WINEMAKERS’ EFFORTS BEAR FRUIT

Winemaking replaces coal mining in Sorachi region

M IKASA — On a hill overlooking the Ishikari Plain at Tappu, in the Hokkaido city of Mikasa, lies the Yamazaki Winery, the leading winery in the Sorachi region. Thirteen hectares of vineyards were covered with white snow in early February, and the fragrant smell of wine was emanating from the oak barrels in the cellar. “The grapes that were harvested in the fall are maturing in the winter,” said Taichi Yamazaki, 35, who is in charge of viticulture and is also the winery’s manager. Currently, the winery produces a total of 20 brands of wine from 10 varieties of grapes, with a target of producing 40,000 bottles a year. The winery was established in 2002 by Yamazaki’s father, Kazuyuki, 68, a third-generation farmer. The family planted European varieties, and after four years of growing, they could finally harvest the grapes. The winery began making wine at its own facility. The first variety they tried, pinot noir, was thought to be difficult to grow in Japan. However, the grapes that grew on the slopes of Tappu, exposed to dry southerly winds, soon gained recognition both in Japan and abroad. In 2008, Robert Parker, arguably the world’s most influential wine critic, gave Yamazaki’s wine the highest score in Japan at the time. “That made us overcome a hurdle that we had to overcome,” Yamazaki said. In 2019 and 2020, the Yamazaki Winery successively received the highest five-star rating at the Japan Winery Awards, which recognize fine wineries in Japan. Yamazaki recalls, “I wasn’t interested in the awards race, but I was happy that the local people were pleased to hear Mikasa has something to be proud of.” Following the lead of Yamazaki and his family, the number of wineries in the Sorachi region, which was only two in 2008, has now increased to six, making Sorachi one of the leading wine-producing regions in Hokkaido. Yamazaki now hopes to develop a wine industry that is closely connected to the region. The quality and name value of locally grown grapes play a major role in the value of wine. The Sorachi region, including Mikasa, has many favorable qualities as a wine-growing region and can strongly appeal to both domestic and foreign markets. The wine industry is also linked to the region’s agriculture, tourism and education. Yamazaki serves as a school councilor for the municipal Mikasa High School, which is known for operating Hokkaido’s first “high school restaurant,” where students do the cooking and table waiting. He advises the school on its management. The municipalities in Sorachi, in a former coal-producing region, have suffered demographic and economic decline since the closure of the mines. In recent years, more and more people have been coming to Mikasa for the wine, and mail order sales have been increasing amid the coronavirus pandemic. Yamazaki said he has a far-reaching plan to “make wine an alternative industry to coal mining.”

BOOKLET PUBLISHED

The Hokkaido Government Sorachi General Subprefectural Bureau has published the booklet “Sorachi Wine Guide,” which highlights wineries and farms in the region. The booklet introduces the history of wine in Sorachi, depicting six wineries and nine farms with photos, notes and maps. The guide also includes information on local specialties that can be enjoyed with wine, hot springs and hotels in the region, and stores in Sapporo and other areas where Sorachi wine can be purchased.

The Yomiuri Shimbun Taichi Yamazaki talks about the future of community-based winemaking at the Yamazaki Winery in Mikasa, Hokkaido.