Episode 9: Welcome to Bordeaux Shrine | Japanese Wines

In the early years of the Meiji period from 1868 to 1912, powdery mildew and downy mildew infected rootstocks grown abroad were unwittingly brought into Japan, and it was just a matter of time before the mildew spread to Yamanashi Prefecture. As a result, grapevines weakened and grape growing became difficult. When “Bordeaux Mixture”, a pesticide developed in France to combat the mildew and protect grapevines, was successfully introduced to remedy the situation, this shrine was built in honour of the pesticide. The inscription on the stone pillar at the shrine reads: “Master Saburo Matsumoto (the son-in-law of Kotaro Miyazaki) built this.”