The Beautiful Wine “Champagne” is Packed with 350 Years of History and the Philosophy of its Creators.

When you hear “Champagne,” many people probably think of scenes in Hollywood movies where lovers are raising their glasses, or the F1 awards ceremony, as a symbol of celebration and glamour.

Champagne has a strong glamorous image, but it is actually an alcoholic beverage with a cultural side, having spun over 350 years of history and overcome steady hardships.

Champagne is made in the Champagne region of France, and can only be called such if it meets strict conditions such as grape variety, cultivation, and traditional manufacturing methods.

In 2015, the “fields, Maisons (*), and cellars” of the Champagne region in France were registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (*Maison refers to a wine producer.)
The unique brewing, production, and sales methods, unparalleled in other wine regions, and the culture nurtured in connection with the region and nature have been evaluated.

Unlike regular wine, Champagne is completed through a very detailed manufacturing process. The beautifully rising bubbles and delicate taste are created on top of the craftsmanship of each Maison (producer).

The story of Champagne tends to be hidden behind glamorous brands and marketing. To experience the passion and world view of such creators in faraway Japan.

This autumn, Japan’s first champagne hotel, CUVEE J2 HOTEL OSAKA, will be born from our hotel brand “Onko Chishin (formerly okcs).”

The Person behind the Hotel is a Leading Figure in Spreading Champagne Culture in Japan.

Now you can easily enjoy champagne in restaurants and bars, but until a few decades ago, there were still few places where you could drink it casually in the city. It was, so to speak, the dawn of champagne in Japan.

Since that time, one man has traveled to France many times, touching the thoughts and passions of the producers. That is J.S.A. certified Senior Sommelier, Mr. Kazuto Yamamoto. He has been working for many years to “create a Champagne culture in Japan,” and currently manages a champagne bar. This champagne hotel was realized under his full production.

In 2012, Mr. Yamamoto founded “Lien d’Or de Champagne” with the aim of spreading champagne culture in Japan. He organizes one of the largest champagne events in Japan, holding champagne festivals in various locations.

In addition, he was appointed Officier (Officer), the highest rank, from the Champagne Knights, a champagne-loving group founded by the court nobles of Louis XIV. The producers also place great trust in Mr. Yamamoto’s various achievements and personality related to Champagne.

An Encounter with a Single Bottle of Champagne that Changed His Life.

His champagne life started at a wine party he attended when he was 20 years old. He had a shocking encounter with “Charles Heidsieck Champagne Charlie 1985,” a rare bottle that was only released in five vintages (1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985). He was fascinated by its artistic deliciousness and was invited into a deep world.

The delicate taste and sparkling bubbles cannot be expressed with other wines. When you have champagne in your mouth, you strangely forget unpleasant things and feel happy.

“How are these champagnes that fascinate people made?”

About 25 years ago, he became interested in the background of the mysterious beautiful wine and visited France, the home of champagne, for the first time.

The northernmost land where grapes can be grown. Passionate wine grown in a harsh environment.

Champagne is a very cool region, just at the northern limit of what is possible to grow grapes. It is often severely damaged by frost, hail and snow. It is not an area that can be said to be blessed with good viticulture.

Mr. Yamamoto first visited the Champagne region in the early 1990s. There were not many Japanese people visiting the Champagne region on trips. Even though the environment for wine tourism was not as well-developed as it is today, every producer warmly welcomed guests from faraway countries, saying, “Welcome, Monsieur Yamamoto!” as if inviting family.

Mr. Yamamoto visited various producers, from major Maisons to small family-run Maisons, and experienced firsthand the craftsmanship and philosophy of the people of Champagne.

Taking advantage of the harsh environment, utilizing the sharpness and acidity that can only be born in cold regions. The traditional technique of blending wines from different production years, called “assemblage,” has developed, maintaining high quality and continuing production. The culmination of craftsmanship is created without sparing time and effort.

“A product of craftsmanship that cannot be done without human hands. I felt that this is why ‘Champagne is called art.’ And above all, there are people in this cold and harsh region who are involved in manufacturing with insatiable passion. Even now, I strongly believe that it is our job to convey their ‘heat’.”

says Mr. Yamamoto.

I want to create a hotel that cannot be reproduced. The untold story of the birth of a unique hotel brand.

About a year and a half ago, there was a request for a hotel plan to “build a business hotel in Osaka aimed at inbound demand.” However, there are many hotels under construction in Osaka, and President Matsuyama is worried that simply building a business hotel would be highly competitive and difficult to differentiate.

In the midst of this, he learned that Mr. Yamamoto, a key man in the champagne world, was active in Osaka, and proposed the idea of this hotel. From there, Mr. Yamamoto himself approached producers in France and collaborated with champagne Maisons to create a hotel.

What our okcs brand values most in the midst of the many hotels that are born every day is to “carefully face each and every inn and set a unique concept.”

We focus on the land’s climate, architecture, history, food, culture, and people. We unravel these concretes from our perspective and express them as a hotel. We believe that this will lead to creating a “non-reproducible hotel” that no one can imitate.

[I want to bet on Mr. Yamamoto’s romance and thoughts.]

It could not have been achieved without Mr. Yamamoto. Supporting, empathizing with, and running alongside someone’s romance. An inn is born in connection with individual passionate thoughts. I thought it would be nice to have such a hotel. This is what sparked the birth of the “Champagne Hotel” and why we create “non-reproducible hotels.”

Why Osaka? Another reason is that we thought the atmosphere of Osaka, where anything flashy or pretentious seems to be forgiven, matches the concept of “Champagne.” It’s a bit of a whim and playfulness. (laughs)

What They Teach Us is the True Value of Inheriting.

One summer day, Mr. Yamamoto organizes a champagne “summer festival” event to connect France and Japan. It became a major event that chartered the World Heritage Sites of Reims Cathedral and the Palais du Tau, and many Japanese people visited the venue, with approximately 50 producers participating in the event.

After the event, he had the opportunity to visit “Champagne Charles Heidsieck,” one of the participating Maisons, and speak with the owner, Stéphane Leroux.

Mr. Yamamoto: “I may not have been able to contribute to the immediate spread of champagne at this event. However, the guests who participated will never forget this day, and will surely pass on the fun moments. I want to nurture the great spread that starts here and connect it to the future.”

Mr. Leroux: “It’s okay, I understand, Monsieur Yamamoto. I think that the accumulation of these things is what spreads it. Thank you.”

Mr. Yamamoto’s eyes were filled with tears and he could no longer continue the conversation.

With the culture of faraway countries, the faces of the creators feel distant, and it is not easy to hear the voices of the producers directly or see the skills of the craftsmen. Due to the power of marketing, attention tends to be paid to the glamorous aspects, and it is difficult for one person to convey the stories behind it…

It was a moment when the decades of activities with such worries and conflicts were affirmed.

“Champagne producers seem to look at things from a very long-term perspective. Their values, which have been inherited with pride in 350 years of history and tradition, may be reflected. It makes us, who live in a consumer society, realize the value of ‘continuing and inheriting.’ We are on a long, long extension of culture.”