Located in Sapporo Minami 2 Higashi 2, "道産ワイン応援団winecafé veraison" is a wine bar where you can enjoy a variety of Hokkaido-produced wines through tastings in a glass. The owner of the shop started grape cultivation and opened a wine shop in Sapporo through various connections. You can enjoy hearing stories from the winemakers while sipping on wine. They regularly offer wines that are hard to come by, served by the glass. On this particular day, I had the opportunity to savor some rare wines in a glass. Here is what I enjoyed: vermaro Blanc 2022, MARO wines Chardonnay 2022, MARO wines pimot noir 2022 Blanc de Noir, ぶたさん 2013, tap-kop blanc-z 2015, 學 PINOT NOIR 2020, tap-kop pinot noir 2013, and ヲソキナイノルビー 2020.

Near Nijo Market, in a modest building basement, there is a small, cramped wine bar with limited seating. The chairs and tables are simple and not very comfortable. However, the selection of wines is amazing. There are many wines I have never seen or heard of before, mostly from Hokkaido (with a few from Yamanashi's Kyoeido as well). There are probably more than 10 different types of wines available by the glass. When I visited, there were 2 types of sparkling wines, and around 5-6 options each for white and red wines. It felt like there could be even more options to explore. Most of these wines were new to me, from producers like Uenotsu Vineyard, Due Ponti, Eveotsu Vine, and Utsunomiya Vineyard. I had heard of Utsunomiya Vineyard's Oso Kina Inoruby before, but tasting it was a first. There were also experimental wines made by aspiring winemakers that are not yet commercially available. All of them had quite interesting flavors. It felt like the future of Hokkaido wines was being shaped here. As for snacks, the selection was limited. Plates like Vereson Plate and cheese assortments were nicely presented and tasted good, but the service was a bit slow. This place seems to be more about tasting rare Hokkaido wines. For my last glass, I tried a wine from the well-known 10R Winery. The fact that such wines are casually available here shows the impressive range of wines they offer.

The menu includes sparkling, red wine, and white wine, and you can choose from several types of wine when you indicate which one you want to drink. First, I had a tasting set with wine and food. It included crunchy burdock, tender chicken, sweet orange, and satisfyingly light bread. Everything was delicious. Although I usually prefer white wine, I felt like having red wine and ordered an additional glass. It was a light and easy-to-drink red wine that allowed me to taste the grapes rather than being heavy. I would like to visit again when I want to enjoy delicious wine. Thank you for the meal.

I had a white wine from a young, up-and-coming winemaker that cost 2000 yen for a bottle of white and a bottle of red. The white wine from Mr. Hamada in Mikasa was incredibly delicious. This restaurant offers a lot of enjoyment in discovering new wines, and it's a great feeling when you find something you really like. I will definitely visit again.

I visited a wine shop called "Exploring Hokkaido Wine" for the first time. They gather wines from various regions of Hokkaido, and the wines available vary depending on the day's arrivals. You can enjoy wines produced by local wineries with great care, and sometimes you can even try wines that are not sold to the general public if the timing is right. I look forward to visiting from time to time and tasting various wines.

The Hokkaido Wine and Cheese Platter (¥1,100) features three types of Hokkaido-produced cheeses sourced from a small cheese maker that is not widely distributed. The owner, who is like a kind mother figure, personally makes the cheeses and provides detailed explanations. Cheese lovers often also enjoy wine, and those who enjoy wine tend to also like cheese, creating a special connection. The owner has a secret supplier for unique cheeses and offers a variety of wines to pair with the cheeses based on personal preferences. The rich and deep flavors of the cheeses paired with Hokkaido wines create a satisfying experience, perfect for when you want to relax and enjoy Hokkaido wines.

When I visited Sapporo on a business trip, one of the recommended stores by multiple locals was this one, called "Wine Cafe Veraison." At first, I didn't quite understand what they meant by "dosan," but then I realized it refers to Hokkaido-produced wines, as "dosan" means "produced in Hokkaido." So, this place gathers and offers wines produced in Hokkaido for tasting. I started with a toast with wine from Matsubara Farm Winery in Rankoshi Town, Hokkaido. Since it was a special occasion, I decided to try various wines one after another. Next, I tried the wine from OcciGabi Winery in Yoichi, Hokkaido, known as the hometown of Nikka whiskey. Then, I tasted the wine from Okushiri Winery, which is said to have high-quality white wines in Hokkaido. I also had the opportunity to taste wine from Obuse Winery in Nagano, which was surprisingly delicious. It seems that wineries along the Chikuma River in Nagano are also gaining attention and competing with Hokkaido-produced wines. The experience at Wine Cafe Veraison, supporting Hokkaido-produced wines, was very valuable to me, as I rarely had the chance to taste such wines. I ended the visit with a Pinot Noir from Chitose Winery in Hokkaido. I look forward to visiting this place again on my next trip.

I saw this restaurant on Facebook and was interested in it. A friend had been here before, so they brought me along. The place is a supporter of Hokkaido wines, with a great selection of wines and the owner shares interesting stories about the wineries they visited. I had a great time and as I enjoy visiting wineries in Hokkaido, this place really hit the spot. I definitely want to come back again.

This time we started with Mon-san. It ended lightly.

There are various wines from Hokkaido, and it's fun to try different ones by the glass! I used it as a wine bar and enjoyed it. Thank you for the meal!

I enjoyed it again this time!

I had a glass of wine and three appetizers as a set. The wine and appetizers were delicious, but the portion size was very small.

There are many wines that you don't see elsewhere, which is great. I ordered three types of snacks, but they were just okay. The female server smelled bad, and it was uncomfortable when she came close.

I walked from the east side of Chuo Ward Soseigawa East (Naebo Station) towards Susukino and heard that I could have a drink around the Nijo Market area. I arrived at Wine Café Veraison, located in the basement of the Daito Building across from Heberek. It was still before 6:00 PM, but the place was about 80% full. I ordered the "Choi Nomiset @1,000" (one drink and three snacks) and asked for a "red wine." The wine served was the "2013 Petit Poculan" (Gamay) from France. It had a youthful and fruity taste with a refreshing acidity and a rich berry flavor. The snack trio included meatloaf (balsamic flavor), cheese popcorn (chili pepper). Compared to typical izakaya snacks, the snacks here were not as satisfying. The background music was relaxing chanson, and the atmosphere was comfortable. It's a place where you can leisurely enjoy and explore different wines.