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22|SMILEOFJAPAN|TRAVELVOLUNTEERPROJECTFOOD&DRINKYAMANASHITRAVELLINGSOUTHTHROUGHJAPANATTHISTIMEOFYEARISLIKETRAVELLINGBACKTHROUGHTIME.THISMORNINGWEMADEOURWAYDOWNFROMMATSUMOTO,TOCROSSINTOYAMANASHIPREFECTUREANDLANDINKOFU.THETREESARESTILLGREEN,SOMEOFTHERICEHASN’TBEENHARVESTEDANDIT’SAGOODDEALWARMERTHANITHADBEENINNAGANOTHEPREVIOUSNIGHT.WELOSTATLEASTAMONTH.YAMANASHI,ITTURNSOUT,HASAPARTICULARLYUNUSUALCLIMATE,PERHAPSLITTLESURPRISEWHENWEFOUNDOUTTHAT78%OFTHISPREFECTUREISMADEUPOFMOUNTAINOUSTERRAIN.THECOMBINATIONOFTHEWINDS,THEDISPROPORTIONATELYHIGHAMOUNTOFSUNSHINEANDFERTILESOILMAKEITANIDEALPLACEFORGROWINGCROPS.SPECIFICALLY,FORGROWINGGRAPES.AND,WELL,YOUKNOWWHATTHATMEANS,RIGHT?YAMANASHIHASHADWINELONGERTHANVIRTUALLYANYOTHERPARTOFTHECOUNTRY.THEYTAKEITPRETTYSERIOUSLYROUNDTHESEPARTSANDHAVEENOUGHSPACEANDSUITABLEWEATHERTOBEABLETOGROWSEVERALVARITIESOFGRAPE.ASTHOUGHTOUNDERLINETHEPOINT,OURFIRSTSTOPWASTOVISITHAYAKAWAEN,AMINI-VINEYARDTHATGROWSSEVENTYPES,MOSTOFWHICHAREFOREATING,RATHERTHANWINE-MAKING(OURFAVOURITEWASPROBABLYTHEODD-SHAPEDLADY-FINGER). THESPECIALITY,THOUGH,ISTHEKOSHU,JAPAN’SINDIGENOUSFRUIT,ANDONEOFTHEFAVOURITESFORWINE-MAKING.THEGRAPEESCAPETHEPRACTISEHASBEENGOINGINJAPANFORANESTIMATED130YEARS,BUTITTOOKAWHILETOREALLYAPPROACHANINDUSTRIALSCALE. NATURALLY,THESECONDWORLDWARPLAYEDITSPARTINTHESTUNTEDGROWTH,ASDIDTHEWILDPOPULARITYOFBEER,SAKEANDWHISKY.ANDIFITWASSTATUSWINE-DRINKERSWEREAFTER,THEY’DHAVEPAIDOVERTHEODDSFORIMPORTEDBOTTLESFROMFRANCE,ITALY,SPAIN,SOUTHAFRICAANDSOUTHAMERICA.INOTHERWORDS,THEREAREPLENTYOFEXCUSESASTOWHYJAPANDOESN’TPRODUCEMOREWINE.BUTOFTHEPLACESTHATDO,YAMANASHIISTHEBUSIEST,WITHOVER90WINERIESSPREADAROUNDTHEPREFECTURE.WELEARNEDTHISASWESTROLLEDTHROUGHTHEOBSCENELYPICTURESQUESHOSENKYOGORGE,ANDINTOAWINESHOP.THELITTLEPLACELETUSTRYAFEWDIFFERENTOPTIONS,ALLOFWHICHWEREBLENDS.KATYLUCKEDOUTBYGETTINGASWEETWHITENUMBERTHATWEBOTHGUESSEDWOULDMAKEAPRETTYEXCELLENTDESSERTWINE.THELESSSAIDABOUTMINE,THEBETTER.THEIROTHERHIGHLIGHTWASANEXTREMELYCONCENTRATED,NON-ALCOHOLICGRAPEJUICETHATWASLOADEDWITHTANNINS.THAT,OFCOURSE,MEANSIT’SVERYGOODFORYOURHEALTH,BUTUNLESSITGAVEMETHEABILITYTOPREDICTLOTTERYNUMBERS,IDOUBTI’DBEWILLINGTOHANDOVER¥3100(£30)FORTHEPRIVILEGEOFDRINKINGIT.ICONSOLEDMYSELFWITHAGRAPEICECREAMFORATENTHOFTHEPRICE(ANDDOUBTLESSLESSTHANONEPERCENTOFTHEHEALTHBENEFITS).OURLASTSTOPWASATANACTUALWINERY,MOUNTWINE(ORMONTVIN,ONSOMEOFTHEIRFANCIERBRANDING),ASMALLSCALEOPERATIONONTHEOUTSKIRTSOFKOFU.LIKEMANYOFITSPREFECTURALRIVALS,ITTOOSPECIALISEDINKOSHUWINEWHICH,TRUTHBETOLD,NEITHERKATYORIMUCHCAREDFOR.NONETHELESS,THEREWASSOMETHINGHEART-WARMINGABOUTSEEINGTHEPRESIDENTOFTHECOMPANYSTILLMUCKING-INANDHELPINGPRUNEAWAYBADGRAPES.JUSTASITWASGOODTOHEARTHECHIEFPRODUCER,YOSHIHIKOIINUMA,TALKENTHUSIASTICALLYABOUTHISTRADEAFTER26YEARSINTHEJOB.THESEPEOPLEAREPROFESSIONALANDPASSIONATE;IINUMAMADEPILGRIMAGESTONAPAVALLEYTOLEARNHISTRADE,ANDSINCERELYWANTSJAPANESEWINE,MADEWITHINDIGENOUSJAPANESEGRAPESTOGETTHERECOGNITIONHEFEELSITDESERVES.WHENWEFINALLYGOTINTOOURHOTEL,WEOPENEDALITTLEGIFTBAGFROMTHELOCALTOURISTBOARDANDFOUNDADAINTYINDEN-YACARD-HOLDER,ANDNEXTTOTHAT,ASMALLBOTTLEOFYAMANASHIWHITEWINE–HOORAY!WEEYEDITUPGREEDILY,BUTTHEN,DISASTER!WECHECKEDTHEDRAWSJUSTINCASE,BUTWEKNEW:THESEBUSINESSHOTELROOMSDON’TCOMEWITHACORKSCREW.DAY35OCTOBER19THKOFU,YAMANASHI.
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