Now recruiting individuals who "seriously" want to learn grape cultivation, winemaking, and management with the goal of getting involved in wine grape production and winemaking!
Applications for the "Shiojiri Wine Academy" organized by Shiojiri City will finally close on May 6.
For those of you still considering it, let us introduce the details!
What is Shiojiri Wine Academy?
Organized by Shiojiri City in Nagano Prefecture—one of Japan's leading wine-producing regions—the "Shiojiri Wine Academy" has been active for 10 years across 3 terms since 2014.
And now, as its 4th term, it is accepting applications for a 3-year course (late May 2024 to mid-March 2027) for those aiming to become future viticulturists and winemakers.
Shiojiri Wine Academy 4th Term Recruitment Page (Shiojiri City)
https://www.city.shiojiri.lg.jp/soshiki/62/39019.html
At the Shiojiri Wine Academy, you will spend "3 full years" learning the cultivation of wine grapes, winemaking, and management.
Compared to schools and academies with similar objectives, it offers a training system combining not only classroom lectures but also practical work over a span of 3 years (held basically once a month on Saturdays and Sundays, for a total of 35 sessions and 70 days of curriculum).
In other words, its greatest feature is the opportunity to experience the processes of viticulture and winemaking—which even professionals only experience once a year—three times while enrolled.
Another attractive point is that it is once a month (2 days), with a tuition fee of 100,000 yen/year (transportation and accommodation expenses are not included. In addition, cultivation tools and custom crush fees may require out-of-pocket payment).
The study period for this term is 3 years, from late May 2024 to mid-March 2027!
With 60 graduates, Shiojiri Wine Academy is a proven training institution that has produced 29 grape growers and 19 winemakers (8 wineries, 11 custom-crush winemakers) active both inside and outside Shiojiri City so far.
Furthermore, 3 more wineries by graduates are scheduled to open in 2024.
Additionally, some graduates work at wineries or in the wine industry, playing a role in the development of the wine industry in Shiojiri, Nagano, and Japan as a whole.
Shiojiri City has a winemaking history of over 100 years, and its wine grape production accounts for more than 90% of the entire output of Nagano Prefecture.
It is also a domestic pioneer in the cultivation and winemaking of European grapes (Vitis vinifera), and a renowned producing region whose quality has gained international recognition.
Furthermore, on March 22, 2024, Shiojiri City received designation from the Prime Minister as the wide-area wine special zone "Kikyogahara-Matsumoto Wine Valley Special Zone," newly including the areas of Matsumoto City, Yamagata Village, and Asahi Village in Higashichikuma District. This is expected to create an environment where establishing small-scale wineries and similar businesses is even easier, leading to further promotion of the wine industry as well as the production of grapes, fruit trees, and fruits.
Click here for details and application
For detailed application procedures and further information, please see the link below.
https://www.city.shiojiri.lg.jp/soshiki/62/39019.html