Episode 8: Welcome to Iwaimura Vineyard | Japanese Wines

As we proceed to Iwaimura Vineyard, you will see the wine gallery where we will taste 6 different varieties of wine at the end of our tour. Overhead, you will see pergola-trellis-trained Koshu grapes used for our white wines. As we continue walking to the Iwaimura Vineyard, you will hear the creek that once powered the winery’s water wheel. Ahead is an immature French oak tree. The trees used to make barrels in France are at least 200 years old, so this one isn’t in danger of becoming a barrel any time soon. Beside the oak tree is the vineyard. There are about 20 different varieties of grapes growing in this vineyard. Each row has 2 or 3 different varieties. Pinot Noir is the first to ripen and Cabernet Sauvignon is the last. October is the best time to see the vineyard in all its glory. Generally speaking, 1 kg of grapes is necessary to produce 1 bottle of wine. If you look closely at the vines, you will see several examples of vertical shoot positioning (VSP): Guyot, Double Guyot, Cordon and Double Cordon.