Craft beer brewery Far Yeast Brewing Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kosuge Village, Yamanashi Prefecture, Representative Director: Shiro Yamada) that has been introducing beers full of originality from Japan to the world, will release “Far Yeast Grapevine 2” on Sunday, November 7, using wine grapes harvested at The Château Mercian Katsunuma Winery (Koshu City, Yamanashi Prefecture) as the eighth installment of the “Yamanashi Support Project” to revitalize Yamanashi Prefecture with beer.
■Upcycling wine grapes that would otherwise be returned to the vineyard after cluster thinning
The eighth installment of the “Yamanashi Support Project,” which aims to revitalize Yamanashi with beer, is “Far Yeast Grapevine 2” brewed with Katsunuma wine grapes. This beer is the 2021 version of the third installment of the Yamanashi Support Project, “Grapevine,” which was brewed last fall using grapes from Nirasaki City and was well received. This year, in collaboration with The Château Mercian Katsunuma Winery, we have created a fruit Saison full of fruitiness.
In the cultivation of grapes for wine, there is a process called “cluster thinning,” in which the grapes are thinned out in the middle of the growing process to bring nutrients to every single grape, and delicious grapes with a sense of concentration can be grown. This time, we used Cabernet Sauvignon and Muscat Bailey A grapes that were destined to be discarded.
In addition, we received a small amount of Concord and Niagara grapes, which are not used for winemaking at Chateau Mercian, and we used a total of four types of grapes to brew in a Saison style that makes the most of their characteristics. This is a privileged approach to fruit upcycling that a brewery can only have in the fruit kingdom of Yamanashi.
■Introduced “cold soaking,” a method used in wine to bring out the aromatic components of grapes
This time, we used a method that makes the most of the characteristics of each of the four different types of grapes. Cabernet Sauvignon, with its firm acidity and red wine-like tannins, and Muscat Bailey A, with its moderate acidity, were vinified using the “cold soak” method. By soaking the crushed grape skins at low temperatures before fermentation begins, more pigments, aromas, and other components are extracted from the grapes. The juice is then added to the brewing kettle, giving the taste of grapes and complex acidity to the wort. Concord and Niagara, with their gentle acidity and rich sweetness, were juiced in a juicer and added at the end of fermentation to give the rich aroma of the grapes. Nelson Sauvin, which has a white grape-like aroma, was added in two parts for the hops. The hops were added in two batches to harmonize with the scent of the grapes used.
■A fruit saison like a wine
This Fruit Saison gives off aromas of naturals from wine grapes intertwined with aromas of white grapes from Nelson Sauvin hops. In addition to the complex fruitiness and acidity of grapes, it also has a wine-like astringency on the finish due to the grape stalks origin tannins. This is a product that is genuinely on the borderline between Saison beer and wine.
“Far Yeast Grapevine 2” will go on sale nationwide on Sunday, November 7th, and pre-order sales will start at our online store from 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 26th.
We will continue to work with producers and businesses in Yamanashi Prefecture to bring you a variety of “Made in Yamanashi” beers.
【Product Summary】
Product name: Far Yeast Grapevine 2
Sales start date: Sunday, November 7th
Price: Open price
Ingredients: Grapes (from Koshu City, Yamanashi Prefecture), malt, wheat, oats, hops, sugar
ABV: 5.5%
Style: Fruited Saison
Category: Happoshu (malt ratio 25% to 50%)
IBU: 15
Brewery: Far Yeast Brewing Genryu Brewery (Kosuge Village, Yamanashi Prefecture)
Specification: 350ml can, 15L keg
*The origin of the product name: Grapevine also has the meaning of “person-to-person” or “person-to-mouth” because the grapevines grow here and there like a net. We named it to represent a grape beer born from the connections between people. Following last year’s beer, this year’s Grapevine 2 was borne from the relationships between people like grapevines.
【About The Château Mercian Katsunuma Winery】
“Making Japan the world’s famous wine-growing region.”
To ensure that Japanese wines will one day be loved and enjoyed by people in Japan and around the world, Chateau Mercian will inherit Japan’s nature, culture, and sensibility and evolve them to the delight of people.
Chateau Mercian Katsunuma Winery was founded in 1877 as the first privately owned winery in Japan and had its origins in the Dainippon Yamanashi Budoshu Company.
The Chateau Mercian has three wineries in Yamanashi and Nagano Prefectures, and Katsunuma Winery is the leading winery of Chateau Mercian with its history, producing more than 80% of the total production of these three wineries. The Katsunuma Winery is the core winery of Chateau Mercian and has a long history of producing more than 80% of the total production of these three wineries. To realize our dream of “making Japan a world-famous wine region,” we will continue to move forward into the future with the winery at the center and in harmony with the local community.
https://www.chateaumercian.com/winery/katsunuma/
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