An Urban Winery Opens Right in the Heart of Shibuya: [Shibuya Winery] On-Site Report!

Do you remember where Miyashita Park in Shibuya used to be?
Now renamed "MIYASHITA PARK," it has transformed into an amazing facility featuring a rooftop park atop a stylish commercial center!

On August 4, Shibuya Winery Tokyo—a restaurant with an on-site winery—opened on the 3rd floor of this complex.

Shibuya Winery Tokyo is the third urban winery restaurant operated by Swimmy Japan, which also runs Fukagawa Winery Tokyo and Osaka Airport Winery in Tokyo and Osaka.

We attended the opening reception to get an insider's look.

We learned all about the restaurant's wines and cuisine, and even conducted an exclusive interview with head winemaker Mr. Murakami!

Right in front of the counter, fermentation tanks stand side by side.
Because it is an urban winery, they are cute, compact tanks, which reportedly offers the advantage of allowing guests to enjoy a wide variety of wines in small quantities.

Embodying this concept of enjoying various wines little by little is their "Tap Wine."

You can try seven different types of wine served in small portions. What a fun concept!

They are also planning to offer wine by weight, a thoughtful gesture by Shibuya Winery so that even light drinkers can enjoy a wide variety.

As for the wine selection, in addition to enjoying in-house wines from Fukagawa Winery and Osaka Airport Winery, a carefully chosen lineup of imported wines is also available.
And the food menu is equally impressive!
Since it was a reception, the dishes were served in bite-sized portions, but the grand menu features a delicious lineup. I even placed a reservation for my next visit right then and there!

In fact, Mr. Murakami worked as a corporate employee at a pharmaceutical company until a few years ago.
We asked him about his journey and how he came to be the head winemaker at Shibuya Winery!

Mr. Murakami has been a wine lover for many years. When he took early retirement at the age of 50, he toured wineries across Japan and began thinking it would be wonderful to spend the second chapter of his life working at a regional winery.

However, just when he thought relocating wasn't very realistic, he learned that Fukagawa Winery—which he happened to visit—was recruiting an assistant winemaker, and he applied, thinking, "I want to give this a try!"

At first, he simply hoped to gain experience for about one season, but then the idea of "Shibuya Winery" emerged. He ended up taking a full-time position there, beginning his training in preparation for the opening.
What an astonishingly dramatic turn of events!

For the next two years, under the guidance of Mr. Ueno at Fukagawa Winery, he honed his technical skills while dreaming of making his mark at Shibuya Winery.

Since it is an urban winery, there are naturally no vineyards nearby, so the grapes are purchased from growers.
Shibuya Winery is a facility specifically dedicated to winemaking.

Unlike traditional wineries, there is no viticultural work involved, meaning he can take on the challenge of making over 20 different types of wine a year—an irresistibly attractive opportunity for a winemaker.
Even though it is a creative challenge, he naturally puts in tremendous effort to make sure customers find the wines delicious.

"Furthermore, precisely because we specialize in winemaking, we can offer a wide variety of wines in small lots, allowing customers to enjoy wine from many different angles," Mr. Murakami explains with a smile.

By allowing customers to try a little bit of their various wines, it serves as a great first step into experiencing Japanese wine. Thanks to the convenience of an easily accessible location like Shibuya, he hopes people will enjoy themselves casually and lively without pretense. It was a truly lovely winery in the heart of Tokyo, filled with such thoughtful consideration.

What kind of wines will Mr. Murakami release in the future?
We are truly looking forward to seeing them!

For details about Shibuya Winery featured in this article, please click here.