[Noto Peninsula Earthquake Drinking Support Event] Hama Wine Pairing Dinner @ Katsuretsuan, participants wanted!
The event will be held on Saturday, March 23rd at Katsuretsuan Bashamichi Main Branch. On the day, you can enjoy not only our Hama Wine, but also Heidi Wine. We will also be accepting pre-orders for wine. We will also be collecting messages for Heidi Winery. The growing circle of support in Yokohama should be a great source of strength in Noto. We look forward to your participation. ↑Link from title
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On Saturday, March 2nd , Takasaku, the representative of Heidi Winery, visited Yokohama Winery. He stopped by on his way to report on the current situation to his relatives in Yokohama amidst the current difficult situation. Takasaku's family is originally from Yokohama. They also lent their support to Yokohama Winery when it was launched. The winery is also connected to Yokohama as it is located in the temple town of Sojiji Temple, the ancestor temple of Sojiji Temple, in Tsurumi Ward, Yokohama City.
It was our first reunion in two years. I felt a little relieved to see that they hadn't changed at all. Mr. Shinkai from Cheval des Mer, who sells Heidi's wine in Yokohama, was also there. For about two hours, we talked about what happened at the time of the earthquake, the current situation, and future plans, so I would like to share the current situation with you all.
From Takasaku's story, I felt that the media has a big influence. I also learned that Heidi Winery is the winery that has suffered the worst damage in the Hokuriku region. He said that he has received many emails saying that they are OK because they are not being covered in the media. However, this is the exact opposite. The damage is so severe that reporters cannot enter the winery, and they have been spending their days not being able to respond to the media, so they have only been able to briefly write about the situation on their company's website .
The most important thing is that all of the family and staff were safe. The story of what happened at the time was beyond imagination. Tsunami warnings were ringing out. The winery is on a small hill, but the main road runs down from there along the coast. The ground was cracked. The road rose at a sharp angle. Apparently the damage from the tsunami was not great because the raised coast countered the tsunami's tide level.
Takasaku was working in the winery building at the time. His family, who were at home not far away, evacuated by car along the mountain road behind the winery. The house tilted, but they managed to escape. His mother suffered a head injury during the incident, but she remained strong and dealt with the situation. Of course, she was unable to go to the hospital, and is now recovering well.
At first, they thought the damage to the winery would not be that bad, but the damage to the products was greater than they expected, and they still haven't figured out the full extent of the damage. The electricity has now been restored, but it's unclear when the water will be back. They're prepared for it to be delayed until the end of the year.
The family is living in a secondary evacuation center in Kanazawa City. They have rented a warehouse in Kanazawa City, and are transporting products that can be sold from the winery to Kanazawa, taking three hours each way, and are in the process of establishing a system that allows them to carry out delivery operations. All of the staff have also been affected by the disaster. After discussing it together, when I heard that they had decided to continue the winery business that they had built up over 13 years, I thought about what I could do and thought that the best way to support them was to turn the remaining products into cash, so I consulted with Shinkai of Cheval des Mer, a wine buddy who has a sales license through our connections in Yokohama, and started this action. They send a large amount of products from the warehouse in Kanazawa to Yokohama, and ship them from Yokohama while taking your orders, which is said to be very helpful in reducing the workload on the ground, so I plan to continue this system for a while. Both Shinkai and I cover the necessary expenses such as materials, but we are operating without any profits.
At the same time, maintenance of the grape seedlings is also essential on site. A large amount of water is needed for spraying fungicides and fertilizers, but water supply is prioritized for daily use. Of course, the toilets cannot be used. Pruning work is scheduled for a week in mid-March, and I was relieved to hear that people around Hokuriku will come to help. I would like to go, but the situation is similar to wartime, and it is difficult without survival skills. When the situation improves, let's go to help with cultivation as volunteers, and also as a means of supporting reconstruction!
At first glance, the winery building appears to have no damage, but a home inspection has determined that it is completely destroyed. The ground and the building's foundations are separated, and it could collapse at any time. Due to the huge number of damage inspections, it appears that only the determination of whether the foundations have been completely destroyed has been carried out first. The house is also leaning, so it is uninhabitable, but it has not been determined to be completely destroyed, and details must wait for the second inspection, the date of which is unknown. Inspections have been carried out on the house first, and a judgment has not yet been made on the winery. This earthquake is quite different from other recent earthquakes in that the ground has risen and collapsed severely, and the topography itself has changed significantly.
Government support measures are still unclear. "Continuing the winery" means rebuilding the winery from scratch again. A huge amount of borrowing will be required. I'm sure Takasaku-san, who helped us launch our winery, will be fine. It's a long-term battle, but I hope they can move forward with their eyes on the future. Let's watch together as the winery recovers from the devastating damage and prospers again!
Everyone Would you like to express your support and encouragement ? Don't just tell them to "keep going!" but support them in a practical way! Drinking and buying wine is the best way to support them. (Machida, Representative)
◾️Why support Heidi Winery?
◾️Heidi Wine available in Yokohama (link to Cheval des Mer website)