

Really tempting!

Ludovic Le Teigner, the top-class French Patissier in Shizuoka City had a hard time setting his stand up and already selling his cakes and biscuits at the same time all by himself!

The next time he will ask his wife along who had to look after their shop!

Ludovic is from Bretagne and many of his biscuits and jams are inspired by his birthplace!

Financiers!

Selling so quickly!

Eclatant’s stand.
Eclatant is a company extolling the gastronomy of Shizuoka and Cannes among many other collaborations!

Crepes menu!

They certainly needed quite a few of them!

French residents were helping out!

Sweet!

Still in the same spot: KUKAI stand!

They specialize in flavored teas!

A touch of Southern France!

More scented teas!

Yummy-looking cakes!

Still in the same street: Figaro Bistro stand!

The menu!

Escargots and olives!

Terrine/pate de campagne!

Great crowd!

Let’s move to Shichiken-Cho Street near Isetan Department Store!

Lavigne Natural French wines stand!

All the wines served there are French and organic!

Busy place!

Plenty of food available!

No time to interview the staff!

For the perfect finish go and taste a real craft beer brewed in Shizuoka City with Naoki Mando and his staff from Aoi Brewing Co.!

Directly from a limited edition barrel!

Plenty of snacks there, too!

Subtle IPA and French Primeur Saison craft beers!

See you there again this afternoon!

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Tasting Expensive Wines at Reasonable Prices at La Sommeliere in Shizuoka City!

February 8, 2015 dragonlife Leave a comment

Mrs. Hiromi Hasegawa/長谷川浩美さん, the owner of La Sommeliere Wines & Sake Bar in Miyuki Cho, Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City has initiated a remarkable if simple way to enjoy expensive wines at reasonable prices!

For this she did have to invest in a special machine made in Italy (she is the first one to use such a device in the whole prefecture) that can pour out wine in three different volumes, 30, 60 and 90 ml!

The present selection (it will change regularly according to availability) features the following:

Chateauneuf du Pape By Roger Sabon, White, 2012
Roussanne, Clairette, Grenache Blanc and Bourg Blanc grapes
A 5-tar producer on the Parker List.
An elegant wine with a full body and notes of honey, pears, Casablanca iris and white peach.
30 ml/1000 yen, 60 ml/1200 yen, 90 ml/1500 yen

Menetou Salon by Chavet Fils, White, 1999
Sauvignon Blanc grapes
Solid body with a complex approach, butter, nuts and honey
Still young in approach in spite of its 16 years of age!
30 ml/1000 yen, 60 ml/1200 yen, 90 ml/1600 yen

Beaune Domaine de Lagrange, red, 1989
Pinot Noir grapes grown on minimally pesticide-treated soil
A beautifully matured and aged red wine difficult to find on the market here in Japan.
30 ml/100 yen, 60 ml/1200 yen, 90 ml/1600 yen

Tormaresca Rocco Di Lupo (Italy, Puglia), red, 2007
Aglianico grapes
A remarkable wine from South Barolo
Sweet, silky and elegant.
30 ml/1000 yen, 60 ml/1200 yen, 90 ml/1500 yen

As an indication, 30 ml represents a good gulp, 60 ml, slightly less than a standard glass at bars and restaurants, 90 ml a normal glass!

Definitely worth a try!

LA SOMMELIERE

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レシピ, Bars, 美食, Drinks, 酒, 野菜, 静岡市, 観光, 農業, French Cuisine, French gastronomy, French Restaurant, Fuji City, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Italian Cuisine, Italian Restaurants, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Pasta, Recipes, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism, Wine

Wine Bar & Restaurant: Kichi To Naru Kitchen in Shizuoka City!

June 28, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Smiling, friendly and easy-going
Equipment & Facilities: Great cleanliness overall. Superb washroom
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Very fresh local vegetables. Healthy and filling fusion bistro food. Wines served all day long

There is a new very welcome trend of new restaurants coming to town not only to please all budgets but also making a maximum use of local products ensuring freshness and taste at reasonable prices inside a modern and easy-going environment

The latest addition in Shizuoka City, Kichi To Naru Kitchen, is actually the third establishment opened by Kichi To Naru Co. which originally hails from Fuji City.

The place is extremely clean and comfortable tucked away from the heat of the summer and the cold of winter.

The gastronomy is markedly Italian-inspired although it is more fusion than anything else comprising typical Japanese and French bistro fare.

If you are on your own sit at the counter and enjoy the sight of young chefs working in an open kitchen!

Even at lunch the menu offers quite some choice.
For my first lunch I chose the Milky rice (risotto-style) with curry sauce and mushrooms cultivated by Mr. Hasegawa in Fuji City!

It comes with fresh greens and beans salad,…

and potage.

The milky rice risotto and (mild) curry sauce, a very Japanese concept!

I must admit that the milky rice risotto was a bit of discovery! It was perfectly married to the curry sauce!

For my second lunch I sampled the pasta with fried eggplants in mildly hot tomato sauce!

Very Italian in concept!

Very healthy and tasty al dente spaghetti!

And home-made tiramisu for dessert!

Expect more visits at tea-time and dinner!

Kichi To Naru Kitchen
Chef: Ryo Ogihara
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Shichiken-Cho, 5-8, Miraie Shichiken Cho Bldg. 1F
Tel.: 054-255-5036
Opening hours: 11:00~23:00 (until 24:00 on Saturdays & Sundays)
Closed on Mondays
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

Other establishments:
Kichi To Naru Kitchen
Fuji City, Takane Cho, 11-9
Tel.: 0545-57-0111

Kichi To Naru Izakaya
Fuji City, Urijima Cho, 108
Tel.: 0545-53-0187

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Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in kanzai by Nevitt Reagan!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

レシピ, Bars, Bistro, 牛肉, 美食, Drinks, 酒, 野菜, 静岡市, 観光, 農業, French Cuisine, French gastronomy, French Restaurant, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism, Wine

French Gastronomy: Dinner at La Fillette in Shizuoka City!

June 27, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

French Andouillette!

Service: Friendly and a bit shy
Facilities & Equipment: Very clean overall, pleasant washroom
Prices: Reasonable to slightly expensive
Strong points: French restaurant doubling as a wine bar. Traditional French Bistro gastronomy. Good range of wines.

La Fillette (meaning “young/little girl) has the enormous merit to double as a wine bar (you may drink beer, lol) which allows you to sit comfortably in front of a h[glass at any time of the evening.

It used to be a Spanish restaurant before it opened 6 years ago and the decor outside has changed very little!

have a good look at the blackboard outside! Take your time and read it! I personally found an item that any Frenchman worth his salt has to sample!

Actually, it is not one but two blackboards you will have to check before entering!

A great feature of the place is that hey have their own cave/cellar which you can peek inside. I can garantee you you will discover some memorable bottles !

if you are on your own, you would do better to sit on a high stool at the bar counter, but if you are with a special company take a table in a cozy corner!

They have some very reasonable champagnes for the connoisseurs!

The menu is very traditional French bistro gastronomy with many a little surprise such as the above cheese creme brulee for appetizer!

As a Burgundian I couldn’t resist the escargots/snails!

The single item I would kill for!
French andouillette (pork tripes sausage)!
Home-made (not easy) and serve with succulent mashed potatoes!

Oysters gratin to damn a New Englander!

Ox jowl wine stew!

Another view of this traditional French Bistro fare you would find anywhere back home!

Home-made pistachio ice-cream!

but for me it was a succulent cheese plate!

With the perfect garlic toasts!

Looking forward to my next visit! There are too many many morsels I had to ignore! LOL

LA FILLETTE
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Hitoyado-Cho, 2-1-4 (along Showa Street)
Tel.: 054-251-6018
Opening hours: 17:30~24:00 (from 15:00 on Saturdays)
Closed on Sundays
Credit cards OK

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