"I like to enjoy wine.
Goro visited a French restaurant and a wine shop in Tokyo. He enjoyed shopping wind, and of course, tasting it.
"I like wine but I am not a wine snob who likes to lecture about wine." This fall, Goro plays a main character in the weekly drama "Sommelier". Nowadays, his image is more like GORO=WINE, or WINE=GORO. However, "I don't like the formality of wine tasting and etc. Wine should be the supporting cast. The main cast? It could be the situation in which I am drinking wine with someone, or the person whom I am drinking wine with, or the conversation while I am drinking wine with someone. I think wine can enhance our life in many ways." "Obviously, I do associate wine with France just like everybody does. I started watching French movies when I was in junior highschool. I saw in these movies that French people drink wine like water. Wine is a part of French life. Wine enhances the French people's life like a supporting cast. The role of wine is just like the role of Citroen (his French car), it is the supporting cast to enhance my life."
Goro likes deep rich red wine. "I like O'Medoc from Bordeaux. It is delicious. But, expensive wines should be delicious; that's nothing new about. If it is white wine, I like dry one. But there are so many delicious wines. We can drink many delicious wines almost endlessly. Even if we try to remember the names of good wines, we always forget them when we get drunk." Asked about the memorable wine, Goro answers "The memorable wine? Mr. Egawa (a former professional baseball player, now a TV personality famous for his knowledge of wine) gave me a bottle of 1973, my birth year, Chatou La Toule (ranked as one of the top wines in France). Instead of keeping it forever, I opened it one night when I came home drunk. I quite don't remember the taste¡K(laughing) It was delicious¡K I guess I opened it for heck of it because I was so drunk, you know¡K"
Gee, Goro doesn't remember the taste of his "memorable wine". However, Mr. Wakabayashi, who is the sommelier of the restaurant where the interview took place, thinks the way Goro enjoyed his wine was cool. He said "I think the way Mr. Inagaki drunk his wine was cool. It is lot better than pretending like tasting the great wine. That's not fan. The way he opened the good wine was so natural. He was in the good mood and he opened the wine to enjoy. I think that the better way to enjoy wine." Oh! We got it. Opening the great wine spontaneously is the Inagaki style¡K"No! I think I might have wasted the great wine." said Goro.
Then, what makes wine attractive for Goro? "Its history. I like history. Wine has many interesting histories and stories. It could be a short story from opening of the wine bottle to finishing the wine. But, I don't think wine itself can be independent of anything." Wine can't be independent? "Not only wine but also all drinks are for the enhancement of the person or the situation. The role of drinks is like the role of sommelier to support and enhance the people's life."
How do you think about sommelier as an occupation? Goro answers " It is a hospitality business which provides a wonderful time for the patrons. With the assistance from sommelier, man can make a great impression to his date. That's a nice occupation to make someone shine. But, in order to be a great sommelier, you have to have struggles with yourself for making a proper selection for each patron. That's great. Probably, sommeliers are studying a lot at home." Then, Goro asked Mr. Wakabayashi "Are your studying at home?" The sommelier's answer, "Yes." "See, I was right." said Goro.
How does Goro enjoy his wine? After his meal. It is the Inagaki style to enjoy meal and wine separately. "If I drink a real delicious wine with meal, that's a waste. I might forget the taste of wine if I drink, eat, and talk at once just like many college students do."
Cheese and crackers are his choice of snack with wine. Because of his wine drinking, he now likes to eat blue cheese which he didn't like before. "Blue cheese is delicious. It's tastes like some forbidden food. (laughing) The things related to wine have very sensual images. Wine red is the color of blood. I think wine red excites human desire, such as lips and lipsticks. That's why women paint their lips in red."
What is his image of the woman with wine? "Umm¡K there are many ways to associate woman with wine. Well, it is like dresses. The wine may change it looks depending on the lady who drinks it. I think wine does have its looks such as color and the glass which the wine is poured." Oh! we better be careful and we better be beautiful drinking wine if we have a chance to drink wine with Goro alone. "No, I don't care about the proper manner of drinking wine. You don't have to pretend. If a person's personality naturally surfaces when she drink wine, that will be very attractive."
Not only at restaurants, but also at home, I drink wine. So, I go to buy wine when I invite people at home. I like rich and deep red wine, but when I buy wine for someone who come to my place, such as my friends and may be a girl friend, I think about the taste of the guests." "Heavy or light wine? Or, if it is with the meal, maybe the light one." "Wine should be in the affordable price range. I would look for affordable and delicious wines. If the price is around 10,000 yen ($80 U.S.), that is too much. I think it is a very good thing that there are so many delicious wines around 1,000 yen ($8 U.S.) because wine is for the consumption not for the keep's sake. I like drinking wine not keeping it."
Goro went to Bordeaux, France for the filming of SMAPXSMAP Sommelier Special and the shooting of the photos for the drama's opening and ending. Asked about the image of Bordeaux , Goro said "There are many small regions in Bordeaux and each region produces own grapes and wines with different tastes. If I concentrate, I can now taste the differences. The towns were very chic. The biggest difference between Italy and France was the open market. Italians are very open and cheerful. French people are cool, shy and chic." Eating French food everyday during his stay in Bordeaux, did he enjoy French food? "Well, but it was three times a day everyday. The French bread was great but I am more of rice person."
During the hair and make-up, Goro talked about SMAP's summer concert which the last show was on Oct 1. "Don't you think we are talking a lot on the stage this year than usual? Oh, well, the talk is more like expressing real SMAP¡K."
After the photo shooting, the wine was opened around noon during the interview. " I wish this kind of interview is in the evening." Goro said. He enjoyed his wine while talking about wine. Then, after finishing his wine, Goro said "I like all kinds of drinks; but, after all, Shochu ( a strong sprits produced in southern Japan) mixed with Oolong tea may be the best for me." Now, go and figure what's up with Goro.