Shimanouchi Fujimaru Winery
Chuo-ku, Osaka

Grapes: Delaware
Type: Orange
Style: Dry, medium-bodied
Colour: Medium amber
Alcohol: 11%
Wild yeast: Yes
Any added sulphites: No
Filtered: No
Serving temperature: 8-13°C
Production: 1,031 bottles
Please store in a cool, dark place.

Tasting notes
Asian citrus fruits such as kumquat and Daidai (Japanese mandarin) as well as the rich aroma of orchid, ripe plum and apricot. The acidity reminds you of grapefruit. Pleasant tannin. Start drinking it chilled and gradually increase the temperature to enjoy the changes in flavour and aroma.

Food pairing
Karaage, grilled fish fillet pickled in sweet white miso (Saikyo-yaki), and Soy-sauce-based grilled seafood such as squid. Orange wine that goes well with Japanese homemade dishes as well as ethnic dishes with herbs and spices.

Winemaking
FUJIMARU's flagship wine, made from Delaware grapes grown with great care in its own vineyards in Kashiwara, Osaka, and matured in Qvevri. The soil is brown forest soil with clay, with an average altitude of 250m and many of the vines are over 30 years old. The Delaware grown on their own vineyards is characterised by its small size and thick skin, which gives it a strong, Umami flavour. The 21-year vintage was a difficult one due to continuous rainfall during the harvest season, but the quality was satisfactory and the potential of Delaware was recognized once again. In order to preserve the citrus aromas brought out by the vinification and fermentation and to make the most of the clean acidity, the maturation period in Qvevri was shortened to seven months (11 months for the previous vintage), after which the wine was bottled. The wine was racked off the lees as little as possible, and the aim was not to bring the oxidative ageing in Qvevri to the fore, but to support it behind the scenes and give it depth. This is the kind of orange wine that they want you to be impressed by the potential of Delaware.