Cave d'Occi Vinespa

This was the final Accommodation of my first trip to Niigata, a 3-night, 4-day journey. Our Room was the 2nd-floor Western-style twin [Marronnier]. The bathroom—with a separate toilet—was extremely convenient and very comfortable for a mother-and-daughter trip. The closet was spacious, and there were plenty of hangers. Just before check-in there are shoe lockers, so you can walk around the building barefoot or in socks. From the large floor-to-ceiling windows in the Room and along the corridors, you can enjoy views of vineyards for wine grapes and the mountain range stretching from Mt. Yahiko. I visited looking forward to Vinespa’s aroma hot-stone sauna, but I was a little disappointed to learn it is no longer available after renovations. Still, the open-air baths placed throughout the garden had wonderful scenery, and I thoroughly enjoyed them both after dinner and before breakfast. Restaurant Cave d’Occi is beyond a European-style garden that is carefully maintained by gardeners. The April menu featuring local ingredients (hairy crab, celeriac root, cuttlefish, wild boar, flounder, roast beef smoked with wine-grape vines, etc.) was truly beautiful to look at—and absolutely delicious as well. At the winery shop we arranged delivery of my favorites: Zweigeltrebe and Chardonnay (unoaked). The next morning’s Japanese breakfast surprised me—zaru tofu with olive oil was delicious!! At checkout time, the pizza toast and grape juice I had at the library café were exactly the kind of flavor that makes you not want to leave. It’s an Accommodation that made me genuinely envy those who live nearby.

We recently chose Cardbouche as a gift for the 60th birthday celebration of the owner of a beauty salon group! Although I haven’t been there myself, it came highly recommended by friends, so I thought it would be a perfect choice. The recipient was absolutely delighted and said they were very satisfied. They mentioned that the service, food, and wine were all excellent and expressed a strong desire to visit again! I’m truly glad we chose Cardbouche. Thank you so much! I hope to visit someday as well, so please take care of me when that time comes. One note: it seems the Aveda shampoo among the amenities had oxidized. Since shampoos can oxidize over time, occasional checks might be helpful!