Cave d'Occi Vinespa

This was my first stay at a winery auberge—and one serving Japanese cuisine at that. I was excited before I even arrived. It lived up to my expectations, with an afternoon winery tour, wine tasting, and a beer with lunch. Dinner with wine pairings was a delight. I learned what makes their wines so delicious, tasted the difference, and bought some to take home. It felt like a theme park for adults. With no lights nearby at night, it was an incredibly peaceful place to stay.Unfortunately, there were many day visitors from early in the morning, so I couldn’t fully enjoy the baths. That was a shame. This is a wonderful place unlike any other I know of in Japan, and I look forward to seeing it become even better. Thank you for a lovely stay.

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 very convenient and made our mother-and-daughter trip extremely comfortable. The closet was spacious, and there were plenty of hangers. Just before check-in there are shoe lockers, and 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 wine grapes vineyards and the mountain range stretching from Mt. Yahiko. I visited looking forward to Vinespa’s aroma hot stone sauna, but I was told it is no longer available after renovations—such a shame. Still, the open-air baths placed throughout the garden offered wonderful scenery, and I thoroughly enjoyed soaking 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—beautifully presented and truly delicious—featured local ingredients (hairy crab, celeriac root celery), spear squid), wild boar meat), flounder), roast beef smoked with branches from wine grapes vines), etc.) without feeling overdone). At the winery shop, I had my favorite Zweigeltrebe and unoaked Chardonnay shipped home). The next morning’s Japanese breakfast surprised me—in a great way: zaru tofu with olive oil was delicious!! At checkout time) pizza toast) grape juice) at the library café tasted so good it made leaving hard). It’s an Accommodation that made me genuinely envy those who live nearby).