Profiling Japan's Top Koshu Producers

choi

Patrick Schmitt, Profiling Japan's top Koshu producers; Koshu is the king of Japanese grapes, and as Patrick Schmitt MW prepares to lead a masterclass on the subject in the UK in February, he explains its appeal. London: The Drinks Business, Jan 2, 2018
https://www.thedrinksbusiness.co ... op-koshu-producers/
("Of the many things that make Japanese wine stand out, the most distinctive must be the Koshu grape. * * * the grape is grown pretty much exclusively in Japan. Koshu is allied to the birth of Japan's wine industry, but has barely spread beyond the nation's boundaries. And, in the country itself, as much as 95% of the variety comes from one region: Yamanashi. * * * The most important [reason] concerns its resistance to disease. With thick skins, it is particularly good at fending off rot, which is a prevalent threat in Japan's main winegrowing areas because of the combination of warmth and rainfall during the summer. There's also its appearance. Koshu has pink berries, making it a pretty and striking addition to the landscape. Then there’s the style of wine it produces. Naturally low in alcohol * * * If there's a go-to producer for top-end Koshu it is Katsunuma Jyōzō Winery 勝沼醸造 株式会社, which takes its name from the heartland of Koshu growing, the Katsunuma sub-region in Yamanashi")

Note:
(a) There is no need to read the rest.
(b) The "MW" behind author's name stands for Masters of Wine.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_of_Wine

Currently there are about 380 Masters of Wine world wide.
(c) Koshu (grape)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koshu_(grape)
(甲州 kōshū)

Yamanashi Prefecture 山梨県 is "featuring a fertile central valley, the Kōfu Basin [甲府盆地], surrounded by many of the highest mountains in Japan including the highest, Mount Fuji located on the southern border with Shizuoka" Prefectire 静岡県.  en.wikipedia.org for "Yamanashi Prefecture."

The kanji 梨 has Japanese pronunciation "nashi" and Chinese pronunciation "ri" (again Japanese transliteration has no letter L, only R).
(d) Katsunuma-chō 勝沼町, Higashiyamanashi-gun 東山梨郡, Yamanashi Prefecture.

The kanji 東 has Japanese pronunciation "higashi" and Chinese pronunciation "tō."