Hikaru means "to shine" in Japanese. We created Hikaru to hold sushi in the limelight. Carefully crafted to reflect the pureness of the fish, guided by the principles of balance, harmony, and attention to detail, Hikaru takes you on a flavor journey other beverages cannot.
What is Sushi Wine?
Umami flavors are paired best with acidic beverages. Hikaru wines are light-bodied and acidic to balance with umami flavors without overpowering them.
Here's how we achieve this; We choose especially acidic light to medium-bodied grape varietals: Sauvignon Blanc, Barbera, Zinfandel, Primitivo & Grenache. We ferment to zero sugar level. We age only in French Oak barrels, not American Oak, to keep away the oakiness and highlight the fruit.
We age each varietal separately, then blend until until we achieve the perfect balance to compliment the pureness of the ingredients without overpowering them.
SAUVIGNON BLANC 2021
Crisp and clean with zippy acidity and tropical notes of pear, pineapple, and Fuji apple.
BUBBLY ROSÉ 2021
Excites the tongue with bright tangy bubbles. Aromas of strawberries and orange zest
intermingle with minerally, yeasty notes that energize the umami flavors of sushi.
RED WINE BLEND 2019
Dry, crisp, soft-bodied, fruit forward. Earthy aromas of toasted green tea, cinnamon and turmeric followed by dark fruit flavors of sour cherry, summer plum, and yuzu peel.
Pair Sushi With The Right Wine
Each drop of Hikaru represents a concentration of infinite details. From the care in growing my grapes to the science of fermentation, to the art of blending, I have devoted myself to the process of making exceptional wine that will live and breathe in perfect harmony with sushi. This dedication, this passion, is the essence of Hikaru.
Creating In Concert: A Father-Daughter Team
“Hikaru was born out of our love for sushi & our love for each other. Our epic father daughter sushi dinners have always been a sacred time for us to connect, catch up, and bond over our favorite cuisine. We wanted to create a wine that shines a light on these heavenly meals.”
-Sivan & Chaim Gur-Arieh PhD
Winemaker/Proprietor Chaim Gur-Arieh PhD has always been an innovator. His winemaking endeavors began after a 35-year career as a food technologist, where he was responsible for the creation of some of America’s favorite food products: Cap’n Crunch Cereal, Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing, Tiger’s Milk Bar, pudding cups & Power Bar, among others. After this illustrious career, Chaim & Elisheva, his wife and business partner purchased a 209-acre parcel of land in the Sierra Foothills. They planted 42 acres of rolling vineyards, built the winery together, and Chaim brought his expertise to the art of winemaking in the year 2000.
Excellence in Winemaking Starts In Our Estate Vineyards
We are dedicated to keeping meticulous and sustainable viticulture practices in order to grow the finest grapes and make a positive impact on our surroundings. We use regenerative farming methods to maintain soil health and reduce our carbon footprint; composting the pressed grape seeds and skins and recycle them back into the soil as well as cover cropping. Furthermore, our vineyard practices protect our fish and waterways with certified Fish Friendly Farming. Water conservation is our priority. We water our grapes with a fresh drought-resistant water supply from our 600ft deep well that taps into a pure mineral rich source of water without impacting the water-table or our community. We use drip irrigation to conserve water and have implemented an innovative system that uses sensors to monitors the irrigation system for leaks.
The Details Make The Difference
- Our grapes are rigorously sorted to ensure that only the best berries are vinified.
- Our grapes are destemmed and gently pressed to avoid crushing the seeds and macerating the skins. This gives us a clean, well-balanced, full flavored wine without excessive astringency.
- Our wines are cold-soaked for maximum flavor & color.
- Our wines are aged in predominantly French oak barrels carefully to preserve the flavors and the regional identity of the wine.
About Us
We are located in Northern California between the south and middle forks of the Cosumnes River in the Shenandoah Valley of the Sierra Foothills. At an altitude of 1,700 ft above water, the region is graced with hot days, temperate nights, cool moderate breezes and excellent loam soils.
On our estate, we grow 42 acres of rolling vineyards with 11 varietals:
- Zinfandel
- Primitivo
- Syrah
- Petit Sirah
- Barbera
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Cabernet Franc
- Tempranillo
- Grenache
- Touriga Nacionale
Sustainability From The Vineyard To The Bottle
Di Arie Winery is a 12,000 sq.ft. world class facility perched on a hillside on two plateaus, utilizing the natural terrain to provide gravity flow during crush. Always the innovator, Chaim engineered and built 11 Dual Compartment Submerged Cap Fermentation Tanks with the capacity of up to 8 tons each. His innovative tank design works like a french coffee press, engineered to submerge the skins during fermentation, a gentle technique that enables maximum extraction of the skin components that give the flavor, color and mouth-feel while avoiding the bitterness and harshness usually associated with other extraction methods such as punch down.