Enjoy Both Beer and Wine! A Winery in Ibaraki Prefecture ~ Mugi to Budo Ushiku Brewery ~

Less than an hour from Ueno Station, I heard that there was an interesting winery in Ushiku City, Ibaraki Prefecture, so I paid them a visit.
When you think of wineries near Tokyo, Yamanashi Prefecture often comes to mind, but in fact, Ushiku in Ibaraki Prefecture is also home to a winery within easy visiting distance.

"Mugi to Budo Ushiku Brewery" is, as its name ("Barley and Grapes") suggests, a facility that produces both beer and wine.

Tomoyuki Tsunoi, representative and winemaker/brewer, studied biotechnology at university before working on pharmaceutical research at Godo Shusei Co., Ltd., operator of Chateau Kamiya (now Ushiku Chateau). However, wishing to pursue his true passion for brewing beer, he transitioned to brewing work.
Similarly, Rie Sano learned winemaking at Ushiku Chateau before joining Mr. Tsunoi at Ushiku Brewery.

Here is an introduction to the features of Ushiku Brewery, managed by Mr. Tsunoi and Ms. Sano.

Inside the brewery, there are tanks for both wine and beer, but surprisingly, wine is kept in the beer tanks as well!
In fact, because beer tanks can be pressurized, carbon dioxide gas produced by yeast can be trapped inside, achieving natural carbonation.
The pét-nat made here using secondary fermentation in the tank (Charmat method) is said to be extremely popular.

Daigo Town in Ibaraki Prefecture is a famous apple-producing region where people enjoy apples in every imaginable way—from apple pie and apple juice to apple baths—and cider made from Daigo apples is also produced here.

In addition, beer tanks offer benefits such as precise temperature control during fermentation and storage, as well as high operational efficiency for tasks like racking thanks to their tapered bottom shape.
In other words, they allow for clever tricks that standard wine tanks cannot accomplish.

Furthermore, as typical for a beer brewery, there are plenty of kegs on hand.
These are reportedly used for storing wine as well.
Because they are made of stainless steel, they can be managed hygienically, and above all, they can be filled completely to capacity, allowing storage without air exposure.
Since the wine is portioned into smaller containers right from the storage stage, it can be shipped directly to restaurants and bars as is.

Furthermore, the advantages of winemaking are also utilized in brewing beer.
Craft beer brewed by blending finished cider or white wine into IPAs proved so popular that it sold out almost immediately.

At the shop inside the brewery, about 10 varieties of craft beer are available for drinking at any given time.
They can also be purchased by volume using special tumblers or PET bottles.
It is wonderful to take your time tasting to find a beer that suits your personal taste.

In the vineyard surrounded by Hitachi Aki Soba buckwheat fields, various grape varieties are cultivated.
Ushiku City, Ibaraki Prefecture, is a relatively comfortable area with small temperature variations between morning and night.
However, how is that for grapes? For some varieties, the acidity might drop too low.
With careful consideration of these factors, in addition to the Merlot and Chardonnay already popular at Ushiku Brewery, they are taking on the challenge of growing many varieties—including Petit Verdot, Tannat, and Petit Manseng—to find which varieties are best suited to the land of Ushiku.

And this year, the third year since planting the vines, the first harvest took place, and in 2023, wine made from their estate-grown grapes will finally be released!!
This is certainly something to look forward to.

The rosebud symbol of Ushiku Brewery is called "Épine."
"Épine" means "thorn" in French.
Additionally, the prefectural flower of Ibaraki is the rose.
For these reasons, wines made with grapes grown in Ibaraki Prefecture are named "Épine."
If you want to enjoy wine from Ibaraki Prefecture, looking out for this "Épine" label is a great place to start.

Whether you prefer wine, beer, or both, Ushiku Brewery is a place everyone can enjoy.
It also offers convenient access from Tokyo.
Why not plan a visit?

https://nihonwine.jp/winery_intro/ushikubrewing/

Please check this out as well!

https://nihonwine.jp/未分類/nihonisan-heritage-ibaraki-yamanashi/