French Wine and Music Gathering
Written by Nika Nishimura (Shimogamo Rondo sharemate)
*Original Article in Japanese is here
On a certain day in July, we held a French Wine and Music Gathering at Shimogamo Rondo. We prepared twelve French wines and one Japanese wine. The music performance was an ensemble of piano and cello.
The word "wine" seems to give many people an image of being difficult to approach (especially to Japanese). I had the same image before I was into wine.
However, with the help of my friend Mr. H, who explained the wines also at the Gathering, I started with natural wines, then moved on to Niigata (one of Japanese prefectures) 's CAVE D’OOCI and Marc Tempe from Alsace, and little by little I came to understand the charm of wines.
Wines have a wide range of different tastes. There is the pleasure of learning about the varieties and regions of production, and finding the wine of your own taste. Although I am still a novice, I thought it would be fun to share the fascination of wine with others with the help of Mr. H, so I planned this Wine Gathering. Besides, if we drink wine together, we can enjoy various kinds of wine at one time. Such an opportunity does not come along very often.
The Gathering was begun with the Japanese wine which has an easy to drink and refreshing taste. And followed by the piano & cello musical performance, and then we tasted 12 wines as we traveled through France from the Loire and Rhone to Bordeaux and Burgundy. After all the tastings were over, it was time to chat and enjoy the remaining wines freely.
Tasting of 12 French wines
We tasted small quantities of all wines selected from the following regions of France, with Mr. H explaining the regions of production and taste’s characteristics.
Loire
Rhone
Provence
Alsace
Champagne
Bordeaux
Burgundy
Light meals were prepared by Mr. A of nems cafe.
At a usual wine party, sparkling wine is usually served first, followed by white wine, then red wine. However, for this event, we decided not to follow the usual procedure, to taste wines by region.
It was the first time for me to drink wines without paying attention to the standard rules of sparkling, whites, and reds, but by drinking wines by region, I was able to compare them as checking each region's laws (French AOC laws) and climatic conditions such as cool and warm temperatures.
The talk about wines was very interesting. It’s based on extensive knowledge of French wine. His talk ranged from how wine is made to the characteristics of the lands (terroir), and the distribution of grape varieties in France as the epitome of the wine world. During the explanation, many questions were asked by the participants who thought of "I want to know more about it!”.
At the end of the lecture, the chart of grape varieties was shown to help wine novices choose their preferred wines.
After the tasting of all twelve wines, it was time to talk and drink the remaining wines freely. Naturally, the tastes of the participants differed, with some saying, "Burgundy's Fisan was the best!” while others said, "I enjoyed the Riesling from Alsace," or "I think I liked the Sauvignon Blanc the best.”
It was so much fun to listen to each person's preferences and compare the taste of wines again. Seeing adults enjoying themselves like children with a glass of wine in their hands, I felt truly happy.
Once again, thank you very much to Mr. H in charge of wine and Mr. A in charge of light meals!
(Vouvray Sec Cuvee Silex was given to me by my sharemate T. Thank you very much, Ms. T. It was a very nice wine with lively acidity and white frower-like aroma!).
Piano and Cello Duet｜program
The musical performance was I played the cello and Mr. Y played the piano. We played the two songs, "Anohi no Kawa (“Day of the River” from Spirited Away)" and "Summer" both which are composed by Joe Hisaishi.
"Anohi no Kawa (Day of the River)" is the song that plays in the scene in the movie "Spirited Away" where Sen gets rice balls from Haku. In the midst of the sadness and heartbreak, there is a slight sense of relief that there is someone who is kind to her.
“Summer" is the theme song of the movie "Kikujiro's Summer". I was familiar with the song, but not with the movie. The song is like writing down the glitter of summer. We played the song with images of cumulonimbus clouds, the sea, sparkling rivers, and paths through forests blooming flowers and so on.
This duo was formed in a hurry when I invited Ms. Y, who had come to Shimogamo Rondo as a volunteer. So we had only a month or two of practice time, but we managed to get it all together for the performance.
It was the first time for me to practice with deep discussions on "how to interpret the songs" and "how to play the songs with emotion," and I had a precious and enjoyable time, which is hard to experience. It was also a few months in which I could feel the true power of ensemble playing and how much fun it is to be immersed in music with someone else.
Thank you, Y-san! Let's do it again!
After the performance, I felt a strong desire to improve my cello skills and be able to play sounds based on my own interpretation of the music. I would like to have other opportunities to perform at Shimogamo Rondo.
Also, if anyone is "looking for someone to play" or "looking for someone to play in an ensemble," please let me know.
Comments from Participants
Here are some comments from those who attended the Wine and Music Gathering.
It was a delightful time with drinks and music. I enjoyed the slide lectures as knowledge and taste were connected on the spot. I was glad that I think I was able to grasp a bit of my own preference as well.
I could learn a lot about wine, which will be very helpful when I buy wine next time.
It was a very luxurious and enjoyable gathering for me, in the recent situation I haven’t had many opportunities to enjoy wine.
It was the night I drank wine the most in my life. It was a very deep experience and I could enjoy it even as an amateur.
This was the first Wine Gathering at Shimogamo Rondo. As my friend Mr. H and I had planned, "We want to have a party that anyone who is interested in wine can enjoy," and I think it turned out to be a party that both those with and without wine knowledge could enjoy.
I myself would like to try various other wines and have an opportunity to play the cello, so I would plan a second one when I have leeway. Thank you all again for your support at that time.
13 Wines｜Winery name, AOC Name, Grape Variety, and Production area
Finally, here is a list of the Wineries, AOC names, (vintages), Grape Variety, and Regions of Production, for the wines we handled this time.
Takeda Winery, San Soufle, 2023 White
(Variety: 100% Delaware) (Production: Yamagata, Japan)
Domaine Landron, Muscadet Sèvres et Mer Sur Lie La Levturi, 2021 White
(Grape variety: 100% Muscadet) (Production: Loire, France)
Domaine Vigneau Chevreau, Vouvray Sec Cuvée Silex, 2022 White
(100% Chenin Blanc) (Production: Loire, France)
Carve de Tain, Crozes Hermitage Noble Rive, 2022 Red
(100% Syrah) (Production: Rhône, France)
Chateau de l'Aumerade Cuvee Marie Christine , Provence Rosé, 2022 Rosé
(Variety: 47% Cinsault / 33% Grenache / 20% Syrah) (Production: Provence, France)
Paul Jean Granger, Alsace Riesling, 2023 White
(Variety: 100% Riesling) (Production: Alsace, France)
Christian Bourmault, Cuvee Hermance Brut, NV White Sparkling
(Variety: 67% Pinot Noir / 23% Chardonnay / 10% Meunier) (Production: Champagne, France)
Château Bonnet, Entre de Mer, 2022 White
(Variety: Sauvignon Blanc 78% / Semillon 22%) (Production: Bordeaux, France)
Château Senejac, Haut-Médoc, 2018 Red
(Variety: 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot) (Production: Bordeaux, France)
La Chablisienne, Chablis La Pierrelée White
(Variety: 100% Chardonnay) (Production: Northern Burgundy, France)
Famille Massus Burgundy Côte Chalonnaise, Veilleux Vignes, 2021 White
(Variety: 100% Chardonnay) (Production: Southern Burgundy, France)
Domaine Michel Dupont Juan, Auxey Duress Les Ville, 2022 Red
(100% Pinot Noir) (Production: Southern Burgundy, France)
Domaine Coillot, Fixin, 2021 Red
(Grape variety: 100% Pinot Noir) (Production: Northern Burgundy, France)
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