Koshu F.O.S.

Producer: Coco Farm & Winery
Region: Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan
Grapes: Koshu 100%
Type: Orange (Amber) wine
Style: Full-bodied, dry, with tannin and grip
Color: Deep amber / burnt orange
Alcohol: 11%
Wild yeast: Yes
Any added sulphites: Minimal
Filtered: No
Serving temperature: 12-14°C
Please store in a cool, dark place.

Tasting notes

F.O.S. stands for “Fermented on Skins.” Since 2004, Coco Farm has fermented Koshu — Japan’s signature white grape, usually made into pale, light wine — together with its skins and seeds, red-wine style, to show off the variety’s naturally firm tannin and depth. The result is a deeply colored, richly aromatic orange wine with notes of dried citrus peel, dried apricot, and tea leaf, a distinctive grip of tannin, and a flavor profile that keeps shifting in the glass. It has real aging potential, developing well over a decade.

Food pairing

Prosciutto and persimmon, smoked salmon with cream cheese, smoked daikon (iburigakko), simmered taro, snow crab, grilled unagi liver, sea urchin cream pasta, grilled Spanish mackerel with tomato-olive sauce, tandoori chicken, oden, and bouillabaisse.

Winemaking

First made in 2004, Koshu F.O.S. was inspired by winery visits to Friuli (Italy), the Jura (France), and Georgia, where indigenous grapes are used to make richly textured, naturally tannic amber/orange wines. Coco Farm applies the same idea to Koshu grown by trusted contract farmers, co-fermenting skins and seeds with the juice as if making a red wine. The 2017 vintage appeared in the wine manga “Kami no Shizuku” (Drops of God), and several vintages have been served in JAL international first class.

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