COCO FARM & WINERY
Ashikaga, Tochigi
Grapes: Koshu (from Yamanashi)
Type: Orange
Style: Dry, medium-bodied
Colour: Medium amber
Alcohol: 11%
Wild yeast: Yes
Any added sulphites: 53 ppm
Filtered: No
Serving temperature: 10-13°C
Production: 10,854 bottles
Please store in a cool, dark place.
Tasting notes
A deeply coloured and complex orange wine made from Koshu. Aromas of yellow peach and orange peel are layered with distinctive notes of tea leaves and charcoal, creating a savoury and intriguing aromatic profile. The palate is rounded and generous, combining ripe fruit and gentle spice with supple acidity, soft umami, and finely integrated tannins derived from the skins. The finish is gentle and persistent.
At this stage, the wine offers a multidimensional balance of fruit, acidity, and fine tannins, continuing to evolve beautifully in the glass. A wine to enjoy slowly and allow to unfold over time.
Food pairing
Sautéed shiitake mushrooms, smoked salmon with cream cheese, lobio (Georgian spiced bean stew), grilled conger eel with sweet soy glaze, wild vegetable tempura, oden, charcoal-grilled yakitori, gai yang, pork braised with black tea, Comté cheese.
Winemaking
2023 Koshu F.O.S. is an orange wine that Coco Farm & Winery has produced since 2004 with the aim of revealing the depth, structure, and savoury character of Koshu, an indigenous Japanese grape variety. F.O.S. stands for Fermented On Skins. Unlike conventional white-wine production, fermenting the grapes together with their skins and seeds allows more of Koshu’s aroma, umami, and tannin to be expressed.
The 2023 vintage is made entirely from Koshu grown by several growers in Katsunuma and Enzan in Koshu City, as well as Yamanashi City, Yamanashi Prefecture. All grapes were harvested by hand and vinified using three different methods. For the first component, the grapes underwent overnight skin contact before pressing, followed by approximately two weeks of spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel. For the second, destemmed grapes were placed in specially commissioned Mashiko ceramic vessels and fermented with indigenous yeasts for approximately one week before pressing.
The third component makes distinctive use of grapes that had naturally dried during the hot 2023 growing season. Approximately 5% dried grapes were added to destemmed Koshu and fermented on the skins in Mashiko vessels for around one month. All three components underwent malolactic fermentation with native lactic acid bacteria following alcoholic fermentation. Each component was chaptalised, then matured in oak barrels and resin tanks for eight to nine months. After racking, the wines were blended and bottled unfined and unfiltered.
The inspiration behind Koshu F.O.S. can be traced in part to wines Coco Farm encountered in Friuli in Italy, Jura in France, and Georgia, where traditional local grape varieties express a strong sense of place. Seeing similarities between Koshu and Georgia’s Rkatsiteli also inspired the winery to experiment with specially made Mashiko ceramic vessels, drawing on Georgia’s ancient tradition of fermenting wine in qvevri.
In 2023, the naturally dried fruit created by the unusually hot conditions became another element of the winemaking, adding an extra dimension to the wine’s deep colour, complex aromas, and gentle tannic structure.
Nutrition Facts per 100ml
Energy: 64 kcal
Fat: 0 g
- Saturates: 0 g
Carbohydrate: 0.6 g
- Sugar: 0.26 g
Protein: 0.1 g
Salt: 0g
