About Honjyo Muscat Bailey A Hanabi-miya
- Style
- Red
- Grape Varieties
- Muscat Bailey A
- Price Range
- ¥2,420
- Alcohol
- 12.5%
Honjyo Muscat Bailey A Hanabi-miya (Chateau Honjyo Muscat Bailey A Claret "Hanabi-miya") is a red wine from Iwasaki Jozo (locally 'Honjo'), the 1941-founded cooperative winery in Katsunuma, Yamanashi. It is built from a blend of saignee rose, direct-press rose, and red Muscat Bailey A wine, all sourced from grapes widely grown around Yamanashi, then aged together in barrel for two years. The wine takes its name from a haiku by Yamanashi-born poet Iida Dakotsu, 'Hanabi miya, fuzei kogomite, fune no tsuma' (fireworks seen from a boat, the boatman's wife bent low with feeling), and its label uses artist Juri Ando's layered-washi-paper work 'INTRO,' echoing the wine's slow, mellow character.
Named for a haiku about fireworks seen from a boat, this is Honjyo's most poetic Muscat Bailey A — a wine meant to be watched change in the glass, not rushed.
New to wine?
A gentle, slow-sipping red — barrel-aged sweetness and soft tannins make it an easy, comforting glass even for those new to Japanese red wine.
Food Pairings
Best enjoyed slowly from a cool starting temperature, letting the aroma unfold over time. The producer recommends pairing with Jomon Sweet Pork saute and venison meatballs; the wine's barrel-derived umami and mellow tannins also suit slow-cooked pork, teriyaki-glazed dishes, and mushroom-based sauces.
When to drink it
Summer evenings watching fireworks, a slow dinner with someone special, or any occasion calling for a relaxed, mellow red served slightly chilled.
Terroir & Winemaking
A blend of saignee rose, direct-press rose, and red wine made from Muscat Bailey A grown around Yamanashi, aged together in oak barrel for two years. Pale ruby in color, dry, with barrel-derived roasted and vanilla notes layered over Muscat Bailey A's characteristic strawberry and cotton-candy sweetness. Delicate structure with savory umami. ABV 12.5%, 720mL bottle, cork closure. Note: the producer's own spec sheet for this bottling lists the color as 'rose wine' in one field, which conflicts with the product's own title, category and tasting notes (all 'red wine, pale ruby'); this listing follows the majority of the primary source's own text.
About the producer
Iwasaki JozoKatsunuma's cooperative 'Honjo' winery, aging Koshu in a 70-year-old barrel.甲州市, 山梨県 · Founded 1941Visit the producer page →More wines from Iwasaki Jozo
- Honjyo Adiron AkariRed · Adirondack
- Honjyo Collaboration Velvet FunkSparkling · Hokuto no Shizuku
- Honjyo Dry Koshu Foudre AgedWhite · Koshu
- Honjyo Field BlendRed · Merlot · Petit Verdot · Marselan
- Honjyo Iwai RoséRosé · Koshu · Kai Noir
- Honjyo Iwai Rouge Muscat Bailey A Barrel AgedRed · Muscat Bailey A
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does Honjyo Muscat Bailey A Hanabi-miya taste like?
- Pale ruby in color with barrel-derived roasted and vanilla aromas layered over Muscat Bailey A's signature strawberry and cotton-candy sweetness, on a delicate, savory, mellow palate.
- What grape is Hanabi-miya made from?
- It is made from Muscat Bailey A, Japan's most widely planted red grape, blending saignee rose, direct-press rose and red wine components before two years of barrel aging.
- What food pairs well with Hanabi-miya?
- The producer recommends Jomon Sweet Pork saute and venison meatballs; it also suits slow-cooked pork dishes, teriyaki-glazed food, and umami-rich mushroom preparations.
- Where does the name 'Hanabi-miya' come from?
- The name comes from a haiku by Yamanashi-born poet Iida Dakotsu, 'Hanabi miya, fuzei kogomite, fune no tsuma' (fireworks seen from a boat), and the label features artist Juri Ando's layered-washi-paper work 'INTRO'.
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