Arriving at Katsunuma will have you wondering if you are, in fact, still in Japan and haven’t fallen through a wormhole to the French countryside – there’s vineyards as far as the eye can see. Katsunuma is home to Japan’s native koshu grape, which has been cultivated here for more than 12 centuries, taking advantage of the area’s fine weather, drastic temperature variations and fertile earth. However, it wasn’t until the 1880s that the grapes took on a new role in viniculture.
Château Mercian inherited the storied history of the first private wine company in Japan, Dai-Nihon Yamanashi Budoushu-Gaisha, which was founded in 1877. The winery offers two tours: a standard ¥3,000 option (90 minutes with four tastings) and the premium ¥10,000 splurge (100 minutes with six tastings). Otherwise, you can just explore the wine museum and gardens at your leisure for free. While the tour guides have limited English, the tours do grant you access to the vineyards.
The original brewery, a beautiful timber building over 100 years old, has been converted into a wine museum, which charts the development of the industry; though explanations are largely in Japanese. The stylish Wine Gallery, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the vineyards and surrounding gardens, is the place to go for tasting, food and shopping. The best time to visit is summer and autumn, when you can see the vines hung heavy with plump grapes.
If you arrive by the highway bus (about 90 minutes from Shinjuku), it’s about an eight-minute stroll to Château Mercian from the Katsunuma bus stop. You can also come by train to Katsunuma-budokyo Station, which is an eight-minute cab ride away.