The Viticulture Edge

Adam Toda and Jamie Paquin
  • 5.0 (2)
  • FOOD
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A Japan-Canada winecast focusing on 2 little-known regions of the wine world. Hosted by Adam Toda and Jamie Paquin in Tokyo, we share and introduce a bottle of Japanese or Canadian wine in each episode; talking about the stories behind the wine, the winemakers, the place, and other musings the bottle brings forth. We also interview winemakers and wine personalities in Japan and Canada to share their stories, challenges, and philosophies. You’re encouraged to drink along with us and listen to the story of each bottle. Follow us on Instagram @the_viticulture_edge_podcast for news & updates.

  1. FEB 4

    #11.J - 歴史 - ゲスト：秩父ワインディレクター兼ソムリエの村田道子 - 秩父ワイン - KARASAWA メルロー

    ​80年以上前、日本でワイナリーはどのように始まったのでしょうか？​そして、ワイン造りは80年前から今日まで、どのように進化してきたのでしょうか？ 今回のエピソードでは、東京の北、埼玉県の山々に囲まれた秩父ワインを訪ねました。秩父ワインの歴史は1940年以前にさかのぼります。創業者である浅見源作は、まだ日本でワインを飲む文化が一般的ではなく、ワインを保存するための容器も一升瓶（1.7リットルの日本酒瓶）しかなかった時代に、秩父ワインを立ち上げました。 現在、その志と伝統は、ディレクター兼ソムリエの村田道子さんと、5代目当主でありヘッドワインメーカーの島田昇さんによって受け継がれています。お二人は、曾祖父である浅見源作から続く、世代を超えたワイン造りの系譜を守り続けています。 村田道子さんとの対談では、曾祖父のエピソード、ワイン造りの家庭で育った幼少期の思い出、そして時代とともに変化してきた秩父ワインの醸造について、貴重なお話を伺いました。 このエピソードでは、「唐沢メルロー」を一緒に味わいました。このワインは、樹齢25年のメルローが植えられた自社畑のブドウから造られています。畑を造成する際には、近隣の武甲山から石をトラックで運び込み、排水性やミネラルバランスを高めるために土壌に埋め込むという、非常に手間のかかる工程が行われました。この一本には、秩父ワイン一家のワイン造りへの深いこだわりが表れています。 秩父ワインの最新情報はこちらからご覧いただけます： Instagram @chichibuwinegensaku 公式ウェブサイト www.chichibuwine.co.jp Wine Searcher（お近くでの取り扱い情報） https://www.wine-searcher.com/merchant/154077-chichibu-wine ご質問やご感想は大歓迎です。皆さまの声が番組の改善につながります。また、「ぜひ出演してみたい」という方も、ぜひご連絡ください。 Spotify、Instagram（@the_viticulture_edge_podcast）、またはメール（the.viticulture.edge@gmail.com）でお気軽にどうぞ。

    58 min

  2. JAN 24

    #10 - Curation with Anzu Kojima and Alex Kellerhals - Hinoe Winery - Amber

    ​How do non-Japanese drinkers feel about Japanese wine?​For someone starting out with Japanese wine, where should they start? In this episode we visited 3Grapes near Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, a local experience space focusing on Japanese wine introduction and education to non-Japanese speakers. Anzu Kojima, founder of 3Grapes, and Alex Kellerhals, wine specialist at 3Grapes, share their discovery of Japanese wine, how the business got started, and the importance of curation with the experiences they provide and when selecting wines in an emerging wine region. In this episode we feature Hinoe Winery’s “Amber”, a skin-contact wine made from the Koshu white wine grape that Japan has claimed as one of its signature grapes. Located in land-locked Tochigi prefecture north of Tokyo, Hinoe Winery is a new winery with origins as a vegetable and shiitake mushroom farm. The tree rings on their wine labels pay homage to their shiitake mushroom growing roots, which they still grow on cut logs from the forest. Follow 3Grapes on Instagram: @3grapes_tokyo Follow Hinoe Winery on Instagram: @hinoewinery Find Hinoe Winery wines in Japan at 3Grapes or on the Hinoe Winery website. Your questions and comments are appreciated and help us guide and improve the show! Also, if you think you’d make a good guest on the show, let us know! Feel free to reach us on Spotify, on Instagram (@the_viticulture_edge_podcast), or email us at the.viticulture.edge@gmail.com.

    1h 18m

  3. JAN 16

    #9 - Specificity of Place - Bachelder Niagara - Lowrey Vineyard Pinot Noir

    ​Can a single wine represent what an entire region has to offer?​What factors differentiate wines within a single region? Happy new year! The Viticulture Edge is back with more exciting episodes in 2026, including more winemaker interviews and introducing more wines from Japan and Canada. In this episode we discuss how many vineyards and subregions wine regions get broadly categorized into a single region name. Furthermore we often assume a single wine experience from that region represents all wine produced there. In reality there are numerous factors creating differences between producers and even individual wines from a single producer within a wine region. This creates a vast world of often overlooked wine to explore within each region. Fitting with this theme, this episode features Bachelder Niagara’s Lowrey Vineyard Pinot Noir. Known as Canada’s “terroir-ist”, Thomas Bachelder is a Niagara producer obsessed with understanding and mapping the various growing sites within Niagara. His wines focus on single vineyard bottlings of Gamay, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir that express the different growing conditions of each site. Follow Bachelder Niagara on Instagram: @bachelder_wines Find Bachelder Niagara wines in Japan: Heavenly Vines Find Bachelder Niagara wines in your local region: Wine Searcher Your questions and comments are appreciated and help us guide and improve the show! Also, if you think you’d make a good guest on the show, let us know! Feel free to reach us on Spotify, on Instagram, or email us at the.viticulture.edge@gmail.com.

    48 min

  4. 12/02/2025

    #8 - The Process with Vittorio De Stefano - On Seven Estate Winery - The Devotion Chardonnay 2021

    ​How can the vintage change the direction of your winery?​How do you create a business with the next generation in mind? We delve into these questions and more with Vittorio De Stefano, proprietor of On Seven Estate Winery in the Niagara region of Ontario, Canada. On Seven Estate Winery is a boutique producer crafting small batches of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. With only 5 acres under vine and only 250 cases of wine produced per year at the recording of this episode, they’re a micro-production project dedicated to the highest level of quality. The project started in 2009 with Vittorio and his wife purchasing an abandoned farm with the potential to grow great Pinot Noir and Chardonnay due to the limestone content in the soil. Although only 5 acres are under vine now, the project doesn’t aim to grow too much larger — growing to a point where about 800 cases of wine are produced a year, or a little over 3 times their current production. The goal is maintain uncompromising quality and cooperating with nature to best express the terroir. In this episode we feature the 2021 Chardonnay from the estate’s “The Devotion” series, a beautiful wine with an interesting backstory that Vittorio details in the episode. Follow On Seven Estate Winery on Instagram: @onsevenwinery Many thanks to Vittorio for his time for the interview, to Lailey Winery for letting us use the space for the tasting and recording, and to @brentwithglasses for the amazing photography! Your questions and comments are appreciated and help us guide and improve the show! We read everything! Feel free to post your questions or comments on the show itself, on our Instagram, or email us at the.viticulture.edge@gmail.com.

    45 min

  5. 11/09/2025

    #7 - Harvest in Japan - Domaine Murayama - Cedrillon Blanc

    ​How is harvest conducted in Japan?​What role do volunteers play in the harvest and sorting process? In this episode we discuss Adam’s second volunteer excursion to Tomi, Nagano, this time to help with harvest and grape selection. Due to the small scale of many wineries in Japan, many producers rely on volunteers to help them with harvest. The small scale of many producers also means that hand labor is required for harvesting and grape selection for hundreds of kilos of grapes. Our discussion particularly focuses on Adam’s experiences at Domaine Murayama, a boutique producer in Tomi, Nagano producing wine and cider from both estate and purchased grapes and apples. Koki Murayama, the proprietor and winemaker, moved from Osaka in western Japan to Tomi for its potential for producing great wine grapes. In this episode we feature Domaine Murayama’s 2024 Cedrillon Blanc, a white wine made from Chardonnay with a delicate palette and a precise acidic backbone. Follow Domaine Murayama on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/domaine_murayama?igsh=N2YybGl2dHhleG5t

    46 min

  6. 10/17/2025

    #6 - Assemblage with Dean Stoyka - Stratus Vineyards - Stratus Red

    * How do you create different flavors for blending beyond different grape varieties? * How do you continue to evolve your winemaking while still respecting tradition? Located just outside the historic and postcard-esque town of Niagara-on-the-lake, Stratus Vineyards is located just far enough from Lake Ontario to get warmer growing conditions for red varieties during the summer and just close enough to get protection from winter frost. Stratus vineyards produces wines that showcase the art of assemblage or blending. With over 16 varieties planted to the estate, 10 red and 6 white, this wide array of grape varieties gives Stratus a wide palette of flavor profiles to use in their signature blends. In this episode we discuss how “kaizen” or constant small improvements have played a role in Stratus better understanding its vineyards, its land, its wine, and improving with each vintage. This is exemplified in the episode’s featured wine, the Stratus red, an evolving blend of red grapes to create a wine of elegance and complexity. Each vintage is different, reflecting Stratus’ latest understanding of its land, its vines, its grapes, the year, and how to best ferment and blend each parcel. In Japan, find Stratus Vineyards wines at Heavenly Vines: https://heavenlyvines.com/winery/winery_detail.cfm?lang=JP&dmnID=1793&srsltid=AfmBOoouUNbbllhpo3eWEYd2LTLOZQEyDbNwuOK0i4l5xJaPdyNGmPST Or look for their wine in your local area on wine searcher: https://www.wine-searcher.com/merchant/15605-stratus-wines Be sure to follow Stratus Vineyards on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stratuswines?igsh=MW9rNnA4d3NjZmdybw== Many thanks to Stratus Vineyards for their incredible hospitality during our stay and to Dean Stoyka (@lordofvines) for his time during the interview and tour. Also, a huge thank you to Brent Toda (@brentwithglasses) for taking amazing photos during our interview!

    58 min

  7. 09/19/2025

    #5 - Creating Vintage Integrity with Doug Mackenzie - Rosewood Estates Winery - Neptune Riesling

    ​What kinds of challenges do you face with winemaking in Niagara?​How do you create a wine with vintage integrity? We answer these questions and more with Doug Mackenzie, head winemaker at Rosewood Estates Winery in Niagara, Ontario, Canada. Located about an hour and a half south of Toronto on the southern end of Lake Ontario, Rosewood Estates Winery is not only a winery, but a meadery, apiary and a restaurant. With beehives, an estate vegetable and herb garden, and, of course, lots of vines, Rosewood makes their own honey, mead, and kitchen creations from scratch while keeping sustainability and authenticity at the forefront of what they do. Doug shares his journey into wine-making, how they craft wines that reflect each unique and varied Niagara vintage, the challenges of growing grapes and making wine in Niagara, and more in our discussion. During our discussion we discussed Doug’s favorite wines, the Rosé Charmat and the Neptune Riesling. Find these and other wines at your local retailer on wine searcher: https://www.wine-searcher.com/merchant/47734-rosewood-estates-winery-meadery Or at heavenly vines: https://heavenlyvines.com/winery/winery_detail.cfm?lang=EN&dmnID=1799&srsltid=AfmBOorRLVSWYz-uW9Eb3r7JAumXe4qCQR4iVz-N5qOmCvZPdYI5LxEF Also, follow Rosewood Estates Winery on Instagram: @rosewoodwine Many thanks again to all of the folks at Rosewood Estates Winery for the incredible hospitality during our visit and the fabulous lunch at the winery (if you go, you don’t want to miss it!). Also, thank you to Brent Toda (@brentwithglasses) for the beautiful pictures taken during the interview!

    47 min

  8. 09/14/2025

    #4.J - クロッソン・チェイス - Vineyard ピノ・ノワール

    「テロワールを表現するワインは、どうやって造るのか？」 「細部にこだわりながら、ワインに干渉しすぎないためには？」 今回は、カナダ・オンタリオ州プリンス・エドワード・カウンティにあるClosson Chase（クロッソン・チェイス）の醸造責任者キース・タイヤーズ氏とアシスタントワインメーカーのブレイドン・スカリー氏に、彼らの美しい畑と場所について紹介していただきます。 プリンス・エドワード・カウンティ半島内陸部に位置するClosson Chaseは、前回のNorman Hardie Wineryとは異なるミクロクリマを持ち、より力強く、それでいて独自の土地の個性を感じさせるワインを生み出しています。 英語版のエピソードでは、Closson Chaseの「South Clos」畑でキース氏とブレイドン氏にお話を伺いました。湖から吹き込む午後の強い風が、温かい内陸の畑に届く様子など、この土地ならではの雰囲気が感じられるロケーションです。 収録時には、彼らの「Unoaked Vineyard Chardonnay」と「Vineyard Pinot Noir」をいただきました。どちらも「South Clos」と「Churchside」畑をブレンドしたワインです。 お近くの販売店はこちらから検索できます： https://www.wine-searcher.com/merchant/40499-closson-chase また、日本にお住まいの方はHeavenly Vinesでもご購入いただけます： https://heavenlyvines.com/winery/winery_detail.cfm?lang=EN&dmnID=1773&srsltid=AfmBOopkQvb_gngFPGkz-zLtxQeptTmMDGydcggeX9Z8M6cyUq9CLBoY Closson ChaseのInstagramもぜひチェックしてください： @clossonchasevineyards https://www.instagram.com/clossonchasevineyards?igsh=MmprdG9iOXV2M2Vp 今回の訪問で温かいおもてなしをしてくださったClosson Chaseの皆さん（敷地内のレストランもぜひ！）、そして素晴らしい写真を撮ってくれた@brentwithglassesに心から感謝します。

    54 min
See All (15)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

A Japan-Canada winecast focusing on 2 little-known regions of the wine world. Hosted by Adam Toda and Jamie Paquin in Tokyo, we share and introduce a bottle of Japanese or Canadian wine in each episode; talking about the stories behind the wine, the winemakers, the place, and other musings the bottle brings forth. We also interview winemakers and wine personalities in Japan and Canada to share their stories, challenges, and philosophies. You’re encouraged to drink along with us and listen to the story of each bottle. Follow us on Instagram @the_viticulture_edge_podcast for news & updates.

Information

  • Creator
    Adam Toda and Jamie Paquin
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    15
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Adam Toda and Jamie Paquin
  • Show Website
    The Viticulture Edge