No Car Needed! Tour 5 Wineries on Foot! ~A Journey to the Niigata Wine Coast~ [Part 1]

A trip to a winery is fun, like a field trip for adults where wine lovers and non-wine lovers alike can enjoy the unique nature of each region.
Because of this, winemaking facilities and vineyards are often located in places that are hard to reach without a car.
In such cases, playing rock-paper-scissors to pick the designated driver becomes a battle you absolutely cannot afford to lose—after all, tasting is the best part of a winery tour!

For a destination free from driver dilemmas where everyone in your group can join in the fun, we recommend the "Niigata Wine Coast," stretching across Kakudahama in Niigata Prefecture—one of the hottest wine regions today.
Remarkably, five wineries are gathered here, all within walking distance of each other.
Let us guide you through this charming and popular spot, the Niigata Wine Coast.

Located in a coastal area along the Sea of Japan, about a 30-minute drive southwest of central Niigata City, many European grape varieties are cultivated in its sandy beach soil.
The most characteristic variety is Albariño.
Globally, this grape is famous in Rías Baixas in Spain's Galicia region. Recognizing its potential due to relatively similar environmental conditions—such as ria coastline geography, well-drained sandy soil, and similar annual rainfall—cultivation of Albariño began here in 2005.
Today, it has become the flagship variety representing the Niigata Wine Coast.

Many other varieties are also grown here, with high-quality wines produced mainly from well-known European grapes such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Franc.

In this area, five wineries each craft delicious wines with distinct personalities.
Let us introduce each winery.

https://www.docci.com/

A large-scale winery featuring lodging facilities and restaurants.
In addition to the winemaking facilities, the atmospheric underground cellar is a must-see.
A wide range of wines for every occasion is produced here, including the casual and fun Funpy series, the Animal series highlighting individual grape characteristics, and high-end lines like Sable and Bijou.
In the shop, alongside the wines, you'll find wine-friendly snacks, freshly baked bread using natural yeast, and fresh local vegetables—making a shopping spree almost inevitable.
There are two accommodation options: "TRAVIGNE" for a luxury stay, and "Vinespa," where you can casually enjoy wine, hot springs, and books, making you want to linger for hours. They are both so wonderful that I'll introduce them in detail in Part 2!

https://fermier.jp/

For many wine lovers, Albariño means Fermier!
The attached restaurant is also very popular.
I highly recommend enjoying a lunch course paired with wine while gazing at the vineyards spreading out right in front of you!
On the day of my visit, the paired wines featured a lavish lineup including two types of Albariño (stainless steel tank and oak-aged) and Cabernet Franc, which I thoroughly enjoyed alongside beautiful spring dishes.

Finally, when paying at the register, I discovered a cute bottle next to the counter.
It turned out to be an "Albariño Mist" made using aromatic compounds captured during the winemaking process of their popular Albariño.
This would make a great gift not only for wine enthusiasts, but also for non-drinkers.

http://domainechaud.net/

This winery belongs to winemaker Mr. Kobayashi, who studied bioresource science (agriculture) and global environmental science, and holds a doctorate in life coexistence science with a focus on microbiology.
With meticulous attention starting from the soil and a winemaking philosophy that stays as close to nature as possible, many of his wines let you enjoy a deeply natural savory richness.
I had the opportunity to taste the latest vintage of my personal favorite, "Let me show you" (White). It was clean yet had a long-lasting depth of savory flavor, resulting in a delightfully well-balanced glass that truly moved me.

And what surprised me most was that there is actually a bouldering gym inside the winery!!!

He explained winemaking using bouldering as an analogy: "The holds (what you grab or step on) are the grapes, and the route is the winemaking process."
With poor-quality holds (bad grapes), what you can do in winemaking is limited, but with good holds (good grapes), you can create fantastic wine. Also, just as holds have their own distinct features, grapes have their own unique personalities. He explained that the role of a route setter is deciding how to express those traits and shape them into the final piece.
As someone whose hobby is bouldering, I was impressed by how easy this analogy was to understand—what do you all think?

Next time, I will definitely bring my climbing shoes when I visit.

【Cantina Zio Setto】
http://ziosetto.com/winery/

Five red wine grape varieties—Zweigelt, Nebbiolo, Barbera, Lambrusco, and Cabernet Sauvignon—are cultivated in their 1.0-hectare estate-managed vineyard. The founder, Mr. Seto, who came from the advertising industry, trained in viticulture and winemaking from scratch at Cave d'Occi Winery before establishing this winery in 2011.

Their wine lineup leans heavily toward Italian varieties. Just as Italy is a food-loving nation, Japan is also rich in world-class ingredients, which is why they craft gentle wines designed to accompany meals. Indeed, the new wine from Mr. Seto that I had recently possessed a lively acidity that whets the appetite, with a light and refreshing flavor. It seems to pair well with dishes like chicken stewed in tomatoes.

https://lecinqwinery.com/

It is named "Le Cinq" (The Fifth) because it was the fifth winery established on the Niigata Wine Coast.
Their motto is to craft traditional and elegant wines.
You can really tell they achieve this vision through the sincere and earnest personality of winemaker Mr. Abe.
I also had the pleasure of tasting their wines.
Their 100% estate-grown Pinot Noir is reportedly their first vintage. Swirling the glass released a gorgeous floral aroma reminiscent of dried flowers, and on the palate, I felt it was a very elegant wine with a delightful sense of maturity. It was delicious!
Their Seibel white wine was even selected as an official performance drink at the Takarazuka Grand Theater.

Their stylish, cohesive labels are also wonderful.

These five wineries, despite being in the same area, each have their own distinct personality, making it a truly fun experience to tour them.

Here is the map. Look at how close they are!
The distance between each winery was roughly a 5-minute walk.
You can even see another winery right in front of you!

http://www.docci.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/winecoast_map.pdf

So you know you can visit all five wineries at once, but how do you get there?

Fortunately, Cave d'Occi provides a free shuttle bus.
Advance reservations are required, so once your Shinkansen schedule is set, don't forget to book!

And of course, Niigata is famous not only for wine but for its delicious sake as well.
At Niigata Station, there is "Ponshukan," where you can enjoy many varieties of local sake—a highly recommended stop on your way home.
Besides sake, you can also find major Niigata souvenirs here, such as various Niigata-exclusive Kaki-pi, Koshihikari rice, and Yasuda Milk products.

"Dep. Niigata Station South Exit | 9:30" ⇒ "Dep. Uchino Station | 10:00 (Weekdays only)" ⇒ "Arr. Cave d'Occi | 10:20"
"Dep. Cave d'Occi | 11:00" ⇒ "Arr. Niigata Station South Exit | 11:50"

"Dep. Niigata Station South Exit | 13:30" ⇒ "Arr. Cave d'Occi | 14:20"
"Dep. Cave d'Occi | 16:00" ⇒ "Dep. Uchino Station | 16:30 (Weekdays only)" ⇒ "Arr. Niigata Station South Exit | 16:50"

*As of March 2022. Please check the latest information on official sources such as the Cave d'Occi website when planning your visit.

Also, for those who want to enjoy hot springs in addition to wine!!
You can also make use of the shared taxi service providing access to the airport, Niigata Station, Iwamuro Onsen, Yahiko Onsen, and more,"Niigata West Coast Liner".
This service also requires advance reservations.

https://www.niigatawestcoast.jp/liner

Once you've arranged your Shinkansen bullet train and accommodations (TRAVIGNE is highly recommended!), a trip to Niigata lets everyone fully enjoy both wine and sake.
Whether you can drive or not, whether you're team wine or team sake—none of that matters at all! Why not plan a casual getaway with close friends?

Niigata Wine Coast
https://www.docci.com/winecoast/

https://nihonwine.jp/enjoy-wine-life/niigatawinecoast-travel-2/

<Check out related articles as well!>

https://nihonwine.jp/new-update/interview/cavedocci_explore/