Written by Joetsu, Niigata prefecture
Joetsu is located in the southwest of Niigata prefecture, and is surrounded by an abundance of stunning nature such as mountains, sea and vast stretches of land. The region is conveniently located only two hours from Tokyo by bullet train, just an hour and a half from Niigata airport by car, or one hour and forty minutes from Toyama airport, so getting there is a breeze.
Although well known for its delicious rice and seafood, this time we’d like to introduce Joetsu’s sake. Joetsu’s rice and water, and high altitude combined create the perfect conditions for high quality sake production. Currently, there are twelve breweries located within the town, and they are frequently enjoyed by tourists on sake tours.
But s
ake isn’t the only drawcard for Joetsu- the city is also home to the Iwanohara Vineyard, founded in 1890 by Zenbei Kawakami, who is renowned as the ‘Father of Japanese Wine’. Here in Joetsu, you can savour wine produced using the Muscat Bailey-A red wine grape hybrid, a wine grape that was developed by Kawakami himself and is considered to be one of the country’s top varieties. The Muscat Bailey-A achieved a place on the International Organisation of Wine and Vine list of registered varieties (OIV) in 2013. Iwanohara Vineyard also offer visits and tours of the winery, and we would highly recommend a visit to both the Iwanohara Stone Storehouse No. 1, the oldest wine storehouse in Japan, and the warehouse with the second longest history of usage as a wine storehouse, the Iwanohara Stone Storehouse No. 2.
In October every year, the Echigo Kenshin Sake Festival is held in Takada Honcho’s shopping district, Joetsu. The festival is a popular event where you can try a wide range of sake and wine produced in Joetsu region’s very own breweries and wineries. Approximately 100,000 guests attend over the course of the two-day event. If you’re a fan of sake and wine, don’t miss the opportunity to get your fill of Joetsu’s finest locally-produced alcohol at this incredible festival!
