A Historic Winery Founded in 1905
Kanda Vineyard is one of Japan's historic wineries.
It was founded in 1905 after obtaining a license to produce sweetened fruit wine.
The story began when the first-generation owner, who worked as a carpenter, planted table-grape vines he had received from a client in Rikuzentakata.
Documents from the time refer simply to “Western grapes,” but considering the varieties available in Tohoku then, they may have been Delaware, Concord, or Campbell Early.
The area was also rich in fruit growing, with apples, pears, and other fruit cultivated alongside grapes.
The sixth-generation successor, Akihiro Kumagai, took over in 2008.
The fruit-wine license had once been surrendered amid the turmoil after World War II and changing times, but in response to local residents and wine fans asking for “real wine” to be made again, the license was reacquired and the winery restarted.
