Today, our class started in the dormitory due to an emergency meeting that our teacher had to attend at 10:50. Our class started at 9 am and ended at 10:30 am after which we hung out in our accommodation until we had to move out and meet up again at 1 pm at the university. The tour scheduled for today was to visit the Matsuzaka Green Vineyards (MGV) winery.
The winery is situated in the central Yamanashi prefecture, an area that is located at the intersection of three tectonic plates. Despite receiving a lot of rainfall, the water drains quickly due to the unique geography of the region which is shaped like a bowl. Although the amount of rainfall is comparatively less than other parts of Japan, it is still abundant and there is less sunlight than desireable. This is why, even though the same grape variety is grown as in California, the taste may differ significantly. To allow for traceability and comparability with other wines, MGV offers a four-letter code that provides information about grape variety, harvest area (including different soils), grape processing method, and wine production method. For our winery tour, we had the opportunity to be introduced to the facilities by the CEO himself.
Originally, the founder of the winery specialized in semiconductors but then made a transition to the winery business. This transition may seem unusual, but there are significant similarities in the production processes. As the CEO points out, “To make high-quality wine, you need high-quality grapes. To produce high-quality grapes means being able to control their enviroment. How we make semiconductors is close to how we make wine; we always try to control everything”. Not only does the growing process need to be controlled, but the oxidation process is also crucial to the quality and longevity of the wine. Wine reaches its full flavor potential through oxidation by exposure to the air, but this process needs to be avoided until the wine is ready to be consumed, similar to the issue with semiconductors that should not be exposed to air. To overcome this, nitrogen tanks are used, as the gas is heavier than air and effectively isolate the product from it.
During the tour, we also learned about the use of sulfites in wine production. Sulfites are used to catch the oxygen in the wine, preventing premature oxidation and keeping the flavor stable. Tannins, on the other hand, serve two important purposes: they can change over time, creating a more complex flavor, and they also help stabilize the wine by catching oxygen, reducing the need for excessive sulfites that can cause headaches. Interestingly, cork screws are preferred over screw caps because the cork takes up a little bit more space in the wine bottle, reducing the oxygen level. Additionally, we learned a nifty trick for removing yeast from the wine-making process: the bottles are turned upside down to let the yeast fall to the bottom. After 40 days, the tip of the bottle containing all the yeast is frozen solid and then removed.
In the evening, we went to an Izakaya and invited our teacher to join us. Initially, we were unsure if he could come as he had to prepare for the next day. However, he did show up and was pleasantly surprised that the Izakaya menu was similar to the one we had learned in our language lessons on the first day. “Oh, this is exactly what we learned,” he exclaimed, overjoyed. Well, almost. Nonetheless, a little bit intimidated we were able to order our “Nama beru” the first beer of the evening without any assistance.
