Released on March 12, 2020
Yokohama Winery (Head Office: Yokohama Winery Co., Ltd., Yamashita-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama), the only fruit winery in the prefecture that specializes in Japanese wine, will begin cultivating wine grapes in Yokohama City in the spring of 2020. The location is in Asahi Ward. Using land that has been taken out of cultivation, 100 low-growth seedlings will be cultivated in a hedge-trained manner in the first year. The aim is to brew "Yokohama Wine" using these grapes three years later. Yokohama Winery is currently accepting applications for "Grape Seedling Owners 2020 (30,000 yen per share for three years)."
Yokohama Winery is an urban winery without an orchard that opened in Yokohama in 2017. Until now, there was almost no wine grape cultivation in the prefecture, so they mainly purchased grapes from all over the country and brewed and sold Japanese wine in Yokohama. They have been expanding their business with the aim of releasing "Yokohama Wine" brewed with grapes grown in Yokohama in the future. In 2019, a wine grape producer appeared in the prefecture, and they were able to ship the first Kanagawa-grown "Kanagawa Wine", albeit in small quantities. This time, they will go one step further and start cultivating wine grapes in Yokohama City with the aim of producing "Yokohama Wine".
<Planned cultivation area> <Imaginary photo of fruiting @ Kawasaki city>
Yokohama Winery representative Yoshiko Machida says, "Because we don't have any grapes grown in Yokohama, people sometimes say, 'Those aren't Yokohama grapes,' and it's been frustrating. I've always wanted to make wine using wine grapes grown in Yokohama."
The vineyard is located in Asahi Ward, Yokohama City. After learning of Yokohama Winery through the media, the landowner made an application, and after a year of coordination with the city hall, the opening has finally become a reality. The vineyard is located on a gentle southern slope of approximately 4,000 square meters. Planting is scheduled to begin in April. Around 100 vines will be planted, mainly of Western grape varieties. It will take three years for the vines to bear fruit and become ingredients for wine. The "Yokohama Wine" is expected to be completed in 2022 at the earliest. They are also working with producers in Sagamihara and Kawasaki, who recently grew the ingredients for Kanagawa Wine, with the aim of expanding wine grape cultivation within the prefecture.
Yokohama Winery is currently looking for seedling owners (limited number) in preparation for its opening. Each membership costs 30,000 yen and covers a three-year membership period. Members can experience growing grapes during the period, and can purchase a bottle of the first vintage of "Yokohama Wine" on a priority basis.
*See the Yokohama Winery website:
https://yokohamawinery.com/viticulture_owner2020/
The plan is to select unused farmland and use it as a vineyard. The plan is to expand the orchards within the city while monitoring the growth of the grapes. The amount of abandoned farmland in the city has been increasing by nearly 20% in the last five years. The aim of this project is to put a stop to the expansion of abandoned farmland by utilizing such land and expanding the cultivation of wine grapes.
Over the past five years, the amount of abandoned farmland has increased by 16.7% and the number of farm households has decreased by 17.9%.
Source: 2015 Agriculture and Forestry Census (released by Yokohama City on February 14, 2019)
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Machida Yoshiko says, "Wine was introduced to Yokohama when the port opened. Even today there are many wine importers here. As the amount of abandoned farmland decreases and locally produced wine production increases, it would be wonderful if Yokohama came to be known as a 'wine city.'"
*Kanagawa Prefecture has surpassed Yamanashi Prefecture to become the number one wine producing prefecture in Japan. However, the production of grapes for wine is almost zero. The reason is that the production volume of the factory of one major manufacturer, which uses fruit juice from overseas and raw materials from other prefectures, accounts for almost 100% of the production.
| <Inquiries regarding this matter>
Yokohama Winery Manager: Yoshiko Machida
TEL 090-3960-1522 (Mobile) email: ask@yokohamawinery.com
1-3-12 Shinyamashita, Naka-ku, Yokohama tel: 045-228-9713 |
