About ÁNH SÁNG SPARKLING
- Style
- Sparkling
- Grape Varieties
- Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Meunier
- Price Range
- ¥10,000-12,000
ÁNH SÁNG SPARKLING is Gio Hills Winery's flagship sparkling wine, produced by the traditional Champagne method and aged in bottle for more than three years before release. The blend is built on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with Meunier — the third classic Champagne variety — joining from the 2023 vintage onward. Its name, 'ÁNH SÁNG,' is Vietnamese for 'light,' echoing the Tomioka family's ties to Vietnam that also run through the winery's name (Gio, Vietnamese for 'wind') and its other Vietnamese-named cuvées. The wine's concept is unusually poetic for a Japanese sparkling: the rising bead of bubbles is meant to evoke the starry night sky over the Mimakigahara plateau, rendered in the label as Braille so that the wine can be 'read' as well as seen — a detail the winery says lets drinkers sense even the sound of the bubbles rising.
This is Gio Hills Winery's statement wine: three-plus years on lees is a serious commitment for a small Nagano estate, and the decision to complete the blend with Meunier from 2023 shows a winery still refining its flagship rather than resting on it. The Vietnamese-language naming and the Braille-bubble concept give it a personal story that few Japanese sparkling wines can match.
New to wine?
Gio Hills Winery's top-tier, longest-aged sparkling — a good choice if you want to see how far Japanese Champagne-method wine can go.
Food Pairings
As a long-aged traditional-method sparkling built around Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, it suits the kind of pairings traditional Champagne-method wines excel at: raw and lightly cooked seafood, delicate hors d'oeuvres, and creamy or semi-hard cheeses. Its structure and dosage-driven character (per the winery, best enjoyed well-chilled) also make it a natural match for a celebratory course menu.
When to drink it
Anniversaries, celebratory toasts, and gifting occasions where a long-aged, story-rich Japanese sparkling makes an impression.
Terroir & Winemaking
Made by the traditional method (secondary fermentation in bottle) from estate-grown grapes on the Mimakigahara plateau (Komoro, Nagano, roughly 700-800m elevation). Minimum three years of lees aging in bottle before disgorgement and release. The blend is Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; Meunier was added to the blend starting with the 2023 vintage, completing the classic Champagne trio. 750ml bottle, retail price ¥11,000.
About the producer
Gio Hills WineryA wind-swept Nagano hilltop winery paired with a Vietnamese cafe.小諸市, 長野県 · Founded 2018Visit the producer page →More wines from Gio Hills Winery
- Connect to the FutureRosé · Meunier
- Cám Ơn Bong BóngSparkling · Field Blend (undisclosed, from the Cám Ơn series grapes)
- Cám Ơn ChardonnayWhite · Chardonnay
- Cám Ơn Harmo NoirRed · Harmo Noir
- Cám Ơn MerlotRed · Merlot
- Cám Ơn Pinot GrisWhite · Pinot Gris
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does the name 'ÁNH SÁNG' mean?
- ÁNH SÁNG is Vietnamese for 'light.' It reflects the Tomioka family's Vietnamese ties, which also inform the winery's own name (Gio, Vietnamese for 'wind') and several of its other cuvée names.
- What grape varieties are used in ÁNH SÁNG SPARKLING?
- Chardonnay and Pinot Noir form the base of the blend, with Meunier — the third classic Champagne variety — added starting from the 2023 vintage.
- How is ÁNH SÁNG SPARKLING made, and how long is it aged?
- It is produced by the traditional method (secondary fermentation in bottle, in the style of Champagne) and aged on lees in bottle for a minimum of three years before release.
- Is ÁNH SÁNG SPARKLING considered Gio Hills Winery's flagship wine?
- Yes. It is the winery's longest-aged, most conceptually developed sparkling wine, featured first on the winery's own wine list, with a design concept relating its bubbles to the starry sky over the Mimakigahara plateau.
Want to know more about this wine?
Ask Vinami's sommelier — no intimidation, just answers.
Talk to the Sommelier