Customers often ask me , "Sommelier, do you know any good restaurants? Please tell me."
But unfortunately, I don't know much about it.
This is because in most cases, the store's opening hours overlap with ours.
I often hear good reviews about other restaurants and I want to go there. But when the people at those restaurants are working hard to build up that good reputation, I'm also working hard.
So, when someone asks me to recommend a good restaurant, I immediately offer them a magazine or book that I have in my restaurant. (Of course, my restaurant is featured in that magazine or book, so it's in my restaurant.)
Why? There's a good reason for this.
That's because the people who cover our store aren't the type to be paid to promote the store . If the reporters, whose faces come to mind, create a magazine or book using information they've gathered on their own, I think there won't be any mistakes.
However, even though I am a naive person, I do have a little bit of information that I have gathered on my own. That information is the title of this article, "Three wine bars that a Nagoya sommelier frequents after work" (not much, haha).
In other words, if I go out there late at night, there's a good chance I'll run into someone in the same business.
I don't know how much demand there is for such nerdy information, but... The last train has already passed, but I'd like to have a leisurely drink today, even if it's just by taxi. What's more, I want to drink high-quality wine that even professionals would be impressed with.
If you find yourself in such a situation, please refer to this.
1. Wine & Cafe Non (Non) 3-chome Nishiki, Naka-ku, Nagoya
I think this is a very important store in the Nagoya wine industry. It is a wine bar run by senior sommelier Norie Imamura.
This Imaura-san is a tough guy who came second in the 3rd blind tasting contest hosted by the Japan Sommelier Association. I won't go into how amazing the contest was here, but my impression from watching from the sidelines was, "It's not surprising he came second in the country at all."
That's because he's studied wine like crazy. Yesterday I met him at a tasting in Nagoya, today he's at a study session in Tokyo, and tomorrow he's at a seminar in Osaka. Even if he goes on a business trip, he comes back the same day and works until late at night with a cool look on his face. He's an iron man!
The wines on offer are the latest and most interesting wines from all over the world. Some are so niche that you'll be impressed, while others are standard wines that you should be familiar with. If you want to know more about wine, you'll definitely be excited.
However, I think the best thing about this store isn't the wine, but the personality of Ms. Imaura. She has a lot of knowledge, but she's not pushy at all. She'll tell you anything with a smile and a joke. Beginners and wine buffs are all welcome. She's like a big sister to everyone, and she's really wonderful. I want to say thank you for always working so late.
Imaura-san also occasionally travels to overseas wineries, so it's a good idea to make a reservation before you go.
They don't have a large selection of New Zealand wines, but they do have one in their selection, which they will serve by the glass.
Shine Sigma Building B1F, 3-7-5 Nishiki, Naka-ku, Nagoya → Google Map
052-971-0787 Business hours: 15:00-2:30 (last order) Closed: Sundays
2. Presente (Presenchi) Izumi, Higashi-ku, Nagoya
When you open the door, you'll see a long counter seating area. In other words, it's a style that welcomes solo diners . It's an unpretentious wine bar with comfortable jazz music in the background.
The shop had been in Ichinomiya for a long time, but moved to its current location in Higashi-Katabata, Higashi Ward in 2015. Since then, I've been a fan of this place.
I was a little scared when I first went there because there was no wine list, no food menu, no printed materials, no blackboards.
That is why the owner, Mr. Ito, has a very strong passion for wine.
How do they create this aroma and flavor? And what exactly is wine? I'm Mr. Wineholic, and I think about these things every day.
My specialty is France. I have been to Burgundy and Champagne many times, and have seen many different vineyards and producers, so I have real information.
Also, they have so many aged wines that it makes you wonder how much they have in stock. If you like aged wines, you'll be hooked.
Recently, he has also been putting effort into promoting Japanese wine, inviting winemakers to hold study sessions and spreading the word about its appeal.
"When it comes to producers at overseas wineries, there are always language and cultural barriers, making it difficult to understand the true essence of winemaking. But when you ask direct questions to Japanese winemakers, it's interesting because it reveals a side of wine that we didn't know about."
That's what they say.
However, if I write too much about this, it might seem like a stuffy place where only wine geeks can go, but in reality, it's not like that at all. As I wrote at the beginning, it's basically a laid back style that welcomes single diners. There's no need to be on edge. The atmosphere is nice, so it's also great for ending a date. But the hidden depth of the wines there is huge. That's it.
Also, Mr. Ito is from the famous live house "Jazz in Lovely" in Nagoya, so he is a big jazz fan. I recommend this place to those who want to learn the basics of jazz. It's open until 3am.
Sauvignon Blanc is a common New Zealand wine.
Viare Storia 2C, 2-1-28 Izumi, Higashi-ku, Nagoya → Google Map
090-3939-1951 Business hours: 20:00-3:00 the next day Closed: Irregular holidays
3. IL MATTO (Ilmatto) Ikeshita, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya
It's a 5-minute walk north from Ikeshita Station. This area used to have a downtown vibe, but in recent years, tower apartments have been built one after another and it has become quite high-class.
"The streetscape has changed a lot. Well, we haven't changed our style much though."
That's what the bearded owner of the shop, Iwatsuki, said.
But watching Iwatsuki from across the counter, I get the feeling that it's precisely because he's been able to make such successful changes that he's been able to run this wine bar in this location for 10 years.
It's not over the top, but not unsatisfying either. It's homey, but with just the right amount of tension. That's the type of place it is.
When a town changes, the people naturally change too. The store accepts this change and creates an atmosphere that newcomers can enjoy. But it also takes care to ensure that long-time customers can spend their time here comfortably.
It's not easy to continue making such fine tuning adjustments for 10 years.
I'm sure it's because he continues to make fine adjustments like this that he's able to do it "without changing his style too much" overall.
By the way, Mr. Iwatsuki is a certified senior sommelier. In the wine industry, this exam is said to be getting harder every year, so passing it means you have some pretty nerdy knowledge. However, at the same time, you also work as a lecturer for beginners at a wine school.
In other words, he knows every corner of wine, which is why he can flexibly accommodate a wide range of customers.
Every autumn, you can see students relying on Professor Iwatsuki to study for the tasting section of their sommelier exams, humming along at the counter.
New Zealand wine is sometimes there and sometimes not.
There is no background music. It's actually quite relaxing.
Nagoya City, Chikusa Ward, Ikeshitacho 2-55 → Google Map
052-734-3335 Business hours: 19:00-2:00 Closed: Mondays
All three of these shops are run by single owners who are passionate about wine.
People who love wine are the kind of people who are extremely happy when more people become wine lovers.
So if you visit, don't be afraid to ask about wine. I'm sure they'll tell you with sparkling eyes.
