Unveiling the Little-Known History of the RIHGA Royal Hotel’s Wine Collection Part 2 (RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka Master Sommelier Oka Masaharu)
The World of Delicacies Vol.3
The RIHGA Royal Hotel has long been celebrated for its commitment to culinary excellence, a testament to the invaluable experience acquired in France and the unwavering dedication of its staff. This interview will unveil the little-known history of the RIHGA Royal Hotel’s journey in the pursuit of perfecting the art of wine.
“What kind of wine would you like?” “Would you like to try a sip?”
Following my return from France, “Restaurant Chambord” officially appointed me as a sommelier. However, at the time, most customers preferred to order beer, even at a French restaurant like “Restaurant Chambord.” Therefore, in order to get customers to order wine, I crafted an innovative approach to order-taking.
Instead of asking, “What would you like to drink?” I would ask, “Which wine would you like to drink today?” to offer a suggestion, or “We also have small bottles, so why don’t you try them?” to recommend half-bottles. I would also say, “Have you tried any sweet wines?” to be more specific about the taste of wine that I would like to recommend. I endeavored to share the exquisite qualities of wine with my customers one day at a time.
Eventually, I started to hear more and more of “The last wine I tried here was so good, so I’ll have it again today,” and when I heard, “This time, I would like to try a wine that is not sweet,” I was overjoyed.
Sharing the beauty of wine in our own unique way
The popularity of wine comes and goes in Japan. The late 1980s, at the height of the bubble economy in Japan, saw an unprecedented boom in the popularity of Beaujolais Nouveau. The profession of sommelier came into the limelight when Mr.Tasaki Shinya won the Best Sommelier of the World in 1995. At the end of the 1990s, red wine gained popularity. Since selecting and purchasing wine is one of the sommeliers’ important duties, it is crucial for us to catch up with the trend; however, it is also important not to get caught up in transient fads. I am proud of how we always look ahead and purchase wine that will be aged for the future, building a collection of wines that can be an asset to the RIHGA Royal Hotel. I want to be able to provide more and more opportunities for as many people as possible to enjoy our precious wines at a reasonable price.
1993 Moët & Chandon S.A.
Guest House with Chef Sommelier.
Champagne pyramid decoration event in the hotel lobby.
Since 1978, the RIHGA Royal Hotel has occasionally hosted wine events. We see these events as a valuable opportunity to share both little-known and popular wines with many people. We once offered a glass of Romanée-Conti for 8,000 yen at one of our events. We buy close to 100 bottles of Romanée-Conti every year, including those that’ll be aged.
We now have about 8,000 bottles in our basement wine cellar. In the beginning, our collection almost exclusively consisted of French wine, but after the year 2000, we started to branch out. We now have wine from Chile, New Zealand, the United States, Australia, and other countries. The quality of Japanese wine is also improving year by year. Of course, our main focus is still on French wine, but we try to keep our service up-to-date by staying informed about the latest wine trends.
In recent years, “wine pairings,” where you can try small amounts of various wines, have become the standard, but I would like to recommend “wine flights.” This is a service where you can choose and order a glass or bottle of wine after tasting about four different wines. I learned about this service at a restaurant in the US, and I think it’s such a wonderful idea. It is a way to find a wine you like even better than a wine pairing.
I’d love to adopt this service at our hotel someday, for enhancing the guest experience while pursuing our own unique approach to hospitality is the RIHGA Royal Hotel’s top priority.
RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka Master Sommelier Oka Masaharu
Born in Osaka in 1953, Oka Masaharu joined the ROYAL HOTEL Co.,Ltd. in March 1972. He is one of the leading sommeliers in Japan and has won awards at numerous wine competitions. His charming smile and humorous banter have won him many fans. In 2003, he was awarded Chevalier of the “Ordre du Mérite Agricole” of France for his contribution to the promotion of French cuisine and wine, and in 2011, he received the Japanese Medal with Yellow Ribbon. After serving as the president of the Japan Sommelier Association for about six years, he is now the honorary president since 2016.
