Sommeliers and DJs are similar - Theory of wine selection by the owner of "ALTER EGO

On a shady street in Fuchi-machi, Oita City, lies an eye-catching bright sky blue store.

I've had people tell me they don't know what kind of shop it is," said Tanimura, the owner of the store and a certified senior sommelier. For this interview, we spoke with Tanimura, owner of the ALTER EGO wine store.

We want to make it possible to drink good wine in Oita like the ones sold in the metropolitan area.

ALTER EGO opened in 2017. The wines lined up in a small space are carefully selected by Mr. Tanimura.

Tanimura says, "I used to buy good, casual wine online or outside of the prefecture, but I wanted to make it easy to buy such wine in Oita. The store's efforts have borne fruit, and rare wines that are in short supply outside of the prefecture are now available in the store.

I think sommeliers and DJs are very similar."

For Mr. Tanimura, selecting wine is similar to a DJ selecting music.

Just as a DJ should not just play popular or famous songs, a sommelier should not just serve expensive or famous wines. It is important to make selections according to the occasion," says Tanimura.

He will suggest wines that suit each and every customer, and before you know it, you will find yourself deep, deep in the swamp of wine. I try to suggest a bottle that will broaden the customer's strike zone," says Tanimura.

Finding the right wine for you

Because wines are sensitive to temperature changes, sunlight does not penetrate the store, making it difficult to see inside the store from the outside. Mr. Tanimura says, "It may look like a difficult place to enter, but I want people to feel free to come in.

When you open the sky-blue door, you will find many wines in the store and Mr. Tanimura, a senior sommelier with a keen eye, will suggest a wine that suits you. Why not visit?