In Japan, Yamanashi Prefecture has become synonymous with grapes and wine, boasting approximately 100 wineries across the prefecture. The prefecture’s wineries produce 30% of the nation’s wines made with Japanese grapes, the highest of any prefecture. It is home to some of Japan’s oldest wineries – one of which is Lumiere Winery, which has been operating since 1885. Lumiere Winery located in Fuefuki City is not only known for their high-quality wines within Japan, but their wines are also distributed internationally.
Under the iEXPerience Program organized by iCLA, students visited Lumiere Winery to learn about wine making in Yamanashi. The iEXPerience Program invites iCLA students to gain a deeper understanding into Yamanashi’s culture, arts, and history through interactive cultural workshops and activities at important places in Yamanashi. It is a unique opportunity for students to learn from academics specializing in the field and local experts. All iCLA students are welcome to sign up to the iEXPerience Programs which are held several times throughout each semester.
The program began with an informative lecture delivered by Dean Sanjay Jhingan looking at Yamanashi’s geographical and geological attributes that create ideal conditions for excellent grape cultivation. A combination of optimal soil conditions in the alluvial fan area, abundant sunshine, and good drainage forms a perfect environment to grow high quality grapes not only for eating but also for making wine.
After the lecture, students joined a guided tour of Lumiere Winery. The tour began in Lumiere Winery’s vineyards, where they learned about the cultivation of the popular Koshu grape variety and rarer varieties like Mills, learning about the meticulous care that goes into growing each vine. The tour then moved to Lumiere Winery’s vinification equipment, specifically their fermentation tanks and the special underground fermentation tank, the “Ishigura”. Lumiere Winery’s underground fermentation tank built in 1901 is historically significant as the first of its kind in Japan. It is registered as a Cultural Property of Japan. The tour continued in the wine cellar to look at the large wooden casks containing wine. At the end of the tour, students were also given an exclusive Q&A opportunity to ask Lumiere Winery staff about wine production and business. Finally, students could enjoy wine tasting in the Lumiere Winery Shop.
The winery tour offered students a comprehensive overview of winemaking, tracing the journey from grapes in the vineyard to a glass of wine ready for sale in the store. Through the program, students gained a deeper understanding of Yamanashi’s celebrated wine industry from the interdisciplinary perspectives of earth sciences, history, business, and agriculture.
“I learned about the origins of the wine in Yamanashi, and what type of wine they make with what kind of grapes. I also discovered the existence of an orange wine, and it was quite nice. The Q&A was very interesting, and in the shop the wine tasting was really good. I got ideas of gifts, and I also got to talk more with the staff, I liked that very much.” – Maerema, iEXPerience Program Participant
Links
iEXPerience: Exploring Kofu’s Historical Temples and Haiku Art
iEXPerience: Discovering Japanese Traditional Culture Through Tea and Flowers
iEXPerience: Immersing in Viniculture, a Hands-On Experience at Yamanashi Winery
iEXPerience: Wadaiko with Nirasaki Technical High School
iEXPerience: Local Temple Tour and Haiku Workshop