Born at the foot of Mount Fuji and a Tuscan by adoption for the past 13 years, Tatsuhiko Ozaki (everyone calls him "Tatsu") has taken on a challenge that borders on the reckless: he is trying to grow Koshu, a native Japanese grape, in the hills of Tuscany.
His plot sits in Firenzuola, in the Alto Mugello area of northern Tuscany, on a slope at 720 metres above sea level, in a small place called Puligno, near Casanuova, Rifredo and the Giogo pass. This is a corner of Italy long known for milk, potatoes, meat and grazing, with almost no reputation for wine grapes. For years it was little more than a single old stone house standing in the wind.
Koshu is a very delicate grape, difficult to cultivate. And Tatsu is trying to root it in the Italian highlands, far from its Japanese home. The story was told by Leonardo Romanelli in the Italian food outlet ilgusto.it (read the original article here), under the headline "From Mount Fuji to Mugello." One person's dream may become a new chapter for Tuscany.
The SWIRL view
Honestly, this story warmed our hearts. At Swirl, as a Japanese company, we bring Italian wine to Japan. In other words, connecting Italy and Japan is our work. What Tatsu is doing runs in exactly the opposite direction: planting a Japanese grape in Italian soil, building another bridge between the two countries. The direction is reversed, but the root is the same, a respect and affection for both countries.
Wine is agriculture, and it is nature itself. For Koshu to take root in Mugello's soil, bear fruit and become a bottle, it will take years and a great deal of trial and error. Seeking no quick results, staying patiently with the land: that attitude is exactly what we share with the growers we trust. We will be waiting, with real anticipation, for the day Tatsu's Koshu reaches the world.
And while we wait for that day, we hope you will also taste "Tuscany as it is now." Terenzi, one of the producers we carry, is a grower in Tuscan Maremma. From Balbino, a mineral white wine that recalls the delicacy of Koshu, to Morellino di Scansano, made from Sangiovese, the star red grape of Tuscany. Feel today's Tuscany in your glass, and let's follow where Tatsu's challenge leads, together.
If you want to learn more about the grape, see our Sangiovese grape guide, and for the region, our Italian wine regions guide.
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