Domaine Ito
Okazaki, Aichi

Grapes: Delaware
Type: White
Style: Dry, light-bodied
Colour: Medium amber
Alcohol: 11.0%
Any added sulphites: 10 ppm
Filtered: Yes (coarse filter)
Serving temperature: 7-10°C
Production: 290 bottles
Please store in a cool, dark place.

Tasting notes
Pineapple, quince and apricot jam notes at the beginning, with acidity in the mid-palate. Sweet fruits such as yellow peach and mango can also be found. Lingering notes of dried spices such as cumin and black pepper.

Food pairing
Japanese food with sweet flavours such as Kanto-style Japanese omelette, Gohei mochi (skewered sweet rice cakes served with soy sauce and miso), grilled aubergine with sweet miso paste, grilled fish with salt-malted rice (shio koji), simmered hijiki seaweed

Winemaking
Wine made from Delaware, a natural hybrid variety native to the USA. Delaware is characterised by its small size, intense sweetness, moderate acidity and reddish-purple skin. It was introduced from the USA about 150 years ago as a grape variety suitable for cultivation in Japan's humid maritime climate, and is grown in Yamagata, Yamanashi, Osaka and other parts of Japan. The grapes were destemmed, crushed, pressed and fermented in stainless steel tanks. After racking, the wine was transferred again to stainless steel tanks. The wine was then transferred to old oak barrels where it matured for five months. Only 10 ppm sulphite added at bottling. Filtration through a rough filter (50 µm). No added sugar or acid.

The vineyard is located in a corner of a quiet residential area in the northern part of Okazaki in Aichi, almost in the middle of Honshu island. It receives sunlight from sunrise to sunset, has wide openings for good ventilation and well-drained sandy-gravel soils. It is a very favourable environment for viticulture. The winery respects the cycles of nature, adopts grass growing organic farming, minimises the use of pesticides. In 2023, the yield was 30% lower than planned, due to the drop in temperature around late May, which caused the grapes to fall off from the inflorescences, resulting in fewer grapes per bunch. In early June, during the rainy season, downy mildew developed from around the time of heavy rainfall. However, the weather became hotter immediately after the end of the rainy season in late July, and disease damage was kept to a minimum. 2023 was the year in which Ito Farm made a new start as Domaine Ito, with the completion of the winery and the granting of a winemaking licence. This wine is one of the first vintages as Domaine Ito. The grapes were grown while working towards the completion of the winery, and the winemaking licence was granted just before this Delaware was prepared.

The flower knot on the label is a Japanese culture that values connections between people. It expresses the wishes of the winery's representative, Mr Takashi Ito, towards his wines. Only 290 bottles were produced. Very special as only 24 bottles are available in Europe!

Nutrition Facts per 100ml
Energy: 73 kcal
Fat: 0 g
 - Saturates: 0 g
Carbohydrate: 2.0 g
 - Sugar: 2.0 g
Protein: 0.1 g
Salt: 0g