Ikeda Town in Tokachi is the home of the Ikeda Wine Castle, the first municipal winery in Japan which produces various kinds of wine and brandy under the brand name Tokachi Wine. In this special tour of the Ikeda Wine Castle, you will learn about the history and production of Tokachi Wine, then enjoy a full course lunch that features Ikeda Wagyu beef for the main course. You can also get a bottle of old vintage wine to take home as a souvenir.

The Ikeda Wine Castle (officially called the Tokachi-Ikeda Research Institute for Viticulture and Enology) is a wine research and production facility that resembles an old European castle. It also houses a wine cellar, a museum, a shop, and a restaurant.

After arriving at the Ikeda Wine Castle, the tour begins with an explanation of the history and production of Tokachi Wine. You can see the different facilities and equipment they use to make various kinds of wine.

You will also see the vineyards where they produce grapes for ice wine. Ice wine is a kind of sweet wine produced from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine, which results in a smaller amount of highly concentrated juice. The Ikeda Wine Castle is one of the very few wineries in Japan that produces ice wine.

Afterwards, you will visit the castle’s wine cellar, where they store many bottles they have produced over the years. Here you can choose your own bottle of old vintage wine to take home as a souvenir.

Finally, you will visit the VIP dining room of the Ikeda Wine Castle’s restaurant to enjoy a full course lunch. The main course features a sirloin steak of Ikeda-gyu, a local brand of Wagyu beef that has moderate marbling but is soft and juicy. Savor its pairing with Tokachi Wine.

Note: All images are for illustration purposes only. Your actual experience may vary.

Schedule

10:00	Meetup at JR Obihiro Station, transfer to Ikeda Wine Castle by taxi
10:30	Guided tour of Ikeda Wine Castle
10:50	Tour of vineyards for ice wine
11:20	Get bottle of old vintage wine from wine cellar
12:00	Full course lunch at restaurant VIP room
13:30	Depart from Ikeda Wine Castle
14:00	Tour finish at JR Obihiro Station