Fattoria Al Fiore, Miyagi Prefecture

Nestled at the foot of the Zao mountain range in Kawasaki Town, Miyagi is Fattoria al Fiore, a winery that sits housed within a former school gymnasium. Established in 2015 by Hirotaka and Reina Meguro, the old basketball court now plays home to a sea of amphora filled with the likes of Koshu, Delaware, and Muscat A Baily.

Al Fiore meaning ‘single flower’ in Japanese is named after Hirotaka’s former restaurant. The winery is operated by Hirotaka and his wife Reina supported by a small team who produce around 15,000 bottles per year.

As expected with all things Japanese, each wine is made with precision and care. With grapes both difficult to source and grow, every grape must be treated with respect. Each bottle number is hand written and dyed using persimmon fruit.

Their wines are made up of both vinifera and labrusca grapes, commonly known as hybrid / table grapes. Varieties include Delaware, Steuben, and Niagara which bring an alluring perfume of ripe fruits and flowers unlike no other. They are extremely delicate wines, matching perfectly with the subtle flavours of Japanese cuisine.

Reina & Hirotaka make their wines as naturally as possible. There are no additives used, no fining or filtration either. Production is extremely small and so allocations are very limited. We are extremely lucky to have them here in Australia.

  • Fattoria Al Fiore, Miyagi

    Nestled at the foot of the Zao Federation mountain range in Kawasaki Town, Miyagi is Fattoria al Fiore, a winery that sits housed within a former school gymnasium. Established in 2015 by Hirotaka and Reina Meguro, the old basketball court now plays home to a sea of amphora filled with the likes of Koshu, Delaware, Muscat A Baily and many more indigenous varieties.

    Read more 

  • Domaine Nakajima, Nagano

    Yutaka Nakajima was studying at chef school when he discovered wine. With a love for natural wine and a strong affection for Alsace Yutaka got experience working vineyards in the Loire and Baden (Germany). In 2011 he planted his vineyard in Tomi, Nagano with the winery following in 2014. 

    Read more 

  • Grape Republic, Nanyo

    Grape Republic was founded by restaurateur and sommelier Kazuomi Fujimaki in 2015 who up and moved from Tokyo to the village of Shinden in Yamagata. With no previous experience in winemaking - he set three simple rules for himself: The cultivation must be organic, the wines must be made without sulfur and other additives, and they should preferably have a touch of amphora storage. The goal was to make live and clear Japanese wines in free style using the grapes grown in Yamagata's orchards throughout the 20th century.

    Read more 

  • Aperture Farm, Nagano

    Ryo Tanabe moved from Tokyo to Tomi City, Nagano with the intention start growing organic vegetables and eventually grapes in 2011. His farm is located at an altitude of 600-800m and is conveniently nestled right next to Yutaka from Domaine Nakajima whom he currently shares a space for brewing.

    Read more 

  • Les Vins Debrouillards, Nagano

    In the charming Katabashi region of Nagano Prefecture, a unique collaboration blossomed in 2020 when Charles, an American, teamed up with Kabeko, a proud native of Nagano Prefecture, to partake in the timeless tradition of grape harvesting. Tucked away in the heart of Nagano, the Katabashi area is affectionately known as "The Corner District" for its distinctive location perched at an elevation of 800 meters.

    Read more 

  • DROP, Yamagata

    I first met Masamitsu back in 2017 when he was working with the infamous Kazu ex Grape Republic. After a number of years working as head winemaker at Grape Republic, Mitsu seeked out his own vineyard, renting a Delaware farm in Kubote, Kaminoyama City in Yamagata in 2019, cultivating and brewing wine in the Spring of 2020. 

    Read more 

  • Ojisan, Nelson, NZ

    OJISAN is an exciting new project by Alex Craighead of New Zealand's KINDELI and Kazuomi Fujimaki ex Grape Republic, Japan.

    Read more