VIVC number: 8189, Zenbei Kawakami, the founder of Iwanohara Vineyard in Niigata Prefecture, was born by crossing the American grape Labrusca varieties Bailey with the European grape Vinifera varieties Muscat Hamburg. It is one of the representative varieties of Japan along with Koshu, which is the most prepared for red wine in Japan as well as for edible use. Many wines have a mild astringency, and wines suitable for long-term aging that are aged in barrels have also been born. After all, it is a variety that goes well with Japanese cuisine and is getting more and more evaluated for its taste.
Yamanashi grapes and wine originate from the Koshu variety. Before the Edo period, it seems that only this Koshu species was cultivated in Japan. In particular, the climate of Yamanashi Prefecture, which is rich in changes in the four seasons, seems to be a suitable soil and meteorological environment for viticulture. Among them, it has extreme natural conditions as the optimum cultivation area for Koshu species, which is the only native species in Japan, mainly in the Katsunuma area. Wine can be said to be an essence of delight, where the climate of this prefecture and the hearts of people are united. Misato-cho, Ichikawa also has a lot of grape production. The Kofu basin has a large temperature difference between day and night, and because it is an alluvial fan, it drains well, so it is suitable for making grapes, and flowers bloom in this blessed land.
In the Meiji era, with the encouragement of the government, winemaking began around Katsunuma (formerly Higashiyamanashi District, now Koshu City) around 1874. However, it seems that the amount of brewing and consumption did not increase easily, probably because the wine did not suit the tastes of Japanese people. It seems that after World War I, the acreage of grapes and the amount of wine brewed began to increase. During World War II, winemaking was encouraged to obtain tartaric acid, which is the raw material for the Rochelle salt (potassium sodium tartrate; KNaC4H4O6) used in radio detectors. After the war, with the expansion of Western food, the amount of wine brewed increased sharply, and it seems that it is now produced in various places.