[Yamagata Prefecture] 8 wineries in southern Yamagata Prefecture! Grapes grown in Okitama are made into rich wine!

The Okitama region in the south of Yamagata Prefecture has long been prosperous in grape growing, and there are many long-established wineries, as well as new wineries, that are brewing high-quality Japanese wine and bringing it to the market.

Takahata Winery (Takahata Town)

Takahata Town, famous for being the filming location for the movie ``Swing Girls,'' is the largest city in Japan for shipments of Chardonnay, Delaware, and other wines.

Established in 1990 in Takahata, many wine lovers from within and outside the prefecture visit for the autumn harvest festival every year.

Recommended wine

In addition to white, red, rosé, and foam wines such as the own field series and the farmer's name series, we also produce fruit wines made from cherries and pears.

Among them, we recommend the ``Flagship Series,'' which brings together the best of the winery's brewing techniques.

Zodiac Chardonnay Night Harvest (White: 100% Chardonnay)

Chardonnay from our own farm is packed with umami.

This is a superb white wine with aromas of pine and peach, as well as oak and vanilla aromas, and a supple acidity.

Information

  • Facility name: Takahata Winery
  • Address: 2700-1 Nukanome, Takahata-cho, Higashiokitama-gun, Yamagata Prefecture
  • Phone number: 0238-40-1840
  • URL: Takahata Winery

Google Map

Sakai Winery (Nanyo City)

The oldest winery in the Tohoku region has been making wine using Akayu since the Meiji era, and uses grapes from its own vineyards in several locations to make wine using traditional methods without filtration.

We also sell wine (red, white, rosé, and foam), as well as grape undiluted juice and red wine salt.

Recommended wine

We have products such as ``Birdap Wine'' that uses grapes from our own vineyard in Bird+Up, which has the highest yield, but we recommend wine made with grapes from Nagoyama, a vineyard in Torigami-zaka. This is a wine that is considered to be a flagship wine.

Sakai Winery Nagoyama (Red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, etc.)

A blend of several grapes from our own fields.

A full-bodied red wine with complex aromas of cassis, herbs and spices, rich fruit and tannins, and a long finish.

Information

  • Facility name: Sakai Winery
  • Address: 980 Akayu, Nanyo City, Yamagata Prefecture
  • Phone number: 0238-43-2043
  • URL: Sakai Winery

Google Map

Oura Wine (Nanyo City)

This is a long-established winery that has been making wine in Akayu, Nanyo City since 1939.

We make use of the unique characteristics of local grapes to produce beautiful, high-quality wine.

Recommended wine

Akayu grows a variety of grapes endemic to Japan and Western Europe in its own fields, and produces a wide variety of wines, but among these, the red wine made from a rare grape called ``Berry Account A'' is outstanding.

Barrel aging rouge (red: Bailey account A)

Barrel aging rouge (red: Bailey account A)

Information

  • Facility name: Oura Wine
  • Address: 312 Akayu, Nanyo City, Yamagata Prefecture
  • Phone number: 0238-43-2056
  • URL: Oura Wine

Google Map

Sudo Wine Factory (Nanyo City)

Founded in the Taisho era, this winery uses home-grown grapes and everything from cultivation and harvesting to brewing and bottling is done by the owner's family.

Recommended wine

The original wine you make during the wine making experience will be sent to you with your own label attached.

There are red and white varieties from the original brands ``Shikinen'' and ``Osakusui Wine,'' but they are produced in small quantities and are not often found in stores.

Shikinen (Red: Muscat Bailey A100%)

The grapes used are 100-year-old grapes grown at Shikinen, a private grape farm, and you can enjoy the concentrated, characteristic aroma and sour taste.

Information

  • Facility name: Sudo Wine Factory
  • Address: 2836 Akayu, Nanyo City, Yamagata Prefecture
  • Phone number: 0238-43-2578
  • URL: None

Google Map

Kinkei Wine Sato Wine (Nanyo City)

Since our founding in 1940, we have been brewing wine made from 100% grapes grown in Yamagata Prefecture, with the ambition of making Yamagata Prefecture one of the world's best wine-producing regions.

Recommended wine

Four red varieties, mainly indigenous to Japan, and four white varieties are cultivated, and Kinkei wines are available in red, white, rosé, and foam.

Kinkei Premium Rouge (Red: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon)

A spicy wine with a color between ruby ​​and garnet, with aromas of cassis and red fruits.

A full-bodied red wine with rich tannins and a long finish.

Information

  • Facility name: Kinkei Wine Sato Wine
  • Address: 1072-2 Akayu, Nanyo City, Yamagata Prefecture
  • Phone number: 0238-43-2201
  • URL: Kinkei Wine Sato Wine

Google Map

Grape Republic (Nanyo City)

A brewing facility was opened in 2017, and while increasing the number of grape varieties in our own fields, we have achieved a harvest of over 100 tons in 2020, producing 100,000 bottles of natural wine annually.

Recommended wine

Here, the wine is brewed in ceramic pots called ``Amphora'' imported directly from Spain.

The amphora method has been around for about 8,000 years, and is making a comeback in Europe as it is considered suitable for natural winemaking.

Cuvée Nitta (Orange: 75% Delaware, 19% Niagara, 6% Shine Muscat)

This wine is made using 100% grapes from our own farm in Nanyo City.

The amphora creates an exquisite balance of mandarin orange and honey aromas, grape fruit, acidity, and soft tannins.

Information

  • Facility name: Grape Republic
  • Address: 3945-94 Nitta, Nanyo City, Yamagata Prefecture
  • Phone number: 0238-40-4130
  • URL: Grape Republic

Google Map

Yellow Magic Winery (Nanyo City)

The name ``Yellow Magic Brewery'' began brewing in Akayu, Nanyo City in 2019.

Akayu wine is produced using grapes grown in Akayu and natural yeast, and instead of adjusting the alcohol content with sugar capture, the wine is fermented with the skins to bring out the flavor of the grapes.

Recommended wine

The grapes in the field are covered with a vinyl roof and grown without pesticides while controlling the negative effects of rain.

We ferment it naturally at low temperatures and take time to bring out the power of natural yeast to create a natural wine that does not add or subtract.

ORDINARY ORANGE 2021 (Orange: Chardonnay, Niagara, Delaware, etc.)

This is an orange wine with a good aroma and taste, made by fermenting various grapes with their skins, mainly Chardonnay.

Fermented in the bottle, it has a slight sparkle and buttery flavor, and you can enjoy a plump and round mouthfeel.

Information

  • Facility name: Yellow Magic Winery
  • Address: 871-1 Akayu, Nanyo City, Yamagata Prefecture
  • Phone number: 0238-27-0203
  • URL: Yellow Magic Winery

Google Map

Hamada Co., Ltd. (Yonezawa City)

A sake brewing company that has been brewing sake in Yonezawa since 1866 began making wine in 1957.

We brew mellow sake and wine using the famous water of the Yonezawa Basin, which experiences extreme temperature differences.

Recommended wine

We have Faucon, a single variety, OKIMASAMUNE, a blend of European and Japanese varieties, and the Arashibori series of cloudy wines.

"Faucon" means "hawk" in French, and was named after Yozan Uesugi, the 9th lord of the Yonezawa domain.

Faucon Bailey A (Red: Muscat Bailey A 100%)

It has a deep ruby ​​color with a voluminous fruit feel, rich acidity, deep sweetness, and the strength of silky tannins.

Information

  • Facility name: Hamada Co., Ltd.
  • Address: 943-1 Fujiizumi, Kubota-cho, Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture
  • Phone number: 0238-37-6330
  • URL: Hamada Co., Ltd.

Google Map

summary

The Okitama region of Yamagata Prefecture is one of the leading wine producing areas in the Tohoku region, and is home to many old and new wineries, allowing you to enjoy the different tastes of wine produced by unique wineries, even if they are made from the same grape variety.

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