昨日、うららかな春の日差しが暖かく降り注ぎ、
銀座通り商店街の春祭りはにぎわった。
行き交う人々、親子連れ、にわか売り子の我々も
皆笑顔で、穏やかな空気が流れていた。

暫くオーストラリアに行っていたせいもあり、
浮世離れした感覚にはお祭りの空気がよくなじむ。

あいにくその日以外は、天候は冬に逆戻りしたり
突然初夏のような陽気になったりと季節感を
惑わすのだが。但し今年の桜は大分早いようだ。

The narrow street was crowded with people under
the generous and warm spring sun shine in a small
town of north Shinshu. The Ginza Shopping Street
named after famous Ginza in Tokyo had a spring
festival yesterday. Thanks to the gentle weather, the
people, families with small children and the vendors
like us were all smiling and enjoyed the day in Spring.

Returning from Australia after two weeks there,
I felt like still travelling in the extraordinary time
of the festival atmosphere.

Except yesterday, the weather was not stable with
chilly winter wind on one day and the early summer warmth
on the other day which make me confused about the
season. The weather forecast says however that we
will have cherry blossoms very early this year.

火曜日から幕張メッセのフーデックスジャパン2013
に出店しています。長野県のブースの中です。
1日目、2日目と予想を上回るお客様に試飲して頂き
ました。ありがとうございました。

一方、私もちゃっかりとヴォーヌ・ロマネ一級始め、
リシュブールだの、グラン・エシェゾーなどまだ
発売前のサンプルの試飲もさせて頂き、感謝感謝です。

I have been participating in the Foodex Japan 2013 since
Tuesday in the Nagano Booth. I was so grateful at the more
than expected number of visitors coming to our booth and
tasting our wines for the first and the second day.

On the other hand, I was so lucky to taste some of the
pre-release famous wines as Vosne Romanee Premier Cru,
Richoubour, Grands Echezaux, etc. They were young but
I touched the elegance and the potentiality of these
most sought after wines.

真冬の寒さが続いていたので
一週間遅らせたブドウ畑での棚建て作業。
雪の残る中月曜日と火曜日で何とか終わらせた。
やはり、春も名のみの風の寒さや、かと思っていたのだが
昨日今日とそんなに暖かかったのかと思うほどに
雪が溶けてしまった。今週末はまた雪の予報が出ているが、
気づけば春になっているのだろうな。

そういえば、ふきのとうも既に出回っている。
春ではあるのだ。そういえばもう3月。

Because of the cold weather, I put off the trellis construction
in my vineyard for one week. And I did it finally on Monday and Tuesday
this week in the chilly wind on the snow covered vineyard. It reminded me
of the Japanese old song singing ‘The calendar says it Spring already but
the wind is still cold like in winter’ . However, the snow vanished suddenly
just yesterday when I did not notice it so warm.

The weather forecast says it will snow again this week end but Spring
will have suddenly appeared already when I notice the new season.
Local butterbur sprouts are already sold in the shop and it is Spring already.
No wonder it IS March already.

長野朝日放送の草田アナって女性に人気
らしい。確かに。柔和なマスクに柔らかな声。
その草田さんが取材に来てくれました。

放送は2月28日午後6時15分過ぎからのabnステーション
の中で。楠ワイナリーと東御市のリュー・ド・ヴァンとの
共演だそうです。どういう視点で紹介されるのか楽しみです。

Mr. Kusada, a TV announcer at Nagano TV Asahi who seems
very popular among the female viewers came to an interview
the other day at Kusunoki winery. He looks soft and talks very
soft, too. No wonder he is so popular.

The program seems to feature Kusunoki Winey as well as Rue de
Vin winery in Tomi City and will be broadcasted after 615pm on February 28.
Please find more in the program.

こんな時期に真冬並みの寒さが続き雪も
積もっているので、風邪が中々抜けない。
どうにも寒い中でやらねばならないこともあるし。

今週一週間この冬一番長く寒い日が続いていたのでは
ないだろうか。畑の作業予定も大分ずれた。
それでも来週は何が何でもやらなくちゃね。

(1月15日の大雪。これほどではないけど…）

（2月18日にはまた、雪が積もりそれ以降寒くなった）

Mid winter coldness comes back and continued with
icy snow for a week. I got a cold one week ago and
have not recovered yet. Sometimes I have to go out
to do something even in bad shape, too.

I felt like the coldest week this week in this winter.
The expected vineyard operation had to be postponed
which I have to settle next week latest in any event.