投稿の詳細: 山形にて In Yamagata

最近注目されている山形のワイン。その
山形から葡萄栽培について話をして欲しいという
ご依頼を頂いて、僭越ながらお引受しました。
参加された方々はブドウ栽培と醸造に真摯に
取り組んでおられる方々で、私が話した内容など
既にご存知だったのではないかな、と
役不足に申し訳なく感じております。

山形は雪の中でした。5年ぶりの大雪だそうで
長野と比べると道路には背丈ほどの雪が
積もっていました。といっても置賜地方のことで
山形市には雪はほとんどありませんでしたけど。

ここでは、棚栽培をやりたくても棚がつぶれてしまう
恐れがあるとか。また、急斜面の畑が多く高齢かにともない
その3分の２が耕作されていないとか。
こういうところで頑張って素晴らしい葡萄とワインを
作っておられる方々には頭が下がります。
須坂あたりの条件はとても
恵まれていると考えざるを得ませんね。

今日参加された方々や、ワイナリー施設を見せてくださったり、
ワインの試飲をさせてくださったワイナリーの
皆様に感謝申し上げます。

Recently Yamagata has attracted much attention
for its wines. I was requested to talk about wine grape
growing in Yamagata. I thought first that I was not the
person to do such big role but I accepted the offer for
various reasons any how. The audiences were very serious
grapegrowers and winemakers who may have know the
issues I talked about. After finishing it, I felt a bit sorry
for my ability for their expectation.

Yamagata was in the snow. They said they had such heavy
snow for the first time in last five years and the dept by the
road was about my height in Okitama area. While there was
no snow found in the streets in Yamagata City.

In many areas there, the tendon trellis often collapse due
to the heavy snow and they cannot challenge overhead trellis
even though they wanted to. And often the vineyards are
developed on the south facing slope which is very good and
many growers have quit these vineyards due to the age
and the penalizing hard work required. I cannot help but
doing hat off to the great efforts of the growers
and the winemakers who produce great grapes and great wines.
The conditions in and around
Suzaka are rather easy, I have to say by comparing theirs.

I thank you very much for the people attended the talk,
showing the wine making area and giving me opportunities
of tasting wines.