The Viticulture Edge

Adam Toda and Jamie Paquin
  • 5.0 (3)
  • 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. 1d ago

    #14 - Unexpected Pleasures with Dennis Murphy of Two Cats Imports - Nora Kura Rouge

    As an importer, how is Japanese wine received in the US?What are some of the challenges you see with the Japanese wine industry from the outside looking in? In this episode we speak with Dennis Murphy of Two Cats Imports and Sunflower Sake in Portland, Oregon. Two Cats Imports focuses on wines from Japanese producers committed to the ethos and essence of their fruit, giving each wine its own unique voice. Many of the wines in their portfolio come from grapes that are uncommon in the wider wine world, such as hybrids like Delaware and Muscat Bailey A and even table grapes like Kyoho. Despite these unfamiliar grapes, the wines are distinctly and uniquely Japanese. During our conversation we cover a range of topics, such as what makes Japanese wine unique, the perception of Japanese wine abroad, challenges facing the Japanese wine industry as it grows and expands abroad, and the hurdles of starting an import business. This episode features the Nora Kura Rouge, a natural red wine from Hakodate in southern Hokkaido, Japan’s northern most major island. Ken and Kazuko Sasaki started the winery in 2011 after studying winemaking at the University of Burgundy and working with producers throughout France focusing on low intervention wine-making. Nora Kura continues that low-intervention approach by growing their vines without industrial fertilizers, pesticides, or fungicides and encouraging soil health and biodiversity in the vineyard. Their small operation produces about 13,000 bottles a year from sourced fruit and their estate vineyards of primarily Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Follow Dennis Murphy on Instagram @isomaltpdx Follow Two Cats Imports on Instagram @twocatsimports Follow Nora Kura on Instagram @nora___kura 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. If you like this show please consider rating it or telling a friend about it! Every additional listen and like helps us share the unique stories of these underrepresented wine regions with the world. A big thanks to @chigita_yusuke for the post production on our episodes.

  2. May 13

    #13.J - カナダでのワーキングホリデー - ゲスト：Saori Wakiyama - Spearhead Winery - キュヴェ ピノノワール

    ​日本人としてカナダで暮らし、働く中で得た最大の学びとは？​海外で暮らしたい人へのアドバイスは？ 今回のエピソードでは、カナダ・ブリティッシュコロンビア州オカナガンバレー、ケロウナにある Spearhead Winery で働く Saori Wakiyama にお話を伺いました。 Saori さんはカナダへ渡り、ケロウナの美しい景色、温かい人々、そして素晴らしい夏に魅了されます。日本に住んでいた頃に初めてワインを飲み、その味に惹かれたことをきっかけに、ワインへの興味を深めていきました。ケロウナで数多くのワイナリーに囲まれて暮らす中で、「ワイナリーで働いてみたい」という思いが強くなり、番組でもおなじみの Jaime Paquin さんの紹介を通じて、Spearhead Winery で働き始めました。 今回の対談では、ワイナリーで働く日々、日本人として海外で暮らす中で直面した挑戦、そしてそこから得た大きな学びについて語っていただいています。実はこのエピソード、2025年夏に収録されたものです！中々リリースが出来なかったです！ また今回、Saori さんがお気に入りのワインとして紹介してくれたのは、Spearhead Winery の Cuvée Pinot Noir。複数の畑から選ばれた樽をブレンドして造られるワインで、ヴィンテージごとにブレンド内容が異なるため、味わいにも個性が表れます。 日本で Spearhead Winery のワインを購入するには Heavenly Vines 海外での購入はこちら Wine Searcher Saori さんのInstagram @saorikw22 番組へのご質問やコメントもぜひお寄せください！皆さんからの声が、番組をより良くする大きな力になります。また、「自分もゲストに向いているかも？」と思った方もぜひお気軽にご連絡ください。 Spotify、Instagram（@the_viticulture_edge_podcast）、またはメール（the.viticulture.edge@gmail.com）でお待ちしています。 この番組を気に入っていただけたら、ぜひ評価やシェアをお願いします！皆さんの一つひとつの再生や応援が、まだ広く知られていない魅力的なワイン産地の物語を世界へ届ける力になります。

  3. Feb 25

    #12 - Story with Scott McGregor and Rob Power - Lakeview Wine Co. and Creekside Estate Winery

    In this episode we interview Scott McGregor, winemaker at Lakeview Wine Co., and Rob Power, winemaker at Creekside Estate Winery. Based in Niagara, Ontario, Lakeview Wine Co. and Creekside Estate Winery are two wineries under the same ownership but of different scale and different varietal focus. These varietal differences are influenced by Niagara’s diverse growing conditions facilitated by glacial tilled soils, the Great Lakes, and the Niagara escarpment. Everything from Riesling and Chardonnay, grapes with refreshing elegance, to bolder grapes such as Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon can be found in Niagara. As veterans of the Niagara wine scene we discuss with Scott and Rob how the industry and Niagara has changed over the past 30 years and the how the stories we tell ourselves influence our perception of “good”. Small-batch isn’t necessarily always better, what Niagara was 30 years ago is not what it is today, and Canada isn’t igloos and kayaks. In this episode we discussed different wines from both producers, including the Lakeview Wine Co. Fume Blanc and the Creekside Winery Blanc de Blanc traditional method sparkling. We’d love for you to enjoy these and other wines from these producers. As a special offer for podcast listeners, get 10% off when you purchase Lakeview Wine Co. and Creekside Estate Winery wines from Heavenly Vines. Use the code CreekLake10 at checkout! Find wines from Lakeview Wine Co. and Creekside Winery on Heavenly Vines: ​Lakeview Wine Co.​Creekside Estate Winery Follow Lakeview Wine Co. on Instagram: @lakeviewwineco Follow Creekside Winery on Instagram: @creeksidewine 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. If you like this show please consider rating it or telling a friend about it! Every additional listen and like helps us share the unique stories of these underrepresented wine regions with the world.

  4. 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。

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 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
    18
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Adam Toda and Jamie Paquin
  • Show Website
    The Viticulture Edge