シャトー・メルシャン 勝沼ワイナリー（ワインギャラリー） — Attraction in Koshu

I very much enjoyed my private tour of Chateau Mercian, followed by a tasting of its 6 premium wines.

I emailed them well in advance as I didn't know how complicated it might be to book a tour in English, but they were super responsive. And then the day finally came - it was a great opportunity to learn about the history of Japanese wine (that I didn't know much about), the role Chateau Mercian has played in it, as well as to see up close how wine is made from vineyard to bottle (I'm more familiar with that part but in every region you learn something new and I definitely learnt something new in Yamanashi!). All culminating with a thorough tasting in the Ortus Room (a lovely space!) of their premium wines, allowing me to better understand Japan’s Koshu and its unique reds, and the potential of the local wine industry.

Thank you for being very responsive and flexible, and...

expensive tasting set, 2000 yen for the standard tasting set of 3 glasses (100ml). you can choose reds, white or red. Premium red set is at 4500yen. Given the reputation, they could put better wines on tasting. if you have limited time in the area, you can skip this one, the museum is...

Great wine tour to learn about history and processes of wine making in Japan and Chateau Mercian. Our guide Tohru was extremely welcoming and knowledgeable. Price is a bit steep but you do get a generous tasting for 6 wines (November 2023). English tour available. Book...