Spring 2026 Tasting Log — Ten Bottles Across Five Countries

Brewery / Winery Story

Leo Hillinger is a new-generation winery in Austria's Burgenland region. After third-generation owner Leo took over in 1990, he transformed the small family operation into a design-forward, architecturally bold estate — often called a leader of the "Austrian wine renaissance." The Hillinger Cube (a cantilevered glass cube on a hillside) has won multiple architecture awards.

The "ONE" line is Hillinger's design-driven entry tier — minimalist black label with "Nr. 1" denoting bottle number one. Burgenland is known for native red varieties Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch, and St. Laurent; the blends typically show vivid fruit and refined tannins.

Brewery / Winery Story

"Koshi-no" (越乃) is a shared brand prefix for sake from Niigata Prefecture (historically Echigo Province), with famous lines including Koshi-no Kanbai and Koshi-no Kagetora. This bottle's romanization "ETSU NO HAJIME" likely corresponds to 「越乃 始め / はじめ」 — a smaller-scale Niigata regional sake.

The label notes HUE FOODS COMPANY LIMITED as importer — Hue is a city in central Vietnam, so this is a sake imported into Vietnam. Photographed in a Vietnamese sake bar — an unexpected setting for Japanese regional sake. Niigata sakes typically follow the "tanrei karakuchi" (crisp dry) style, well-suited to tropical climates served chilled.

Brewery / Winery Story

Cameronbridge is a grain whisky distillery in Fife, Scotland, founded in 1824 by John Haig — one of the UK's oldest grain distilleries. It primarily supplies Diageo's blended whiskies (Bell's, Johnnie Walker, J&B) and the neutral spirits base for Gordon's Gin and Smirnoff Vodka.

Single Grain = produced at one distillery but using grains other than malted barley (corn, wheat, etc.). Extended aging develops butterscotch, toasted coconut, dark chocolate profiles — a different flavor spectrum from single malt.

Old Particular is Douglas Laing's flagship independent series — every bottle from a single oak cask, non-chill filtered, no coloring. The label lists distillery, distill/bottle dates, cask type and number — collector-level transparency.

Brewery / Winery Story

The Macallan is one of Scotch whisky's most iconic single malt brands, founded in 1824 in Speyside. Its cooperage program is the industry benchmark — owned oak forests, in-house cooperage, sherry casks sourced directly from Jerez, Spain.

The Double Cask range uses American oak + European oak sherry casks together: American oak contributes vanilla, toffee, and ginger; European oak adds dried fruit, leather, and cinnamon. The 12yo is Macallan's flagship entry.

"Natural Colour" means no added E150a caramel — a rare stance in modern Scotch.

Brewery / Winery Story

Casella Wines is an Australian family winery founded in 1969 by Italian immigrant Filippo Casella. The [yellow tail] line launched in 2001 targeting the "easy-drinking, fruity, affordable" segment with a highly recognizable yellow kangaroo label — and quickly became the best-selling imported wine in the US market and a perennial leader in Australian exports.

The Moscato uses the ancient Italian grape variety, showing white peach, lychee, honey aromatics with high residual sugar, lively acidity, and fine bubbles. ABV 7–8.5% — an approachable entry-level wine, great with fruit, desserts, spicy food, or as a party aperitif.

Brewery / Winery Story

Homare Shuzo (ほまれ酒造) is a renowned brewery in Aizu, Fukushima — one of Tohoku's most celebrated. Its flagship "Aizu Homare" has won IWC SAKE Champion / Trophy multiple times, including three consecutive years (2015, 2017, 2018) — one of the most internationally awarded sakes globally.

This bottle is a Junmai Daiginjo brewed with Banshu Yamadanishiki, the legendary "king of sake rice" from Hyogo Prefecture, universally regarded as the finest sake-brewing rice. Style: elegant fruit aromatics with a clean, crisp finish.

The first photo shows table service: a glass carafe with an ice ball inside — a common summer presentation in Japanese restaurants. The ice melts slowly to chill without over-diluting the sake.

Brewery / Winery Story

Taiwa-gura Sake Brewery is located in Taiwa-machi, Miyagi Prefecture — adjacent to Matsushima, one of the "Three Views of Japan," from which this brand takes its name. "Snow Matsushima" evokes the winter scenery of pine-island bay under snow; the calligraphic label reflects classical Japanese aesthetics.

At 40% rice polishing ratio (60% of the outer layer milled away), only the purest starch core remains — a refined, elegant aromatic profile representative of Miyagi's premium regional sake.

Brewery / Winery Story

EDO-CAN is a Japanese aluminum-can sake line targeting tourists and the souvenir market. Its signature feature is the can design — using Hokusai's "Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji" ukiyo-e prints. The blue can features "The Great Wave off Kanagawa," and the red can features "Fine Wind, Clear Morning" (Red Fuji).

180ml is one "go" (合) — a standard small serving in Japanese sake culture, ideal for solo drinking or side-by-side tasting. The two-can set is commonly found at duty-free shops and airport souvenir counters in Japan.

Brewery / Winery Story

Viña San Pedro is the third-largest winery in Chile, founded in 1865 in the Central Valley, with exports to 80+ countries.

The Gato Negro ("Black Cat" in Spanish) line launched in 1991 with affordable pricing + a distinctive black-cat label + consistent quality — becoming Chile's best-selling export wine brand. The Cabernet+Merlot blend is its signature entry, featuring direct fruit flavors, soft tannins, and easy drinkability — great with red meat, pasta, and cheese.

Brewery / Winery Story

Suishin (酔心) is a historic Hiroshima brewery in Mihara City, founded over 160 years ago. Its hallmark is using soft underground water from the Takanosuyama foothills (around 14° hardness), producing exceptionally smooth, gentle sake — earning the nickname "the soft-water feminine sake."

The modern Japanese painter Yokoyama Taikan (1868–1958) was famously a devoted Suishin drinker, said to consume it daily; the brewery has made this story a central part of its brand identity.

"Kome no Kiwami" (米極, "Pinnacle of Rice") is Suishin's entry expression of pure rice-driven character, aiming for "umami that never tires the palate."