# NECO Series Genchi Niagara & Neo Muscat (2024)

- **Producer:** Fattoria AL FIORE
- **Colour:** orange
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Niagara, Neo Muscat, Seibel 9110
- **Region:** Miyagi, Japan
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 10.5%
- **Average price:** €45
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** No
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 7–10 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** nectarine, mango, lemon, orange, white pepper, herbaceous

## About this wine

Fattoria AL FIORE was founded by Hirotaka Meguro, a former chef from Sendai who transitioned into winemaking following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake to revitalize abandoned farmland in Kawasaki Town, Miyagi Prefecture. The winery operates inside a repurposed elementary school gymnasium. The 'NECO' series represents experimental collaborations, with each bottling named after a rescued cat. 'Genchi' honors a stray cat nursed back to health, symbolizing strength and vitality.

## Interesting facts

- The winery is housed inside a repurposed elementary school gymnasium in Kawasaki Town.
- 'NECO' stands for Nuova Esperimento and COoperazione while punning on the Japanese word for cat.
- 'Genchi' was named after a weak stray cat rescued near a convenience store and nursed to health.
- Made with zero added sulfites (0 mg/L total added SO2), sugar, or acid.

## Food pairing

This vibrant orange wine combines aromatic citrus and tropical floral traits with subtle skin-contact tannins and crisp acidity. Its gentle texture and refreshing minerality make it an outstanding match for Japanese dishes featuring raw fish, wild mountain vegetables, or citrus-seasoned proteins, as well as light Southeast Asian street food where fresh herbs and mild spice thrive.

## Wine making process

Grapes are sourced from viticulturist Yuzuru Sasaki in Shiwa Town, Iwate Prefecture. Each variety (51% Niagara, 38% Neo Muscat, 10% Seibel 9110) is vinified separately, undergoing two weeks of semi-carbonic maceration on skins for gentle extraction. Fermentation occurs spontaneously using 100% indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks with zero added sulfites, sugar, or acid. The wine undergoes two months of sur lie aging before blending, racking, and bottling unfined and unfiltered, followed by six months of bottle aging prior to release.