As we drove to Morgan Creek Winery for Natsu Matsuri, I was thinking of my childhood in Northern California. If you visited us, you had to go to the wine country. When friends visit me in Alabama, the southern experience doesn't usually include wine tasting or sake. However, the drive to Harpersville got us out of the hustle and bustle of the city. As we approached the winery, I immediately began to feel relaxed.
I also began to think about my parents. They were young Alabamians on a mission per the U.S. Army to Japan in the ‘60’s. They immersed themselves into Japanese culture. I was thinking of all the Japanese families that have immersed themselves into U.S. American—Alabama culture.
The festival, which was sponsored by the Japan-America Society of Alabama, featured traditional and contemporary Japanese entertainment. Foods were a blend of traditional U.S. carnival foods such as popcorn, cotton candy, snow cones and Japanese food. One could choose between sake and/or wine tasting. The festival organizers also arranged for Bento boxes ala Sekisui restaurant in Vestavia.
