Shimanouchi Fujimaru Winery
Chuo-ku, Osaka

Grapes: Delaware (From Yamagata)
Type: Orange
Style: Dry, medium-bodied
Colour: Medium amber
Alcohol: 11%
Wild yeast: Yes
Any added sulphites: 30 ppm 
Filtered: No
Serving temperature: 14~16°C
Production: 1,142 bottles
Please store in a cool, dark place.

Tasting notes
Aroma of guava and pomelo. The aroma characteristic of the qvevri is subdued. Sourness of yoghurt, cinnamon, lemon and grapefruit flavour. Crisp acidity, gentle bitterness. After a few days of opening, the acidity settles down and becomes more gentle.

Food pairing
Chicken nugget with tomato ketchup, simple pasta in tomato sauce, cabbage salad with pickled plums and dried bonito flakes, roasted chicken thighs and king oyster mushrooms with salted malt, Kimchi, century egg with tofu, Szechuan chicken

Winemaking
Made from Delaware grapes from Yamagata, matured in Qvevri. After careful selection of each cluster, the grapes were destemmed and crushed, placed in tanks and macerated at room temperature (set at 16-18°C) for two weeks. During this time, the temperature in the fermentation tanks remained between 16-26°C, depending on the progress of the fermentation. The wine was manually punched down once or twice daily. Matured for seven months in 250 litre Qvevri and then bottled. one month of bottle ageing before release.

Yamagata ranks first in Japan in terms of Delaware cultivation and is also top class in terms of quality. The 2021 harvest was characterised by a longer rainy season, which resulted in the grapes having firmer acidity than in previous years. The acidity was utilised and the wine was matured and bottled in Qvevri for a longer period than in previous years. The oxidative nuances that have come to the fore with the longer maturation give the wine a subdued ripe fruit flavour, and the firm acidity is centred and straight forward. A slightly higher temperature of 14°C~ is recommended.