This special beer is made using grapes that have been picked for wine production, in collaboration with Mercian Viticole Katsunuma Co., Ltd., a farmland-owning corporation that cultivates grapes at Chateau Mercian Katsunuma Winery!
■ Utilizing approximately 540 kg of grapes that were destined to return to the soil
When cultivating grapes for wine, a process called "bunch thinning" is carried out to thin out the bunches so that each fruit receives sufficient nutrients and produces delicious, concentrated grapes. The harvested grapes are then returned to the soil and used as fertilizer. In 2021, we teamed up with Mercian Viticol Katsunuma, located in the Katsunuma region of Yamanashi Prefecture, a major wine-producing region in Japan, to begin an initiative to upcycle grapes that were harvested but not used for winemaking into craft beer. This year marks the fourth year of the initiative.
The fruit that has been removed from the clusters has a low sugar content and is not suitable for winemaking, but it still has enough sugar to be used in beer. By utilizing this, we are able to regenerate the fruit into a fragrant beer.
■This year, we used the red wine varieties "Syrah" and "Muscat Bailey A."
"Far Yeast Grapevine" is a limited edition product made with Yamanashi grapes by "Brewed with YAMANASHI," a project that collaborates with the local community to promote the charm of Yamanashi through beer nationwide. The beer style changes every year. This year, two types of grapes, Syrah and Muscat Bailey A, which are new varieties of red wine grapes being experimented with in Yamanashi, are used.
Our staff also visited the vineyards of Chateau Mercian Kamoidera Vineyard in Yamanashi City to thin the bunches. Using approximately 540 kg of purchased thinned fruit, we fermented 3,000 liters of product.
■ A simple saison style that makes the most of the grapes' natural character
Far Yeast Grapevine 2024 uses a simple Saison style beer to bring out the natural character of the grapes. It combines the black pepper-like nuances of Syrah with the spicy aroma that is one of the characteristics of Saison yeast.
In addition, we focused on the production method called "maceration," in which grape skins are immersed in fermenting wine during the red wine production process. We immersed Syrah and Muscat Bailey A grape skins in fermenting beer to extract the maximum flavor of the grapes.
Furthermore, a small amount of Brettanomyces yeast is added during fermentation, which adds a slightly unique fruity aroma with nuances of cherry and plum.While maintaining the clean taste typical of a Saison, you can enjoy a complex flavor with a spicy, fruity aroma.
■Product details
Style: Brett Saison with Grapes
Alcohol content: 6.0%
IBU: 10
Ingredients: Grapes (produced in Koshu, Yamanashi Prefecture), malt (imported), sugar, hops
Hops: Styrian Golding
Product: Happoshu (malt content: 25% to 50%)
Storage method: Cool, dark place (refrigeration recommended)
