Autabi LLC has launched a program in partnership with Sansai Farm Co., Ltd. in Nihonmatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, and the craft winery “Fukushima Farmer’s Dream Wine.”
It is a year-round wine program that lets participants experience the entire process “from vineyard to bottle.”
Here are the details.
About the wine program
The year-round “from vineyard to bottle” wine program consists of six sessions in which participants can experience everything from grape cultivation to winemaking and bottling over the course of a year.
Participants work alongside the producers in actual vineyards and at the winery on seasonal tasks such as shoot thinning, shoot trimming, harvesting, and bottling. After the work, they can also enjoy a special lunch made with local ingredients by a former French chef, paired with wine.
The harvested grapes are vinified and matured in a tank reserved exclusively for this program, so the work participants take part in ultimately becomes “a bottle of wine.” It is a special form of wine tourism that unfolds across the full year.
Program features
The program offers the following features.
• Six sessions provide a systematic experience from grape growing through winemaking and bottling
• Grapes worked on by participants become “a wine made only for this program”
• After each work session, enjoy a special lunch and wine pairing by a former French chef
• The accommodation plan includes a winemaking experience and a completed-wine celebration party
• Participants who attend four or more sessions receive two bottles of wine with an original label
The accommodation plan is particularly appealing.
For the October session, preparation work takes place the day after harvest, so only participants on the accommodation plan can take part in the winemaking process. At the March session, a celebration party will be held to unveil the completed wine, with a special evening to celebrate together with the winemaker and local residents.
It is a rare and special experience.
If it interests you, be sure to check it out.
Reference
Program Overview
Name: Year-Round Craft Winemaking Experience Program (6 sessions)
Project operator: Sansai Farm Co., Ltd.
Partner: Fukushima Farmer’s Dream Wine
Planning and recruitment support: Autabi LLC
Location: Nihonmatsu, Fukushima Prefecture (vineyards and winery)
Participation: All six sessions / individual sessions (join according to your schedule)
Capacity: 10 people per session (minimum 1 participant)
How to apply: Through the dedicated page
Official page:https://autabi.com/lp/craftwine/