Before COVID-19, we would invite Bokumo's customers and staff on a winery tour every year, which we called an "Adult Excursion."
The first time we did this was in 2014. It was a while ago, so I've forgotten why I decided to do it, but once we ran it, it was unexpectedly well-received, and since then it has become a popular annual event at Bokumo.
The first time was in the fall of 2014, we rented a large bus and toured a winery in Shiojiri City, Nagano Prefecture. I think about 25 people participated. There was even a section on the bus where the chef sang while playing guitar, which was really fun.
After touring the fields and brewing facilities, you will enjoy a tasting of Kikyogahara Merlot at Suntory Shiojiri Winery.
Afterwards, we brought the wine into the restaurant and did some pairing with the hors d'oeuvres. I'm sure it was a delight, but it was eight years ago, so my memory is a bit hazy.
In the fall of 2015, we went on an overnight tour of Yamanashi. There were about 20 of us. On the first day, we visited the Suntory Tominooka Winery and had a thorough winery tour. On the second day, we participated in the Chateau Mercian Harvest Festival.
Thinking back, the night in Kofu on the first day of this tour was amazing. There was a really cool alley in front of the station, and as expected, almost everyone let loose there.
Of course, as the organizer, I made sure to reserve enough single rooms in a business hotel for everyone to avoid any mistakes.
However, the next morning, the married woman's cell phone was found in the single man's room.
Well, in reality, they were just having a drink in their room and nothing special happened (the truth is still unknown).
This tour taught me that overnight adult field trips can be dangerous. It was a good learning experience for me, and made me think about what it must be like to be a teacher on a school trip.
In 2016, I had hoped to visit a sake brewery, but the master brewer told me, "It's best to come in the winter when the sake is brewed," so I postponed my autumn trip until winter.
The following February, I went to the sake brewery "Enasan" in Nakatsugawa. There were about 20 people there.
An incident occurred on the morning of the tour.
Two people were late for the meeting time.
After waiting a little while, one of them jumped up onto the bus and kowtowed.
The other person didn't look like she would make it in time at all, so I decided to pick her up by bus at her house. She is still talked about by regulars as "the woman who made a large bus park in front of her house."
It was sunny in Nagoya, but it was snowing in Nakatsugawa. The Enayama Brewery is a historical building in the old Nakatsugawa-shuku, and the falling snow created a nice atmosphere and made me forget about the lateness incident. It was a really beautiful view. Thank you very much to the master brewer, Mr. Iwagaya, for your help.
Afterwards, we went to our local winery, Komaki Winery, where head brewer, Mr. Shirai, gave us a tour of the fields and winery.
I think it's an amazing goal to combine supporting the independence of people with disabilities with making delicious wine, and I want to support them.
In the fall of 2017, we went on a bus tour to Shiga. We heard that Osawa Holdings, which owns a winery in New Zealand, runs a garden facility called "Roseberry Tawada" in Shiga, so we decided to visit there. This year, we had a large group of more than 30 people.
After a stroll through the gardens and some Manuka honey ice cream, we had some BBQ lamb with some Osawa Wines (Hawke's Bay, NZ). It was delicious.
From there, we went to Hitomi Winery in Shiga, which is famous for its cloudy wine. We had the chance to see the carbonic maceration process and taste the grape juice before fermentation, which was a valuable experience.
For the 2018 excursion, we decided to change things up a bit and head to Himakajima Island to enjoy the pairing of white wine and seafood rather than visiting a winery.
There were about 30 people in this trip. It took 20 minutes by chartered high-speed boat from Kawa Port. The 30 bottles of white wine that we had sent in advance and the seafood from the fisherman's inn were "delicious!" over and over again. And in no time, the 30 bottles of wine were gone.
We had a little bit of time before the return boat, so we all had fun strolling around the beach.
In 2019, we held a fairly large event, the Bokumo 10th Anniversary Party at Nagoya Club Quattro, so we didn't have any energy left over and couldn't go on an excursion.
Then the coronavirus hit. Before we knew it, 2020 and 2021 were here. And if things continue like this, it looks like we won't be able to make it to 2022 either.
So, what will happen next year, 2023?
I really want to do it. I want to do it for the first time in five years.
If you go "far" and "stretch your legs", something is bound to happen at that destination. And you can share that event with the people who went with you. That's fun. It becomes a page in your life.
Letting loose, parking a large bus alongside our house, and singing "It's delicious!" together were all results of trying to go the extra mile.
When I think back on those experiences that took me away from my everyday life, I feel a warmth in my heart. As I write this, I feel warm inside.
I see.
Looking back, I thought that kind of warm feeling would be nice, so I decided to do an "adult field trip."
Okay, next year, it's going to be warm again. Let's do it, driven by the exhaustion of the warmth we've been storing up for the past two or three years.
In 2014, Bokumo was a store selling wines from various countries, but now Bokumo is a store selling only New Zealand wines. So, next time, I want to make an excursion related to New Zealand wines.
Let's all go on a trip to NZ! It would be great, but it's difficult to get everyone together for a 10-hour flight each way (although I'd like to make it happen someday).
So then...
New Zealand wine x camping! Maybe!
BBQ with New Zealand lamb and king salmon. All wines are New Zealand wines. We'll also be ordering New Zealand craft beer.
Beer, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot, and finishing off with Syrah around the campfire.
The next morning, I had kiwi fruit salad and Vegemite toast. What is this taste?! I'm sure the mixed reviews will add to the next page.
I would be happy if not only Bokumo customers but also people who have connected with us through Bokumo Wine would come.
In terms of location, ideally somewhere with mountains and a lake that evokes the scenery of New Zealand.
All right.
First, let's go and check out the site by solo camping!
