Fujimaru Winery - BUDOU TO IKIRU DELAWARE

Budou to Ikiru Delaware 2023 is a dry, medium-bodied white wine crafted by Kiyosumi-Shirakawa Fujimaru Winery in Tokyo, using Delaware grapes grown by the local farming collective Budou to Ikiru in Yamagata City. This project, formed by young locals determined to preserve their hometown’s vineyards, reflects both a deep respect for the land and a modern approach to natural winemaking. Unfiltered, unsulphured, and fermented with wild yeast, the result is a vivid, textural wine that fully captures the character of the 2023 vintage. 

Tasting Notes

Vibrant and juicy, showing layers of pineapple, banana, and Watson pomelo, wrapped in the signature candy-like sweetness of Delaware. Fresh acidity balances a soft bitterness from the skins, giving structure and depth. The palate combines tropical brightness with savoury, dashi-like umami, finishing long and slightly tannic. Serve well-chilled to highlight its freshness and aromatic lift. 

Winemaking

The 2023 growing season in Yamagata was marked by hot days, little rainfall, and warm nights, resulting in ripe grapes with high sugar and lower acidity. To showcase the full expression of this vintage, the team decided to blend two wines, white and orange, made from the same grapes at the same time. The former was pressed in whole bunches and fermented slowly for 16 days. The wine was then racked and matured in stainless steel tanks. In the latter, the grapes were carefully selected and put in whole bunches for 14 days in closed tanks (semi-carbonic maceration), then the tanks were opened and pressed. Fermentation continued for 14 days, allowing the elements from the grape skins to be extracted carefully and to the maximum extent possible. The combination delivers the dry strength of the white with the aromatic richness and gentle tannins of the orange, resulting in a layered and beautifully textured expression of Delaware. 

Food Pairing

Karaage, spring rolls, kushi-katsu, deep-fried oysters, okonomiyaki, takoyaki, salted yakitori, or salads with burrata, arugula, and tomato. Also pairs nicely with carrot rapé or fresh goat cheese