1. Pino Collina Matsugaoka

PINO COLLINA is Italian for “pine hill”.

The scenery of Matsugaoka overlaps with the Langhe Hills (Piedmont, Italy), which is world-famous as a wine-producing region, so Grand El Sun, a wedding venue in Tsuruoka City, chose Matsugaoka as the location for its wine production.

Speaking of Matsugaoka, some may remember the “Samurai Silk” which is registered as a Japanese Heritage site.

When it comes to winemaking in Matsugaoka, silk and grapes have a deep and inseparable relationship.

・The relationship between silk and grapes

The fields now brimming with grapes were cultivated about 250 years ago by samurai of the Shonai domain who were defeated in the Boshin War.

*From the Pino Collina website

Planting mulberry trees in this area, raising silkworms, and producing silk fabric was the beginning of “Samurai Silk.”

Mulberry is a plant of the berry family, just like grapes, and there is precedent around the world that areas where mulberry grows are also suitable for growing grapes.

The baton was passed from mulberry to persimmon and then to grapes, and winemaking began in Matsugaoka.

2. Wine Culture = Agriculture x Chemistry x Art

Pino Collina Matsugaoka’s wine culture is based on the combination of agriculture, chemistry and art.

Pino Collina Matsugaoka is a place where grapes are carefully grown by hand in the fields, the grapes are transformed into wine in a meticulous manner at the winery, and you can enjoy delicious food and wine in the fields with spectacular views.

Pino Collina Matsugaoka introduced us to their vineyards, winery, and restaurant.

[1] Vineyards

The grapes grown at Pino Collina Matsugaoka are grown without the use of pesticides.

As you stand in front of the vineyard next to the restaurant, you can feel the wind blowing from behind you.

The grapes are planted taking into consideration the wind direction to prevent insects from being blown away by the wind and landing on the grapes as much as possible. In this way, we make the most of the power of nature to grow grapes.

They also take great care to maintain the fields according to the daily conditions.

For example, during periods of little rainfall, they choose not to remove weeds and use the morning dew on the leaves as a means of watering the vines, thus showing their love for the grapes while communicating with nature.

The key to producing delicious grapes is apparently “how much of a footprint you can leave in the field before the grapes are harvested.”

*From the Pino Collina website

However, in order to grow grapes in a way that is suitable for the Matsugaoka region, they are grown based on chemical data such as the soil, climate, and growing conditions.

By combining agriculture and chemistry, it makes it possible to grow grapes that are perfect for Shonai wine.

[2] Winery

The winery uses gravity to brew the wine without going against nature, using the “gravity flow” method.

This time, we were given the opportunity to cover a winery specially for VISIT YAMAGATA.

The crushed grapes are sent from the first floor to tanks underground.

*From the Pino Collina website

The fermented grape juice that has been turned into wine is aged in barrels and bottles before being shipped.

It seems that the key to turning delicious grapes into delicious wine is to minimize the stress on the grapes.

[3] Restaurant: Introducing the lunch menu

The lunch menu available at Pino Collina Matsugaoka restaurant is very stylish and gorgeous.

Each dish on the menu is so beautiful it’s like looking at a work of art.

In addition, many of the dishes make generous use of ingredients that evoke the four seasons of Shonai, so the view of the vineyards from the restaurant perfectly matches the seasonal feel of the meals.

The appetizer is a mozzarella cheese salad made with Shonai-grown vegetables and Tamura milk.
To finish, top the dish with Super Meal from chef Yoshiko Tatsumi, who oversaw the restaurant’s menu, to your liking.

The salad contains snap peas and mountain vegetables such as kogome and udo, which give a spring feel.
With its vibrant colors, including the pink of red radish, the reddish-purple of beet sauce, and edible flowers, it feels like you are looking at a painting.

The main dish is Shonai pork polpetti alla Bolognese and dadachamame croquettes.

Polpetti are Italian-style meatballs. In Italy, which has a long, vertical land area like Japan, they are eaten with slightly different seasonings depending on the region.

At Pino Collina Matsugaoka, you can enjoy Bologna-style pizza, which is made with plenty of herbs and goes perfectly with red wine.

The flavor of the Shonai pork is further enhanced when eaten with the accompanying wine jam.

The vegetable garnish is urui and bamboo shoots. It’s a dish that will make you feel spring.

This focaccia is made with Shonai rice and Tsuruoka Silk.
This dish contains silk jelly mixed into it.

The outside was crispy but the inside was chewy.
You can also taste the Shonai rice in the texture.

The petit dessert mousse also uses seasonal fruits.
In spring, it’s strawberries. In autumn, it’s pears.

For an additional 200 yen, you can also choose Pino Collina Matsugaoka’s specialty wine pudding.

On top of the pudding is a wine jelly, from which all the alcohol has been removed, yet still allowing you to enjoy the rich flavor of the wine.

The flavor was so rich that my mouth still remembered the taste of the wine even after several hours.

You can also buy it in shops, so we recommend trying both the red and white varieties.

3. Shop: Pudding and jam also available

The wine shop sells wine, jams, and puddings made with Pino Collina Matsugaoka.

Recommended products from Pino Collina Matsugaoka are the Kurade Koshu and Gewürztraminer.

Kurade Koshu is dry and refreshing, making it a perfect match for food.

Gewürztraminer is a sweet wine with a lychee flavor and is recommended for women.

The label design is a condensed version of Matsugaoka’s approximately 250 years of history, and you can feel the artistic spirit that is so characteristic of Pino Collina Matsugaoka.

The painting depicts a samurai swapping his sword for a hoe to clear land and harvest grapes.

Furufuru comes in a cute package and is garnished with a grape branch, making it a memorable item even after you’ve finished drinking it.

We also have grape juice, which children and those who don’t like alcohol can enjoy.

Although no sugar is used, it is very sweet and has a rich grape aroma.

Only about 500 bottles are produced each year, and they are so popular that they usually sell out around May.

They also sell wine jams made from a variety of fruits, including grapes.

The shop’s large windows serve as a canvas from which to enjoy Matsugaoka’s seasons.

One of the attractions of Pino Collina Matsugaoka is being able to dine while watching the seasonal scenery from the canvas.

4. Message

We received a message from Mr. Kawashima, who we interviewed this time.

“At Pino Collina Matsugaoka, we use ingredients from Shonai and prepare them deliciously for you to enjoy.

They also focus on the SDGs and are working towards circular agriculture, for example by using turnip leaves in their potage.

Please come and enjoy the spectacular views, delicious wine, and delicious food.”

5. Basic information

Restaurant
Hours
10:00~17:00
LUNCH : 11:00~14:30 last order
CAFE : 14:30~16:00 last order
DINNER : [Reservation required 3 days in advance] 5,500 yen per person (tax included) for parties of 4 or more 17:30~21:00 (last order at 20:30)
*******************************************

Shop
Hours
10:00~17:00