Once upon a time, wine in Japan was a hushed affair, conducted with starched linens and stiff-backed chairs. Elusive first-growth Bordeaux and top Burgundy accompanied the tense, dutiful rituals of business negotiations. The mood was earnest; the cost high. It sometimes seemed as if the highly codified atmosphere of the tea ceremony was transposed onto the realm of wine.

Over the past decade, however, wine has become a lustier, more accessible pursuit here. Unabashed camaraderie unfolds over glasses of wine and reasonably priced meals. If Japan's economic downturn has brought anything to celebrate, surely it is the liberation of wine from stuffy, self-conscious confines.

That transition is evident at Grape Gumbo, a convivial wine bar located on a tiny, lantern-lit side street in Ginza. There is no need to be a serious wine collector to relish this place. Nonetheless, die-hard aficionados will feel slightly delirious when they peruse the 16-page wine cellar menu here. Also investigate the separate, consumer-friendly wine-by-the-glass menu. This list is so thorough that it features, for example, 13 dessert wines for a slowly sipped nightcap (including the spicy 1997 Chapoutier Banyuls, 700 yen/ glass; 1983 Ramos-Pinto port, 1,500 yen/glass; and 1998 Gerhard Schueller Tokay Pinot Gris Tardive from Alsace, 900 yen/glass).

In keeping with the current, adventurous era on the Tokyo wine scene, Grape Gumbo's wine list is not limited to a single Old World country. Instead, there are well-chosen bottles from places as wide-ranging as Italy, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Argentina, Chile, Lebanon, Israel and even Uruguay.

From French terrain, Grape Gumbo lists intriguing wines not widely found in Tokyo. Among them, you might consider the tarry, tannic 1997 Cha^teau Montus Madiran (4 yen,500/bottle) or the brooding 1993 Peyre Rose Clos Leone Syrah from the Coteaux de Languedoc (2,000 yen for a deep pour; 9 yen,500/bottle).

Despite its whimsical name, nothing about Grape Gumbo is frivolous. It possesses the unaffected, comfortable and solid decor of a neighborhood bistro. Small, etched-glass lamps cast a golden glow above the wooden tables. The lively crowd it attracts is mixed in age, gender and profession -- from casual types in jeans and black leather to pin-striped escapees from Otemachi banks.

Although wine is the emphasis here, rather than food, Grape Gumbo's kitchen yields tasty, simple fare. To sate a hearty appetite, try the 5,000 yen set menu of the day. On a recent visit, it included a starter of white asparagus; scampi fried with garlic; tender Sicilian-style roast pork, dessert and coffee.

Otherwise, you can opt to nibble through a few dishes (portions are large enough to share) while sampling wines-by-the-glass. Yellowtail (hamachi) carpaccio sprinkled with walnut oil and chives made a beautiful partner for a zesty Italian Sauvignon Blanc, the 2000 Valbuins Livon Sauvignon Collis DOC (7 yen,300/bottle). A succulent slice of roast pork arrived on a bed of green lentils, smoky with the flavor of bacon; we savored it with the 1993 Peyre Rose Clos Leone Syrah.

Grape Gumbo's wine list offers many special-occasion splurges. But if you are watching your wallet, you need not stay home; enjoy this place by making judicious choices. (Yes, we know it gets tough as the night wears on.) Rest assured that it would be hard to find a disappointing bottle here in any price category. Reservations recommended.

Grape Gumbo, 5-9-6 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo; (03) 3569-7388.

Tastings around town

Throughout June, Enoteca wine shop in Hiroo (5-14-15 Hiroo; 03-3280-3634) offers numerous Bordeaux tastings. On June 8 (1-3 p.m.) and June 9 (11 a.m.-1 p.m.) a "Three Cha^teaux Story" vertical-tasting extravaganza features 15 wines from the Bordeaux cha^teaux of Figeac, Leoville-Poyferre and Brane-Cantenac. The tasting includes 1989, 1990, 1986 and 1982 vintages. Admission is 9,800 yen (7,800 yen for Club Enoteca members).

Budget-friendly options at Enoteca include a "Premium Tasting" of six selected wines from the above chateaux on June 4 (6:30-7:30 p.m.) and June 6 (3-4 p.m.) for 2,800 yen. On June 8, a "3 Glass Tasting" offers 1989 Ch. Figeac, 1996 Ch. Leoville Poyferree and 1999 Ch. Brane-Cantenac for a 1,800 yen tasting fee. In addition, from June 6-16, Enoteca hosts several events featuring Ch, Latour and its second label, Les Forts de Latour (tasting fees from 3 yen,500-19,000 yen).

Enoteca has shop locations around Japan. For information, call the toll-free number (0120) 81-3634 from 11 a.m.-8 p.m., or see the Web site: www.enoteca.co.jp

We scout for wines in greater Tokyo, yet we sometimes receive inquiries from readers in other areas. In many instances, it is possible to obtain the wines mentioned in this column through mail order.

If you require information on mail-order sources or wish to share news on your own favorite mail-order, or wine shop options in your own neighborhood, please contact us at [email protected]