Shizen Wines
Shizen Koshu Reserve
The Koshu Reserve was made from premium fruit from the Makioka Region of Japan. Hand picked for the perfect balance of fruit and acidity, the Koshu Reserve is truly the ideal compliment to many Asian dishes. This wine has elegant aromas of pear, white peach, citrus, grapefruit and white rose with hints of yeast and cream. A small portion of this wine underwent malolactic fermentation to create a smooth and silky texture which was later blended into stainless steel fermented Makioka Koshu. Try this wine with miso butterfish, shrimp tempura, crab cakes, fried citrus calamari or warm soba noodles with roasted duck and green onions.
Shizen Koshu Cuvee Denis Dubourdieu
Koshu Cuvee Denis Dubourdieu is our flagship wine that was tasted and scored by Robert Parker Jr. (87-88 PP) in December 2004. Made with Yamanashi fruit and fermented in stainless steel, this wine is a pure representation of the Japan’s indigenous grape varietal, Koshu. This wine has intense grapefruit, green apple and lime aromas with a touch of passion fruit. Koshu Cuvee Denis Dubourdieu is an exotic delight with light body, crisp acidity and plenty of mouth-filling, tangy fruit leading to a medium-long, mineral finish. Try the wine with hamachi (yellowtail) carpaccio, scallop salad, and octopus sashimi.
Shizen Zenkoji
The fruit in this wine is originally an indigenous Chinese grape varietal, called Ryugan, which was brought to Japan by Chinese monks to a temple named Zenkoji in Nagano over 120 years ago. The grape was later renamed Zenkoji and is the predominant grape grown in Nagano Prefecture. Made with rich ripe fruits, this wine has stone fruit aromas predominate on the nose with notes of pineapple, bananas, lychee, peaches and pears plus a little lemongrass spice and orange blossom. In comparison to Koshu, this wine is noticeably deeper lemon-straw color, has more body and weight on the palate (medium body) and less acidity (medium). A crisp, delicate, exotically flavored wine – the perfect match for Asian foods! With Zenkoji’s tropical flair, it is a nice accompaniment to Polynesian cuisine (macadamia nut crusted mahi mahi) and various Chinese dishes such as sweet and sour chicken or fried duck. This wine has the ability to handle some spice, to try it with some Thai dishes like pad thai, shrimp toast or green papaya salad!
Shizen Koshu Rose
The Koshu Rose is a festive and vibrant raspberry pink color that is ideal for outdoor parties. This dry style of wine was co-fermented with 10% Cabernet (Nagano) and 90% Koshu (Yamanashi) and has fruity strawberry and cassis bud aromas with hints of paprika and spicy pink peppercorns. The palate shows nice red berry flavors that compliments dishes like seared ahi (tuna), sautéed summer salmon with fresh dill or yakitori (Asian BBQ sticks made with chicken). Great for weddings, picnics and barbecues, this wine is party in a bottle!