I received a wine that won the 'Grand Gold Award,' the pinnacle of the Japan Wine Competition!

What is the Japan Wine Competition?

Are you familiar with the Japan Wine Competition?
Honestly, I wasn't very familiar with the competition, so
my first reaction was, 'Oh, that exists?' and I had to Google it.

To summarize the explanation from Enoteca that appeared at the top of my search results—

The Japan Wine Competition is a competition exclusively for 'Japan Wine' that ismade from 100% domestically grown grapes and fermented in Japan.
The number of entries this year was an incredible 860.

Among them:

• Bronze Award: 204 entries

• Silver Award: 106 entries

• Gold Award: 31 entries

• And the top honor, the Grand Gold Award, was given to only one entry!

The judges consist of 30 people, including wine experts, journalists, winemakers, and other professionals.
It is a very serious evaluation where each wine is scored out of 100 points.

…Wow, that’s amazing!!
It seems incredibly strict regarding both taste and production, and
the fact that there is only one Grand Gold Award really makes it the pinnacle of the pinnacle.

As a wine expert,
and also as a local resident,
I really want to try this…!

In a land like 'Izu,' which is by no means advantageous for grape cultivation.

First of all, I would like to express my heartfelt respect to Naka-Izu Winery.
It might be presumptuous of someone like me to say, but I honestly feel that way.

Isn't Izu a place where grape cultivation is truly difficult?

The Naka-Izu region was originally land used for growing table grapes.
In that sense, perhaps the 'foundation for growing grapes' was already there.

However,
'wine grapes' and 'table grapes' are completely different things.

I don't have any cultivation experience, so I don't know the fine technical details.
But even so, there are things I do understand.

'Izu has a lot of rain → it's easy to get diseases!'
'A lot of rain → the flavor gets diluted!'

In the world of wine, when discussing the vintage (the quality of the year) in any region,
'rainfall' and 'the timing of the rain' are always topics of conversation.

'Good wine comes from good grapes.'

While wineries across the country compete in pursuit of 'better grapes,'
I think it is truly a monumental task to take on the challenge in a region like Izu, where the weather is not on your side.
It is truly a difficult endeavor.

That is precisely why this recent achievement is so moving.
I cannot help but be impressed, assuming that an unimaginable amount of creativity, ingenuity, and effort must have been accumulated to reach this point.

Time to taste the award-winning wines!

Naka-Izu Winery received awards for three wines this time.

• Gold Award: Izu Petit Manseng 2024

• Gold Award: Izu Petit Verdot 2021

• Grand Gold: Izu Symphony Red Premium 2022'

Starting with the Izu Petit Manseng 2024.

The first impression is 'Japanese citrus.'
It has a slightly ripe image, leaning more towards orange than yellow.
The sweetness is restrained, the bitterness of the citrus peel is pleasant, and the acidity and body are firm, giving it the impression of a 'southern white wine.'
It is very satisfying and delicious!

If pairing with Japanese food—
'Grilled fish with salt (with kabosu citrus),' 'Yakitori (salt),' 'Tempura'
I think it pairs perfectly with anything where acidity acts as an accent to the dish.

Petit Manseng is a variety that has long been cultivated in the foothills of the Pyrenees in southwestern France, and it is said to be resistant to rain and disease.
As the name 'Petit' (small) suggests, it is also a variety with small berries and low yields.

According to the winemaker,
'The balance between acidity and sugar was wonderful. That is why I didn't do anything unnecessary.'
I see... that is why it turned out so beautifully.

I realized that this variety fits perfectly in Izu, or rather, in Japan.
The winemaker also mentioned that the number of wineries cultivating Petit Manseng might increase in the future.

It is truly 'good wine comes from good grapes.'
This bottle perfectly embodied that phrase.

By the way,Petit Manseng and Petit Verdot are still available for purchase.
Rakuten is a better deal because of the point rewards.

Izu Petit Verdot 2021

Petit Verdot is a Bordeaux variety characterized by being 'rich and spicy.'
In its home country of Bordeaux, it is difficult to cultivate and is usually only treated as a blending component at a few percent.
However, it seems to have a good affinity for Japan, and as with this Izu Petit Verdot,

it is not uncommon for wineries to produce it as a 100% varietal
he said.

This was my first time trying a 100% Petit Verdot, but
my personal theory is—

Given that 'Japan' is a land where European varieties tend to finish elegantly,
I felt that the punchy Petit Verdot
settled into a 'just-right scale.'
(Oh... the winemaker was right in front of me, why didn't I ask them this...)

The taste is blackberry and black cherry.
The tannins are firm.
It's a 2021, but it still has a youthful quality.

It's not as green as Cabernet Franc,
not as ripe in fruitiness as Malbec,
not as round as Merlot,
and different from the refreshing quality of Cabernet Sauvignon.

“Ah, so this is what Petit Verdot is!”
It was a taste that made everything click.

As expected of a gold medal winner,
the balance of fruit, acidity, and tannins is excellent.
It seems like it would pair well with a wide range of red wine dishes.

The alcohol content is a gentle 12.5%,
so could it be a 'multi-player' after all?

And I was surprised by the price on Rakuten.
It's clearly cheaper than the manufacturer's price.
Wait, is this price a mistake...?
Should I buy it...?

Finally, the Izu Symphony Red Premium 2022

I knew it from the very first sip.
It is unmistakably delicious.

The top-of-the-top, chosen as the 'only one' out of 860 entries.
Blackberry, black cherry, firm tannins.
The acidity is also beautiful, and I can clearly feel its aging potential.

It feels like the sharp edges of Petit Manseng
have been rounded off and balanced out.

The assemblage is
49% Petit Verdot,
26% Cabernet Sauvignon,
25% Merlot

Since I had the chance, I asked the winemaker,
“How do you decide the proportions for the assemblage?”
but—

What a great question...!
And what a fool I am...!

I was already drunk at this point,
so I don't remember what they answered. Haha

Thankfully,
I was also able to taste vintages not on the wine list.
2017, 2020, and the award-winning 2022.

Though the differences were subtle,
I still felt that the 2022 had the best balance.

According to the producer themselves (I remember this part),
“The ratings went up after I started doing the final fining.”
Apparently.
By the way, they said they used egg whites for the fining.

Being able to experience a 'vertical tasting' like this
was a truly precious experience.

And, it's no longer for sale, so you can't buy it.
That is proof of just how valuable this award was.

As a local, I am truly proud.

Lastly.
To my mentor and all the winemakers who gave me this opportunity,
thank you so very much!!!

I want to open a wine bar soon... that feeling has become even stronger.
To make that happen, I have to work hard at my main job as well.