Starting with Yamanashi Prefecture, Nagano Prefecture, and Hokkaido, wineries have come to be dotted across various parts of Japan.
Because of this, many Japanese wine fans probably imagine that "nowadays, wherever you travel, there is a winery."
However, there exists a prefecture that is Japan's only winery blank zone.
That is Saga Prefecture.
Currently, on the crowdfunding site CAMPFIRE, a project by Italian wine bar TOCCO to establish a winery originating from Saga Prefecture is underway.
Having reached the second goal target of 3,000,000 yen, they are currently challenging their next goal of 5,000,000 yen.
Here are the details.
A winery in Saga Prefecture!
Holding the dream of establishing a "Saga-origin" winery and striving toward it is Toshiko Takahira of the wine bar "vinobar TOCCO" in Saga City.
After working in the beauty industry, Ms. Takahira transitioned to the restaurant business, studied on-site and in Italy, and opened the bar in 2017. Driven by a desire to convey the wine culture she learned in Italy to the people of Saga, she launched a project through crowdfunding aimed at "establishing a 'Saga-origin' winery."
After switching careers to the food and beverage industry, experiencing numerous venues, falling in love with Italian wine, and going on a 1-month journey traveling across various parts of Italy, she continued to accumulate winemaking experience while also visiting wineries throughout Japan.
Amidst this, a desire to establish a winery in her native Saga Prefecture sprouted. She underwent training at "Kyoho Winery" in Fukuoka Prefecture, and for the following roughly 2 years, with the single-minded focus of wanting to build a winery in Saga, she spent her days training in grape growing and brewing in the morning and running the wine bar from the evening.
At the same time, when she began searching for land suitable for grape cultivation in Saga, she discovered a former mandarin orange orchard in Omachi Town.
Although it was idle farmland, it had been well-maintained by the landowner, with a south-facing slope and good sunlight exposure, making it an ideal piece of land for grape growing.
Attracted by the potential of the discovered vineyard's location and shape, and above all, captivated by the view from the former mandarin orange orchard, she repeatedly contacted the landowner and finally managed to lease the field.
Finally, the groundwork was set for the birth of a winery in Saga Prefecture, allowing this plan to move forward in concrete terms.
Toward Wine Brewing!
In the former mandarin orange orchard in Omachi Town, Ms. Takahira also advanced land clearing and soil improvement with the cooperation of customers from her own shop and volunteers.
Furthermore, utilizing subsidies with the cooperation of Omachi Town, she completed the installation of grape trellises, enabling the planting of approximately 350 saplings in March 2024.
Even now, with the cooperation of many people, she continues to carry out daily work while taking steps toward preparing the next wine brewing facilities.
Currently, she is moving forward toward installing brewing equipment in fiscal year 2025 and starting brewing in autumn 2026, with the funds raised in this project being utilized as part of the funding for constructing the brewing facility.
As for the schedule, the plan is to complete an original wine in 2025 with the cooperation of the training winery, complete a custom-crush wine in 2026, and achieve the completion and first shipment of in-house brewed wine in 2027.
About the Returns
Here are the returns for this project.
- Casual Support Plan 【vinobarTOCCO 1-Drink Service Tickets (5 tickets)】
- In-Store Pickup Wine Plan (1 bottle of original wine + 5 service tickets + invitation to the report meeting)
- Delivery Original Wine x2 Plan (2 bottles of original wine + 5 service tickets + invitation to the report meeting)
- Delivery Wine & Snack Set Plan (1 bottle of original wine, 1 original yokan pairing well with wine, 1 natural cheese + 5 service tickets + invitation to the report meeting)
- Delivery Wine Party Plan (2 bottles of original wine, 2 original yokan pairing well with wine, 2 natural cheeses + 5 service tickets + invitation to the report meeting)
- Vineyard Sponsor: Silver (Sponsor recognition + Wine Party Plan)
- Vineyard Sponsor: Gold (Event invitation + Sponsor recognition + Wine Party Plan)
- Vineyard Plot Owner (3-year contract) (Owner-exclusive wine + Gold Plan)
For details on the returns, please check the crowdfunding site.
Support a Saga-Origin Winery!
Saga Prefecture is the only prefecture nationwide without a winery.
What kind of terroir does Saga possess? Any Japanese wine fan is bound to be curious.
However, the only way to find out is to drink wine made from grapes grown in Saga and brewed in Saga.
The person who will make that dream come true is Toshiko Takahira, who aims to establish Saga's first winery.
This is an important first step toward whether Saga will become a producing region for Japanese wine.
The crowdfunding campaign runs until December 2 at 23:59.
Why not show your support?
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