About this wine
La Belle Vigne Muscat Bailey A is the winery's signature dry red, made from 100% Muscat Bailey A grapes grown in Katsunuma, Koshu City, Yamanashi. Vinified with minimal intervention in keeping with the estate's philosophy of treating winemaking as an extension of viticulture, it shows the variety's classic sweet-and-sour red berry aromatics — strawberry and wild berry — layered with a savory, umami-tinged finish rather than the candied, foxy notes MBA can sometimes show. Light-to-medium in body with soft, approachable tannins, it drinks well young and offers excellent value for a hand-crafted, single-estate Japanese red.
A gentle, low-tannin introduction to Japanese red wine — fruity and easy to drink, even for those new to reds.
Sommelier's Note
"A textbook expression of dry-style Muscat Bailey A — skip the candied stereotype and try this with soy-simmered Japanese dishes to see how its umami elevates the meal."
Food Pairings
Excellent with yakitori (tare), teriyaki chicken, and tomato-based pasta. Its gentle umami also complements Japanese soy-simmered dishes such as nikujaga and chikuzenni.
When to drink it
Casual dinners, home-cooked Japanese meals, or a relaxed evening glass with friends.
Specs
- Grape Varieties
- Muscat Bailey A
- Style
- Red
- Price Range
- ¥1,980-2,500
Terroir & Winemaking
Made from 100% estate-adjacent Muscat Bailey A grown in Katsunuma using low-intervention, rutte raisonnée-style viticulture. Vinified with gentle extraction to preserve fresh fruit character and avoid the variety's more candied notes; dry style (not the sweeter MBA styles sometimes seen from other producers).
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does La Belle Vigne Muscat Bailey A taste like?
- It has vibrant strawberry and red berry aromas with a sweet-and-sour edge, soft tannins, and a savory umami finish, in a dry (not sweet) style.
- What food pairs well with it?
- Yakitori, teriyaki chicken, and soy-simmered Japanese dishes like nikujaga and chikuzenni bring out its umami character particularly well.
- Is this wine good for wine beginners?
- Yes — its low tannins and fruity, approachable character make it an easy entry point into both Japanese wine and red wine generally.
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Talk to the SommelierMore wines from this producer
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La Belle Vigne Koshu is the winery's signature dry white, made from 100% Koshu grapes grown on the estate's own vineyards in Katsunuma, Koshu City, Yamanashi. Fermented at low temperature in stainless steel tanks to preserve delicate aromatics, it shows a pale straw colour with a faint grey-pink tinge. The nose favours Japanese citrus — iyokan, hassaku and ponkan — over lemon or grapefruit, layered with fresh herbal nuances. On the palate it is smooth and clean, with crisp acidity, ripe fruit in the mid-palate, and a pleasant bitter, umami-tinged finish typical of well-made Koshu.
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La Belle Vigne Delaware Unfiltered
WhiteDelaware
Part of La Belle Vigne's 'Tentomushi' (Ladybug) series, this dry white is made from 100% fully ripened Delaware grapes grown in Katsunuma, Koshu City, Yamanashi. The must is fermented with wild, natural yeast with no added sugar (chaptalization), then aged in barrel before being bottled unfiltered to preserve the grape's natural texture and aromatic purity. The result is a light, dry expression of Delaware that moves well beyond the variety's usual candy-sweet, grapey image, showing a cloudy, hazy appearance typical of unfiltered natural wine.