7月13日、サントリー白州蒸溜所 (山梨県北杜市)と、サントリー登美の丘ワイナリー(山梨県甲斐市)の見学スタディツアーを行いました。
On July 13th, we went on a study tour to visit the Suntory Hakushu Distillery in Hokuto City and the Suntory Tomi no Oka Winery in Kai City, both located in Yamanashi Prefecture.

サントリー白州蒸溜所は南アルプス山脈に抱かれた森の中にあり、「森林公園工場」というコンセプトで運営された、おとぎ話のように美しい蒸留所でした。
南アルプスに振った雨が20年の歳月をかけて森と土に磨かれ、上質なウイスキーを作るのにぴったりな水を汲むことができるのだそうです。まさに「水と生きるサントリー」という理念そのものが体現された場所でした。
長年に渡ってウイスキー造りに携わって来られた方に丁寧にご説明をいただき、みんなすっかり白州のファンになりました！
The Suntory Hakushu Distillery is nestled in a forest embraced by the Southern Japanese Alps and is operated under the concept of a “forest park distillery.” It was a breathtakingly beautiful place, like something out of a fairy tale.

We learned that the rain falling on the Southern Alps takes about 20 years to filter through the forest and earth, eventually becoming pure, high-quality water—ideal for making whisky. It was a perfect embodiment of Suntory’s philosophy, “Living with Water.”

We were guided by someone who has dedicated many years to whisky making, and thanks to their thoughtful and passionate explanations, we all became devoted fans of Hakushu.

そして、特急の中で甲州名物の駅弁「元気甲斐」を頂いて旅情を満喫しつつ、サントリー登美の丘ワイナリーへ向かいました。
こちらもまさに日本ワインの始祖ともいうべき歴史あるワイナリーで、なかなか日本の気候では造りにくかった日本ワイン造りの試行錯誤の歴史を学ぶことができました。試飲させていただいた貴腐ワインが非常に美味しく感動しました。貴腐菌は人為的につけることができず、毎年つくわけでもなく、ワイナリーのとある一画でだけ、気候条件が整った年にたまさか貴腐菌がつくのだそうです。
まさに妖精が舞い降りるという言い伝えの表現がぴったりですね。

Then, while enjoying the scenic train ride and savoring the local specialty ekiben “Genki Kai,” we made our way to the Suntory Tomi no Oka Winery.

This historic winery is considered one of the pioneers of Japanese wine, and we learned about the long journey of trial and error involved in cultivating wine in Japan’s challenging climate. One of the highlights was tasting their exquisite noble rot wine, which left a lasting impression.

We were fascinated to learn that noble rot (Botrytis cinerea) cannot be artificially induced, nor does it appear every year. It occurs only in a specific corner of the vineyard, and only in years when the climate conditions are just right.
It truly felt like a fairy had descended upon the vineyard—an expression that perfectly captures the magic of the moment.