An Old Yet New Winery: Visiting Iwanohara Vineyard

When speaking of red wine in Japanese wine, many people surely think of "Muscat Bailey A", don't they?

This MBA (Muscat Bailey A) is a grape variety indigenous to Japan, developed by the founder of Iwanohara Vineyard in Niigata Prefecture, Mr. Zenbei Kawakami.

In this article, along with the footsteps of Zenbei Kawakami, we will share the appeal of today's "Iwanohara Vineyard"!

Iwanohara Vineyard has a history spanning 130 years.
Behind it lies a deep story of Zenbei Kawakami pouring his passion into winemaking and striving for coexistence with the local community.

Please enjoy this winery tour, guided by PR manager Ms. Imai.

Zenbei Kawakami conducted as many as 10,311 variety crossbreedings, introducing 22 superior varieties to the world, including Muscat Bailey A.
We hope you will savor the many Iwanohara wines born from grapes reached after such a mind-boggling journey, accompanied by the story shared by Mr. Fujii of the Sales Department.

Zenbei Kawakami was said to have placed great importance on coexisting with the local community.
That spirit is passed down to today's Iwanohara Vineyard, where they are taking on new initiatives.

In the vast rice paddies extending across Echizen Takada, some paddies are reportedly being abandoned due to the aging population and lack of successors.
They are taking on a new challenge to repurpose those paddies.

We cannot take our eyes off this initiative, which also plays a role in securing harvest yields.

Zenbei Kawakami is renowned as the father of Japanese wine.

Although I knew this as written information, seeing the land with my own eyes made me keenly realize the hardship of grape growing under the harsh winter environment of Echizen Takada, a heavy snowfall area.

In the midst of all this, his spirit—passionate about high-quality winemaking and taking on 10,311 variety crossbreedings—is inherited by everyone at today's Iwanohara Vineyard, and I somehow felt that power existing around the winery.

Speaking of which, recently a book featuring Muscat Bailey A, the grape variety developed by Zenbei Kawakami, titled "Motto MBA" was published.
Japanese wine may be reaching a timing where it can become known to even more people.

Niigata is famous as a top sake-producing region, but please be sure to try the wines of Iwanohara Vineyard as well!

<Iwanohara Vineyard Official Website>
https://www.iwanohara.sgn.ne.jp/index.html