Katsunuma Winery Blending Workshop

The Katsunuma Winery Blending Workshop takes place at a boutique winery in the Katsunuma district of Koshu City, arranged through the Koshu City Tourism Association, and lets participants move beyond tasting into the technical side of winemaking. The 1.5-to-2-hour session opens with a guided walkthrough of the winery's pressing and fermentation areas, explaining how Koshu grapes are handled differently from the region's Muscat Bailey A red grapes, before moving to a hands-on blending session where participants mix small samples of base wines from both varieties in different ratios to create their own personal blend, guided by the winemaker on how ratio changes affect sweetness, acidity, and color. The final blend each participant settles on is bottled and labeled with their own recipe to take home, turning the session into a tangible souvenir as much as an educational one. The format is a wine-focused workshop rather than a paired meal, so no food course is included. The ¥5,000 fee covers the winery walkthrough and blending session with one bottle to take home; an ¥8,000 tier includes a second bottle and a small cheese pairing plate. Reservations should be made at least three days ahead given the small, workshop-style group size, and October–November during the harvest and pressing season offers the most active winery visit. Because the session involves alcohol, participants must be of Japan's legal drinking age of 20, and a non-alcoholic observation-only option can sometimes be arranged with advance notice.