28.May.2026
On May 20, a wine tasting party was held in Naze, Amami City. The tlass SEA CELLAR, based in the island’s far south, brought their extensive wine collection north to Amami’s main city center.
The event was hosted at Little BAY Coffee & Ice Cream, a downtown café located right in the middle of the city. The whole space was converted from a café to a wine tasting hall.
tlass’s secret is their unique aging process, in which bottles are immersed in the open sea for extended periods of time.
The menu included both single samples, as well as side-by-side tastings, where two glasses from the same brand of wine were served together: one with their undersea aging process, and one without.
Also on offer was a refined food menu, prepared by a chef who had come all the way from Kyoto, where he cooks at a renowned French restaurant. The same chef also oversees the menu at tlass's seaside restaurant, the SEA CELLAR BAR.
To see just how much of a difference the process makes, we went with a red wine comparison set. The glass on the right, marked with a sticker, was from one of their aged bottles.
Even to a non-wine drinker, the difference in flavour was striking. The marine aging process brought out an incredible tartness to the wine, making it much richer and leaving a superb aftertaste.
The event also carried special meaning for the island a whole, one in which two southern business visited the north. tlass SEA CELLAR, as well as the SEA CELLAR BAR, are local to the community of Seisui, Setouchi Town. Both are worth the trip south!
The Little BAY Coffee & Ice Cream, which hosted the event, also has southern roots, as its Koniya, Setouchi store long predates the new Naze location, which only opened last December.
Hopefully, more events like these will continue to bring this big island closer together, and also give you the chance to experience more of Amami’s unique products and experiences when on your next visit!
