Wine Knowledge

Whenever I occasionally post about “natural wine” on X (formerly Twitter), those posts tend to be shared relatively widely for my account size. This simply indicates how many people react to this particular keyword. In recent years, especially in Japan, t …

In the context of winemaking, you may have encountered terms such as “destemming” and “whole-cluster fermentation.” Both refer to how grape bunches are handled at the point of vatting. A grape cluster consists of many berries attached to a green, stem-lik …

Among wine professionals, grape varieties have increasingly become a topic of discussion. Grape varieties have long been subjects of debate regarding their relationship to selling prices, compatibility with cultivation regions, and the correlation between …

Two essential components are indispensable for winemaking. One is grapes, the raw material. The other is yeast. Yeast is utilized in the production of fermented beverages such as wine, beer, and sake. It is also employed in the fermentation of bread dough …

Are you familiar with the term “petri notes”? This is a specialized term frequently used in wine tasting, particularly when evaluating aged Riesling wines. Experienced tasters can sometimes identify a wine’s grape variety as Riesling the moment they detec …

What constitutes the world’s finest wine? Would it be the red wines of Bordeaux or Burgundy? The cult wines centered in America? The beloved Champagne? Or perhaps the trendy natural wines of today? In Germany, the legally classified highest-grade wine is …

Wine occasionally develops unpleasant odors, defects, or off-flavors—unwelcome, sometimes distinctly repulsive aromas. Among the various unpleasant odors found in wine, “reduction” stands out as one of the most representative. Without fear of misunderstan …

You tasted a white wine at a winery or wine shop and liked it enough to purchase it. However, you felt it was still a little early for drinking, so you decided to let it rest a bit longer in your home cellar. Six months later, at the dinner table. You kne …

There is a wine defect that is currently attracting attention. It is smoke taint. Smoke taint is a defect that occurs when grapes are exposed to smoke. In tasting, it is described with nuances such as “smoky,” “burnt rubber,” “bacon,” “disinfectant,” and …

Are you familiar with the term “petri notes”? This is a specialized term frequently used in wine tasting, particularly when evaluating aged Riesling wines. Experienced tasters can sometimes identify a wine’s grape variety as Riesling the moment they detec …

Many people who study wine have encountered the term “VA” at some point. Initially, the meaning of this abbreviation may not be immediately clear. VA stands for Volatile Acid, which translates to “volatile acidity” in Japanese. More precisely, volatile ac …

You open a bottle of wine you’ve been looking forward to and pour it into your glass. As you bring your nose close to enjoy the aromatic bouquet rising from the wine, something seems off. Many of you have probably had this experience. Wine that produces u …