Kurisawa Traminer

About this wine

Nakazawa Vineyard's Traminer (also known as Kurisawa Traminer) is a rare single-varietal bottling made from 100% Gewürztraminer grown on the estate's oldest vines in the Kurisawa district of Iwamizawa, Hokkaido. Unlike the winery's flagship field blend, Kurisawa Blanc, this cuvée isolates Gewürztraminer on its own and is released only in vintages with sufficiently generous yields — the grape ripens with difficulty and gives little fruit in Hokkaido's cool climate, so it is not bottled every year. A previous vintage of this wine (2013) was reviewed by Vinous and scored 89 points, described as greenish-yellow with an expansive bouquet of chamomile, rosewood, and white pepper, framed by a rich, unctuous, dry palate with refreshing acidity and an agile finish — a style consistent across the estate's Traminer releases, including 2018.

Sommelier's Note

"A vivid demonstration that Gewürztraminer, often dismissed as blowsy, can deliver real tension and length when grown on Nakazawa's oldest vines and handled with a light touch — one of Japan's most compelling single-varietal whites in the rare vintages it appears."

Food Pairings

The wine's aromatic intensity and structured acidity pair naturally with spiced and aromatic dishes — Alsatian-style choucroute, Thai green curry, and five-spice duck — as well as soft, washed-rind cheeses.

When to drink it

A special-occasion bottle for those curious about single-varietal Hokkaido Gewürztraminer — ideal to open alongside the estate's Kurisawa Blanc for comparison.

Specs

Grape Varieties

Gewürztraminer

Style

White

Vintage

2018

Price Range

¥5,000-8,000 (estimated; no confirmed retail listing found for this specific vintage, but consistent with the estate's Kurisawa Blanc domestic pricing tier)

Terroir & Winemaking

100% Gewürztraminer (locally called Traminer) from the estate's oldest vines. From the 2013 vintage onward, fruit has been custom-crushed at 10R Winery in Kurisawa under winemaker Bruce Gutlove, using whole-bunch pressing and spontaneous wild-yeast fermentation with minimal intervention — the same low-intervention philosophy applied to the estate's Kurisawa Blanc.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is Nakazawa Vineyard Traminer different from Kurisawa Blanc?

Kurisawa Blanc is a field blend of all the estate's grape varieties, whereas the Traminer is a rare single-varietal bottling of 100% Gewürztraminer.

Is Nakazawa Vineyard Traminer produced every year?

No. Because Gewürztraminer ripens with difficulty and yields little fruit in Hokkaido's cool climate, this bottling is released only in select vintages with adequate crop levels, including 2018.

Where is this wine made?

The grapes are grown on Nakazawa Vineyard's 2.7-hectare estate in Kurisawa, Iwamizawa, and from the 2013 vintage onward have been vinified at 10R Winery under winemaker Bruce Gutlove using whole-bunch pressing and wild-yeast fermentation.