Should you find yourself in the Shibukawa area of Gunma from late August to late October it is grape season and there are large plantations of grape vines within easy reach. It is a tasty way to break up a journey or as an additional stop after one of the tourist attractions in the area. We swung into a roadside grape orchard on the way back from Ikaho Green Bokujo and left with a shopping bag full of delicious grapes.
Yoshioka Town is home to about 13 different farms that grow grapes. Most of these are open to the public and some of them are so big that they can accommodate bus loads of visitors. By late August each year the vines are covered in bunches of grapes of several different varieties. These are trained along wires at about head height and the bunches are often tied into paper bags to protect them. If you are above average height you will find yourself stooping under this ceiling of greenery and will probably bump your head against a few bags of the produce.
You can pull in and buy grapes by weight at reception, but if you have a bit more time to spare the tasting course is highly recommended. Take a seat in the middle of the orchard with the vines shading you from the autumn sun, and the farmer will bring you a plate full of grapes. We were there in late September and there were five varieties ripe at that time. We were talked through each grape and even told in which order to eat them. There were two types we were advised to finish with, that were much sweeter than the others. If you find some you like, the next step is to head out into the orchard armed with a basket and a pair of scissor to harvest your own. The farmer was on hand to advise and the riper grapes were in clear plastic bags, so easy to spot.
We left with a big shopping bag full of several different kinds and thought we'd shown great restraint. A whole bunch disappeared on the short trip home and we'll be making another trip back before the end of autumn - the grapes were that good.
