Mercure Nagano Matsushiro Resort & Spa, an all-inclusive resort hotel overlooking the Northern Alps and a convenient base for exploring Shinshu, is holding a "Shine Muscat Fair" from Tuesday, September 1 to Saturday, October 31, 2026, at its buffet restaurant "Locavore." Guests can enjoy all the Nagano-grown Shine Muscat grapes they like, along with tiramisu, tarts, and other desserts made with the fruit. Meanwhile, "The Lounge" on the hotel's 1st floor hosts a tasting event for "MATSUSHIRO Ale," a craft beer made with Matsushiro's local specialties, from September 1 to September 30, 2026, offering a taste of Shinshu and Matsushiro from the moment guests arrive.
Shine Muscat Fair Overview
The juicy burst and crisp texture are a seasonal luxury enjoyed to the fullest. Guests can savor Nagano-grown Shine Muscat, prized for its fragrant aroma and juicy sweetness, alongside Kyoho grapes with their rich sweetness and full-bodied flavor, served fresh at the buffet. Tasting each grape's distinct character on its own is a pleasure unique to the harvest season. Beyond fresh fruit, a lineup of desserts is also on offer, including a Shine Muscat tiramisu that balances the grape's refreshing aroma with mascarpone cream, a Shine Muscat tart topped with juicy fruit on a crisp pastry base, and a Shine Muscat cream puff that seals the fruit's flavor inside a rich cream filling.
Shine Muscat Fair
- Period: September 1 (Tue) – October 31 (Sat), 2026
- Hours: 5:30 PM – 9:00 PM (last entry 8:30 PM)
- Location: 1st floor buffet restaurant "Locavore"
- Details: https://mercure-naganomatsushiro-resortandspa.jp/plan/shine-muscatdesserts/
*Included in the room rate for All-Inclusive bookings; the Shine Muscat Fair cannot be used on its own. Menu items and the fair's dates are subject to change depending on weather and harvest conditions.
Matsushiro Craft Beer Tasting: "MATSUSHIRO Ale"
At "The Lounge" on the hotel's 1st floor, a tasting event introduces "MATSUSHIRO Ale," a craft beer made with Matsushiro's local specialties to express the charm of the area, timed to guests' arrival. The labels, featuring the Sanada family's "Six Coin" crest and Matsushiro's natural scenery, reflect an affection for this former castle town. Guests can taste all four craft beer varieties during their arrival, savoring flavors unique to Shinshu and Matsushiro.
"MATSUSHIRO Ale"
Kaizu
A craft beer made with Matsushiro's specialty Japanese mountain yam (nagaimo). Named after Kaizu Castle, the former name of Matsushiro Castle, it expresses a resolve to persevere as tenaciously as the mountain yam.
Toyohime
A craft beer with a bright, refined flavor made with apricots. Matsushiro's apricots are said to have been brought over when Toyohime, wife of Edo-era Matsushiro domain lord Sanada Yukimichi, married in from the Uwajima domain.
Hatsukoi
A craft beer inspired by the sweet-and-sour taste of "first love." It is named after the cherry blossom's flower language, "little sweetheart," with a wish that even people unfamiliar with Matsushiro will be drawn to the charm of this place.
Momonoka
A craft beer with a rich, fragrant peach aroma made with Kawanakajima white peaches. It is named for the rich fragrance of the Kawanakajima white peach, also known as the "king of peaches."
MATSUSHIRO Ale Tasting Event
- Period: September 1 (Tue) – September 30 (Wed), 2026
- Hours: 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
- Location: 1st floor "The Lounge"
- Details: https://mercure-naganomatsushiro-resortandspa.jp/plan/matsushiro-ale/
*Menu items and the event's dates are subject to change. Learn more about MATSUSHIRO Ale: https://www.matsushiro-kankou.com/special/matsushiro-ale/
About Mercure Nagano Matsushiro Resort & Spa
Matsushiro Castle Ruins and the Sanada Residence, both linked to the Sanada family, are within walking distance, making the hotel a convenient base for exploring the former castle town and its historic sites. Guest rooms offer sweeping views of the Northern Alps and the changing seasons, while the restaurant serves a buffet-style spread of Japanese, Western, and Chinese dishes alongside Shinshu regional cuisine. "Waraunji," a spacious area with five activity zones where young children can play safely, opened in April 2026. The hotel also offers storage space for ski and snowboard gear during the winter season, and its popular "Dog-Friendly Rooms" let guests stay comfortably with their pets. As an all-inclusive resort hotel, rates include dinner and breakfast, bathing at the historic Matsushiro Onsen, and drinks, including alcohol, in the lounge, allowing guests to unwind at a leisurely pace.
- Address: 1372-1 Nishiterao, Matsushiro-machi, Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture 381-1215; approximately 2 minutes by car from Nagano IC on the Joshin-etsu Expressway, or approximately 30 minutes by free shuttle bus from Nagano Station
- Tel: 03-6830-3912 (Reservation Center)
- Rates: All-Inclusive from ¥17,000 per night (per person, based on double occupancy, tax and service charge included). *Some additional charges apply; lunch is not included.
- Website: https://mercure-naganomatsushiro-resortandspa.jp/
*Information is accurate as of August 7, 2026. All photos are for illustrative purposes only.
