READ · COMPARE · EXPLAIN
Riesling Lion: Harvest and cool fermentation in Ohasama
Tracing the Riesling Lion from Ōhasama, Iwate Prefecture, from autumn harvest to winter fermentation. Separate the grape variety, product name, and process timing.
Questions for this course
Is Satsukinagane a wine harvested in May?
Before you start reading, briefly jot down your thoughts. You will rephrase them at the end.
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To explanation task notes ↓Riesling Lion / Learn by grape
Also known as / Alternative names: Riesling Lion
Update date: 2026-09-24
Riesling and Koshu Sanjaku
Riesling Lion is a hybrid of Riesling and Koshu Sanjaku. It is not an alternate name for Riesling. Edelwein introduces it as a late-ripening variety in Ohasama harvested from mid to late October.
Named Satsukinagane (May Nagane)
Satsukinagane is pronounced ‘Satsukinagane’. The producer explains that the name comes from a regional place name and does not signify a May harvest. By distinguishing between the variety name and the product name, it will prevent misunderstandings about the harvest timing based on the label text.
Time spent in low-temperature fermentation and on lees during winter
According to the same producer’s description, they undertake over two months of low-temperature fermentation starting in November, followed by aging on lees until bottling in May. Read this as separate stages of harvesting in autumn, fermentation, then aging after fermentation. This schedule is the producer’s practice, not a universal rule for all varieties.
What to align and what to compare.
Autumn
- Conditions to standardize
- Riesling Lion
- Conditions for comparison.
- Harvested around mid- to late October in Ōhasama / fermentation begins in November
- Additional points to confirm
- Did you separate grape variety and product name?
Winter
- Conditions to standardize
- Riesling Lion
- Conditions for comparison.
- Post-harvest / Low-temperature fermentation lasting over two months
- Additional points to confirm
- Did you distinguish between fermentation and what follows?
Spring
- Conditions to standardize
- Riesling Lion
- Conditions for comparison.
- It does not mean harvested in May / Bottled in May after contact with the lees
- Additional points to confirm
- Did you show the period as an example of a producer?
Order of reading and key points to consider in each article
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- 1↗
Japan
Rethinking Japanese wine through topography and viticulture
Compare the climate of Tōhoku and other regions.
- 2↗
Japan
Broaden the range of varieties from Koshu and Bailey A
Read about Japanese hybrid varieties.
- 3↗
Japan
Kōshū Sur Lie: Interpreting contact with lees
Check for contact with the lees in other white wines.
READ · HYPOTHESIZE · RECONSIDER
Riesling Lion document analysis: Harvest and cool fermentation in Ohasama
This comparative material is based on sources. Please distinguish between the characteristics of grape varieties and the conditions of each region or product as you read.
The table is a summary of the sources below. Values given with product names or vintages are based on data for those specific items.
| Comparison items | Timing in the vineyard | Timing at the winery (producer's explanations). |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn | Harvested around mid- to late October in Ōhasama | Fermentation begins in November. |
| Winter | Post-harvest | Low-temperature fermentation conducted over more than two months |
| Spring | It does not mean harvested in May | Bottled in May after contact with the lees. |
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Read the explanation for each question
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Who are the hybrid parents?
The parentage of Shinano Riesling and Kai Blanc differs. In Shinano Riesling, the place of Kōshū Sanjaku is taken by Chardonnay. Although both share Riesling as a parent, they are separate varieties, and the harvest timing at Ōsako or winemaking methods at Gogatsunagane cannot be universally applied as common conditions.
Does the product name Satsukinagane indicate a May harvest?
The producer explains that the name derives from the local name.
What process follows fermentation in the materials?
Read by distinguishing between the periods during and after fermentation.
Basis and sources for the exercise
Practice exercises in comparison
This comparative material is based on sources. Please distinguish between the characteristics of grape varieties and the conditions of each region or product as you read.
Read examples of organizing comparisons
| Conditions for Comparison | Timing in the vineyard | Timing at the winery (producer's explanations). |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn | Harvested around mid- to late October in Ōhasama | Fermentation begins in November. |
| Winter | Post-harvest | Low-temperature fermentation conducted over more than two months |
| Spring | It does not mean harvested in May | Bottled in May after contact with the lees. |
This is an organized study tool based on the designated articles for this course. You can check specific facts and sources in each article.
Explain in your own words
Compare timing in the vineyard with timing in the cellar (according to the producer’s explanation), and explain their shared and differing conditions.
Check after writing
- Did you separate grape variety and product name?
- Did you distinguish between fermentation and what follows?
- Did you show the period as an example of a producer?
Save response to explanation task
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