Overview

This small domaine grows grapes for sparkling wine at the foot of Mt. Yotei, a beautiful mountain towering over Niseko Town in Hokkaido, and processes the wine at an adjacent winery. Taking advantage of Niseko’s cool climate and rich natural environment, grapes are grown organically.

The juice pressed from the grapes harvested in mid-October just before the frost hits has a well-balanced combination of concentrated fruitiness and fresh, refreshing acidity.
In order to turn this juice into the most delicious wine possible, we go through a number of processes that take advantage of the low temperatures of the harsh winter to produce sparkling wine using the Champagne method, which involves secondary fermentation in the bottle and long-term aging.
All of our vineyards and wineries are certified organic, and we produce and sell rare organic sparkling wine.

Cultivars

Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc is a white wine grape that’s grown around the world and is known for its high acidity and distinctive wide range of flavors including citrus, tropical fruit, and herbs. Sauvignon Blanc wines are generally light to medium-bodied. Sauvignon Blanc grapes can be used to make a variety of wines, including dry table wines, dessert wines, and blended wines. The flavor and style of Sauvignon Blanc wines can vary depending on where they are grown.  

One of the most popular white grape varieties globally, originating from Burgundy, France. It is prized for its versatility in winemaking, producing a wide range of styles from crisp unoaked wines to rich, buttery oak-aged wines, with flavors of citrus, tropical fruits, and vanilla.

Bacchus is a white wine grape that is known for its distinctive flavor and aromas, and is considered the English equivalent of Sauvignon Blanc. Created in 1933 by Peter Morio and Professor Husfeld, Bacchus is a cross between Riesling, Silvaner, and Müller-Thurgau. Known for their crisp, refreshing acidity, and flavors of green apple, lemon, and elderflower. It also has a floral bouquet reminiscent of elderflower and honeysuckle.

Müller-Thurgau is a white wine grape variety that is known for its early maturation, mild flavor, and floral bouquet. Created in 1882 by Swiss botanist Hermann Müller as a cross between Riesling and Madeleine Royale. Pale yellow to light yellow in color, medium body, mild acidity, and a faint muscat flavor. Floral aroma of elderflower and box hedge, with flavors of green apple, grape, and citrus fruits.

Kerner is a white wine grape that’s a cross between Riesling and Schiava (Vernatsch) grapes. It was created in 1929 in Weinsberg, Germany, and is named after poet and physician Justinus Kerner. Kerner grapes are frost-resistant and produce full-bodied, aromatic white wines with a floral bouquet, bright acidity, and notes of citrus, nutmeg, peach, and apricot. The wine can have a golden-green to straw-yellow color and a slightly bitter finish.

Gewürztraminer is a white wine grape that produces a wine with a complex bouquet of aromas and flavors. The grape originated in the Alsace region of France. Gewürztraminer grapes have pink skins and are known for their complex sweetness, low acidity, and strong aroma potential. The wine is typically served cold around 43°F and pairs well with spicy, flavorful foods. The name comes from the German word Gewürz, which means “herb”

 

A red grape variety from Austria, known for producing medium-bodied red wines with flavors of red and black fruits and spicy notes.

Wines

White - Sparkling

NISEKO WINERY
  • Founded (date) – 2016
  • Region – Hokkaido
  • Town – Niseko
  • Village – Kondo
  • Climate – Four distinct seasons, heavy snowfall in winter (no rainy season)
  • Soils – Volcanic
  • Vineyard land – 4.5 hectares
  • Farming – Organic (sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, bacchus, Müller-Thurgau, kerner, gewürztraminer, and zweigelt)
  • Grower – Mr. Yasunori Homma

Vineyard / Cellar Highlights

Sprays – None

Fertilizer – None

Hand-picked – Yes

Natural yeast – Yes

Fining / Filtering – None

Added sulfites – None

TIMELINE

  • 2005 Acquiring land for vineyards

     

  • 2008 Grape planting begins

     

  • 2009 Liquor retail license obtained

     

  • 2010 First harvest: 100kg of our own label wine under contract

     

  • 2014 Winemaking training begins at 10R Winery

     

  • 2016 Winery license / Winery completed; equipment operational,

     

  • 2017 First release of in-house sparkling wine

     

  • 2020 Sparkling Rosé Released

     

  • 2021 Switched from a special wine license to a general license and began contract services

     

  • 2021 Winery expansion completed, tanks added, automatic lees removal machine (Giropallet) introduced

     

  •  2022 First shipment of brewed products