Issue 49 | 5 Minutes with Masahiro Chiku, Cave de Bambou
We caught up for a chat with Masahiro Chiku, the owner of wine shop Cave de Bambou in Niseko, and delved into his passion for natural and organic wines. Chiku-san shared insights into how it all began, the selection process of his collection and the best bottles he would recommend.
Can you tell us a bit about your background?
Masahiro Chiku (MC): I am originally from Tokyo, and I was working at the alcohol shop at a department store, where I got to travel to Aichi and Sapporo occasionally for work. I loved Hokkaido from the first time I arrived, and subsequently, I spent some time travelling around. It was about 12–13 years ago when I first came to Niseko.
How did Cave de Bambou come about?
MC: I worked at Niseko Winery when I first came to Hokkaido, and I got the license to sell alcohol. After spending a couple of years here, I set up Cave de Bambou in Niseko in March 2015.
How has it evolved since?
MC: It was definitely more spacious back then [laughter]. I didn’t have that many bottles when I first started, the collection has grown since.
What does ‘Cave de Bambou’ mean?
MC: ‘Cave’ means ‘cave’ or ‘wine cellar’ in French, which also refers to a place that stores wine in France. ‘Bambou’ is French for ‘bamboo’ or ‘Chiku’, my family name.
What inspired the creation of an organic wine shop in Niseko?
MC: I first learnt about natural wine when I was working at the alcohol shop in Tokyo. There was this wine that I particularly liked, it was a bottle by Marcel Lapierre. Marcel Lapierre is a natural wine producer from Beaujolais in France. At Domaine Lapierre (Marcel Lapierre winery), the vines are cultivated and fermented organically without any additives. I began to research and learn more about organic wines, and grew to love it more and more.
When I opened Cave de Bambou, I wanted to focus on natural wine as we are in a natural environment like Hokkaido. Most of the selections here are natural or organic wines.
Tell us the difference between natural and organic wines.
CW: Organic wines focus on growing grapes without chemicals, but once they are grown, yeast or additives like sulphites may be added to preserve the wines. Natural wines do not use yeast or sulphites (though very low levels of sulphites may be used). Natural wines are also made more naturally, with minimal interference between the vineyard and cellar.
How did you come to like wine?
MC: I had very little knowledge about wines when I started. When I was with the alcohol shop, I was sent to Aichi for work and I had to do some research about wine. The more I learned about wine, the more interested I became.
How do you select the wines for your shop?
MC: I love natural wines, so I’d order them to taste, and I’d select the ones I like to sell at the shop. For example, I know that Domaine Lapierre makes very good wine, and I’d order these wines, at times even without having to taste them. Sometimes, it’s also about the connection with the winemaker/producer. It is important that we feel the connection to the maker, their philosophy and production methods.
I also work with a local importer in Japan – Cross Wines – who imports very good organic wines.
What are the types of wines available and how do you categorise them?
MC: It is usually by country. Recently, I’ve been interested in wines from Austria, the Czech Republic and Eastern Europe, as have similar climates as Hokkaido. Geographically, Hokkaido and Austria have similar characteristics as well. The wines from colder regions have lower alcoholic content. For example, Austria has 11% alcohol, compared to other wines with 12 – 13.5% alcohol content. 90% of the wine here are foreign wines, though Hokkaido wines are gaining in popularity.
How do you categorise organic wines?
MC: In my shop, I categorise them under reds, whites, rose, sparkling, and sometimes, orange wines.
How do you recommend wines for the customer?
MC: Usually I’d ask if they have any preference for the country or region, the taste – full-bodied, dry etc – and their budget. I get to know some customers and their tastes well over time and I could recommend bottles for them to try.
What are some of the recent trends in the organic wine industry?
MC: Natural wines are getting increasingly popular, with more winemakers bringing back the old/traditional and sustainable way of winemaking. The boom in the economy after World War II changed the way wines were manufactured. To cope with the increase in demand, manufacturers began to add additives to speed up the harvest, but now, the younger generation is beginning to bring back this tradition. Low-alcohol or zero-alcohol wines are getting popular too, especially white wines.
How do you best enjoy natural wines?
MC: Wine used to be perceived as ‘serious’ or ‘expensive’, but it has changed. It is now a lot more casual, and everyone is able to enjoy wine. Wine can be enjoyed in different ways – paired with food, enjoyed with friends, or at parties. At restaurants, my favourite pairing is with Hokkaido venison. At home, it can be enjoyed with anything, I like wine with Japanese cuisine (washoku).
Tell us about some of your favourite collaborations.
MC: We recently had a food and wine wine pairing collaboration with J’ai la Patate restaurant, which was great. We are planning to do it again in spring.
We love your sample wine boxes. How often do you have them?
MC: Yes, once in a while, we’d have a limited number of omakase boxes, where I’d put together a selection of 6 bottles of wine. I usually post the selections on Facebook and the website, we offer free shipping for these boxes.
What else do you offer at Cave de Bambou?
MC: We also have a selection of craft gins, sakes, craft chocolates, cheeses and cured meats.
What’s next for Cave de Bambou?
MC: I bought some grapes from Hasegawa vineyard, and Domaine Ichi (winery) in Niki is producing the wine. It will be launched sometime in summer/autumn 2024.
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Thank you Chiku san!