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Niigata is known as the Kingdom of Sake. Niigata is famous in Japan for its high quality rice and pure water, which is only found in the Land of Snow, and has a natural advantage for brewing sake.
There are 90 sake breweries in Niigata, and many of them have a history of 100 years, such as Hakkaiyama, which is a brand name that you can easily find if you come to Japan. This time, we will not only introduce the sake-related spots in Niigata, but also the wine gardens in Niigata Prefecture. If you want to buy souvenirs, you should go to “ぽんしゅkan” at Niigata Station, where you can try Niigata's famous sake as well as a wide range of Niigata's souvenirs.
🤗 01 Learn about brewing at Imadaiji Sake Brewery
Before the journey begins, it's a good idea to learn about the brewing process and history of sake.
Imadaiji Sake Brewery, which has a history of 100 years, acts as a guide. A 15-minute walk from Niigata Station, an old building has been renovated and transformed into a sake museum. Founded in 1767, Imadaiji Sake Brewery is the only sake brewery in Niigata Prefecture that produces 100% pure rice with no added alcohol, and the sake produced here tastes very sweet.
Lift the curtains and a bright spot opens up. Thanks to the renovation in recent years, the place is full of light and the sense of youthfulness and vigor is multiplied, while the sense of tradition of sake has been preserved. That's why you'll be attracted to the store the moment you enter, but fortunately, you'll immediately realize that you should visit the sake brewery first, and then go to the store to buy a bar! In the store, you can try some non-alcoholic sake for free, and if you want to drink sake, you can pay 1,000 yen and go to the sake bar to taste locally produced sake.
I'm sure you will be attracted to this exquisite and eye-catching bottle of wine when you enter the store.
This bottle has won iF Design Award and other design awards, and is called “Koi”. The bottle was designed based on the theme of Koi, which is abundant in Niigata Prefecture. Anyone who loves Japanese sake will want to keep a bottle at home!
Most of the usual sake breweries (distilleries) that offer tours are led by their staff and conducted in Japanese. However, Imadaiji is different in that they offer tours in English, as long as the visitor specifies that he/she needs English narration when making a reservation online. The whole tour takes about 30 minutes. Visitors can learn about the history of sake in Niigata and Imadaiji by looking at historical sake brewing equipment, old hot sake vending machines, signboards and posters.
Imadaiji Sake Brewery
Address：1-1 Kirigaoka, Chuo-ku, Niigata-shi, Niigata-ken
Hours: 9:00～17:00
Official website: http://imayotsukasa.co.jp/en/
Transportation: 15-minute walk from JR Niigata Station
🤗 01 NIIGATA WINE COAST
Niigata Prefecture is blessed with a natural environment for producing high quality red wine in addition to Japanese sake. There is a wine estate “NIIGATA WINE COAST” in Niigata Prefecture, and there are several sake breweries in the area where you can make wine. The surrounding area is bustling with stores, inns, and grocery stores, making it a great place to take a little wine tour.
There are five wineries in the park, and some of them have large retail stores where you can buy not only their own wine, but also a variety of foreign imported ingredients, sauces and snacks. Some of the wineries also offer accommodation facilities, so you can feel like you are in a French winery and see the vineyards as soon as you get up in the morning.
NIIGATA WINE COAST
Access: About 15 minutes by cab from Maki Station on the JR Echigo Line.
Bus reservation: http://www.docci.com/news/bus-news/
🤗 03 French Lunch at FERMIER Winery
The winery is called FERMIER, and the owner of the winery, Mr. Hondo, not only makes wine, but also runs a French restaurant. The chef of the French restaurant discusses the menu every day with Mrs. Hondo, who is professionally qualified as a sommelier, and offers the wines that are most suitable for the meal of the day.
The interior of the restaurant is modeled after the French countryside, with wood tones presenting a warm atmosphere, making you feel like you are in a small restaurant in the south of France, and the aroma of the wine is intoxicating.
Winery & Restaurant Farmier
Official website: https://fermier.jp/
🤗 04 Ponchu Enkoku Niigata Feng Shan
On your way out of Niigata, don't forget to leave time for shopping at the station, and for those who like sake, don't forget to stop at the exciting sake bar, ぽんしゅkan. “Pomshu” is the abbreviation for ‘Nihonshu’ in Japanese, which simply means ”Niigata sake pub.
You can sample sake in the store, so if you're overwhelmed by the number of sakes on offer, check out the list of recommended sakes on the wall of the store!
The staff at the store will recommend “Sake of the Month”, so if you don't know what to look for, you can look at the list and the information on each sake and pick the one that interests you. If you think it's good, you can go to the store and buy it right away.
In addition to the Japanese bar, there is also a store that sells a variety of sake produced in Niigata Prefecture, as well as many famous Niigata souvenirs and handicrafts. In the food section, many different flavors of soy sauce, such as scallion soy sauce, garlic soy sauce, and kombu soy sauce, are sold, and taste-tests are offered so that guests can pick the right flavor to go with their dishes. This is a must-visit place before leaving Niigata, so be sure to set aside some time for a stroll.
ぽんしゅkan Niigata Ekiben
Address: 1-96-47 Hanazono, Chuo-ku, Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture
Access: Near the west exit of Niigata Station entrance/exit
Hours: 9:30-20:30 (last admission 20:15)
Niigata is not far from Tokyo, so if you don't have a lot of time but want to go on a themed trip and like to have a few drinks, you can take the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Niigata in one day and go on a Wagyu wine tour!
- Author:japan guides
- URL:https://japan-guides.com/article/diet-23
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