Wine Enthusiast – October 2019

40 | WINE ENTHUSIAST | OCTOBER 2019

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BIG VIN JAPAN

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okyo is a destination for food

and drink. For wine lovers, it

offers a scene rivaling Paris,

New York or London. The

city’s love affair with wine

began with the classics, and today, it boasts

an abundance of destinations specializing

in fine Fre nch, Italian and German wines,

often at surprisingly reasonable prices.

Elevage II in Kagurazaka is a wine bar

focused on mature and rare vintages with

a heavy emphasis on Bordeaux, Burgundy

and Champagne. Its roster of more than 30

by-the-glass selections changes daily and

includes gems like 1983 d’Yquem or ’40’s

Madeira in exceptionally good conditions.

More than a passing trend, the natural

wine movement has also long occupied a

vital part of Tokyo’s drinking culture.

Many of Tokyo’s natural wine bars

offer remarkably French experiences.

La Pioche in Nihonbashi and Meguro

Un Jour (formerly known as the Tokyo

outpost of Paris’s Le Verre Volé) are two of

the most outstanding examples. Both off er

bistro staples like housemade charcuterie

or boudin noir alongside well-curated

selections of mostly French wines.

If you can elbow your way in, tiny,

standing-room, cash-only bars like

Winestand Waltz in Ebisu or the slightly

roomier Ahiru Store in Shibuya off er hard-

to-fi nd natural wines in a cozy, congenial

atmosphere that’s distinctly Japanese.

The sommelier culture in Tokyo is

deeply learned, but also pays meticulous

attention to wine and food pairings that

crisscross regional boundaries with fl air.

Bunon in Nishi Azabu features traditional

Japanese cuisine with a heavy emphasis

on fresh seafood and quirky selections of

natural wines from around the world. For

fi ne dining with a touch of whimsy, the

two-Michelin-starred L’Effervescence

executes Japanese-French haute cuisine

alongside pairings of saké, wine and more.

In recent years, the quality and

popularity of domestic Japanese wines

featuring indigenous grapes like Koshu

or hybrid varieties like Delaware have

skyrocketed. Tucked away in Araki-cho,

one of Shinjuku’s off-the-beaten-path

drinking districts, Nippon Wine Nakamura

is a serene, Liliputian wine bar devoted to

such Japanese off erings, with only eight

seats. More casual, Kurabuu, in Ginza,

off ers around 200 selections of domestic

wine alongside a full dining menu.

Seating is competitive at most restau-

rants, so call ahead. —Anna Lee C. Iijima

WINING STREETS OF TOKYO

A longtime beacon for food lovers, this city’s dynamic vinous scene is ripe for exploration.