Now let's enjoy the refreshing taste! Enjoying the fresh greenery Nagano Sidle

SunshineTimesBecause of the long period and the temperature difference between the day and night, sweet and colourful apples are harvested. Nagano prefecture. With its high breeding technology, it produces a wide range of original varieties, and boasts the second largest production volume in the country. The "cider" is a brewed sake made from apples, and is now available for sale in the early summer, as new sake prepared in winter, is now available. Nagano Did you know that the prefecture is experiencing excitement? This time we will introduce Nagano Cider*, which has a refreshing taste that is perfect for the coming season.
※ Nagano Using apples and fruits from the prefecture, Nagano Alcohol brewed in the prefecture

The main store of Saint-Quare Winery is located on a small hill in Iizuna Town. The scenery is beautifully similar to that of a French countryside.

That Nagano Saint-Queer Winery is a pioneering cider brewing facility in the prefecture. On the hill, with a panoramic view of Iizuna Town, one of the prefecture's leading apple production areas, facilities such as brewing facilities, restaurants, delicatessen, shops, and chapels immerse themselves in nature. The company started out as a pension in Madarao Kogen run by current chairman Kuze Ryozo and Mayumi, serving homemade jams using local apples. A turning point came in 1983, when jam production and sales began to get on track. Visiting the Normandy region of France, I was deeply moved by seeing wineries and distilleries standing in the beautiful rural landscape, as well as the sight of people living with pride in the area, and being blessed with beautiful nature, which is no less than that of France.ShinshuI began to dream of creating products that allow me to fully experience the richness and comfort of the countryside. Later, he met the mayor of the former Misui Village (now Iizuna Town), and in 1990 he founded a winery in his current location. We are working on brewing fruit sake using grapes grown on our own farm and local apples, and now we have approximately 140 shops in Japan and have factories overseas.

Takasaka Apple is small and has a distinctive sourness and astringency. It is said to be planted in an ancient fruit garden in the Eastern Imperial Palace as one of the three types of ancient fruit (Japanese apples).

Among the company's ciders, the most representative of the company's cider is the cider made with "Takasaka Apples," which is only available at the main store. These are Japanese apples that have been handed down for a long time around the Takasaka area of ​​Iizuna Town, and when they entered the Showa era, they were pushed by Western apples, and although they were almost never seen by one farmer in the town, they continued to protect them carefully. When I was asked by Iizuna Town to see if they could find new value in this "Takasaka apple," I worked on developing a variety of specialty products, and when combined with Fuji, I found that a unique astringency gives off a deep flavor. It was highly praised by overseas experts, and initially brewed about 100 bottles, but now it has been well received, with about 5,000 bottles being prepared.

"Next, we will be developing apple varieties exclusively for cider, and more.Shinshu"We would like to aim to improve the quality of our cider," says Goto.

"We value sake brewing using local produce.ShinshuSince it is a production area of ​​apples, I was inevitably interested in brewing sake using apples," says Goto Takaichi, director of the Products Division. We established the Kikusui Apple Growers Association with local farmers, and currently sources high-quality apples directly from nine farmers. With the desire to prepare fresh apples, the company is particular about preparing the primary fermentation for only three months from October to December. In October, early-fresh varieties such as Red Tama, mid-fresh varieties such as Shinano Gold and Akiei are prepared in November, and Fuji in December, and finally, cider from various varieties is blended to give the flavor a deeper flavor. There are also some unique sake manufacturers who can make the most of the ideas, such as squeezing apple juice using a piping bag used for sake brewing. The lineup of eight types that meet a wide range of needs, from casual to high-quality, brewed using a variety of manufacturing methods, including carbon dioxide filling methods, secondary fermentation methods in bottles, Sharma and traditional methods.

SouthShinshuAs the only brewery, our policy is to develop along with the local community.

Although demand is growing, Cider is still a minor player in the world of alcoholic beverages. "We hope to work together with local breweries to improve quality, and work together to promote the entire cider industry by working together to promote the quality of each other, and by working together to promote farmers, retailers, restaurants, and more," Goto said of his future outlook. SouthShinshuFrom outside the prefecture and abroad. The challenge of "Kikusui Sake Brewery" continues.

"I hope that many people will learn about the appeal of local and apples through cider," says Hiroshi (left) and Tsuyoshi (right).

It started about six years ago. I was disappointed that just a small amount of delicious apples would be pecked or broken by the birds, so I came across Cider when all the staff were trying to "make something processed." We had been brewing consignment at a nearby winery for about five years, but gradually we began to feel a desire to make our own homebrewing, saying, "We want to use the apples we make carefully and finish them with our own hands until the very end." However, there are no facilities and no brewers. He then approaches his younger brother, Hiroshi, who worked in Kyushu at the time and had originally been interested in brewing. Hiroshi made a U-turn and trained for three years at the "Amoshika Cider Brewery" in Ina City, and he and his father and Takeshi began preparing the brewery, and in 2019 he set up his long-awaited homebrewing facility.

Fruit Garden Kitazawa is a place where you can enjoy fruit picking as well as barbecue. Irregularly light up the apple orchard at night.

"There are three cider breweries in Matsukawa Town, each with their own unique characteristics. I hope that we can work with other breweries, such as tasting tourism, to create Matsukawa Town's cider culture," says Takeshi. The two have one desire to "be able to learn about the deliciousness of apples through cider and visit Matsukawa Town and the farm."

"The tasting room with a winery that allows for tasting and other purposes will also open on March 21, 2021.

The company was established with the hope that people will enjoy delicious apples that are grown in the climate of Tachishina Town, including the highest sunny weather rate in Japan, the temperature difference between day and night, and the pure water that flows from Mt. Tateshina. We started by making juice by grated whole apples, and then started making cider in 2004 to add additional value. Initially, the wine was produced through consignment brewing with the cooperation of a nearby sake brewery, but as demand grew as it became more popular every year, in order to further expand sales channels, the company established its first winery in Tachishina Town in 2019. In addition to commissioning, we have begun brewing and selling our company.

Inoue measures the pressure inside the bottle and checks the degree of fermentation.

"The timing of bottling is difficult, and depending on the timing, there will be slight individual differences, but that is one of its characteristics."
This is what Inoue Masao, a factory manager who has 25 years of experience in managing wineries and brewing wines in California, USA, and is responsible for the brewing of wine and cider. Since two of the same thing cannot be described as "living cider." Another attractive feature of the "Fresh Shina Apple" cider is made from delicious apples that can be eaten as is, and it has a fruity feel and is satisfying to drink. When I asked about recommended meals, Ichikawa Daiki, who is in charge of planning and sales, told me, "It has a strong flavor, so it goes well with dishes made with meat and sauce, as well as quirky dishes such as blue cheese."