After a tour around the winery, we went to see “Iwadarehara Vineyard” - a vineyard that I had long wanted to see with my own eyes. I had seen the vineyard in photos several times. I walked to the vineyard, remembering how the beauty of the nature in the photos had captured my eyes. Lush green leaves of grapes. A sense of unity developed among grapes growing strongly. They all had captivated me with their mysterious charm.

As the name “Iwadarehara” suggests, once you step into the vineyard, you will see big round rocks cover the area. When I tried to dig into the soil, my shovel soon hit a large stone, persuading me to believe that tremendous efforts had been made to cultivate the land. I was told that the stony ground is well drained and remains free of puddles even after a torrential rain, preventing grapes from absorbing excess water, which as a result produces small, concentrated grapes.

Large stones also have a role of absorbing heat to some extent. They release heat they store during the day at night and gradually increase the ripeness of the grapes. The place, which always has a pleasant breeze, is a spot where the airstreams from the Pacific Ocean and the Japan Alps cross each other. I even felt a pleasant cooling sensation in a balmy wind. Iwadarehara is really a special place.

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to talk to Mr. Hiroyasu Yamamoto, the owner of “Yamamoto-En” in Iwadarehara who looks after Iwadarehara vineyard with great care.

Mr. Yamamoto has engaged in the viticulture for wine in the area over 40 years and is the head of the viticulturist’s association. He showed me Merlot planted in 1980. The grape vine was strong and full of vitality, which explained Mr. Yamamoto had grown it with great care and affection every day. He had not heard the name “Merlot” until he planted it in 1980. He said that he had lots of problems at the beginning, such as the vine growing branches but not bearing fruits. Every time he faced a problem, he felt so anxious and thought he had no choice but to quit, but he kept moving forward, nonetheless.

He said, however, there was a happy moment that made him forget all his hardships. It was when “Iwadarehara Merlot” grown in his vineyard was selected to be served at a major banquet during the 34th G8 Summit (Hokkaido Toyako Summit) in 2008.

When he learned that then U.S President George W. Bush also had the wine, he felt from the bottom of his heart that he was recognized for the first time for what he had done. After 30 years of worries, the happy incident happened unexpectedly to Mr. Yamamoto who, battling loneliness, had been anxious if he would be able to produce grapes and if wine made from the grapes would be enjoyed by customers.

When I heard this story, I felt a renewed sense of mission as a sommelier to not only promote wine, but also communicate the thoughts of viticulturists and their background as a story to customers.

Mr. Yamamoto, a man of gentle smiles, puts a lot of love and care into growing.
Please try “Iwadarehara Merlot” and feel its warmth through the glass!

Iwadarehara Merlot 2015
The first impression of the nose is intense and classic. The nose shows ripe black fruits like black currant and black cherry with a note of vanilla and cacao. Even touch of savory herbal character with hint of smoke gives good accent. The palate is packed with nice harmony of fully ripe black fruits and integrated oak flavor, which also gives good layers. Soft and fine-grained tannins create silky texture. This wine is a complete and deeply satisfying.