In this article, we will introduce some noteworthy Japanese producers making wine in New Zealand.
Each of them has a very unique personality, and it is no exaggeration to say that the wines they produce are among the best in New Zealand.
New Zealand is still a country with a short history of wine, but with its climate and soil that are extremely suitable for winemaking , its presence is growing year by year.
The country is also known as an "organic powerhouse" because of its extremely high environmental awareness, and most of its wines are produced in sustainable or organic environments.
Highly skilled and passionate winemakers (producers) from all over the world gather in New Zealand. In addition to the natural environment, there are other reasons why New Zealand is the place to be .
First, NZ is classified as a New World country. Unlike France and other traditional wine countries, there are few vineyards passed down from generation to generation and few strict rules, so even people with no connection to the country or region can make wine relatively freely. NZ is also said to be the world's easiest country to start a business in , and has a system and atmosphere that supports people who want to start something new.
The second reason is that there is the University of Lincoln , where you can learn about grape cultivation and brewing. In fact, many of New Zealand's winemakers are graduates of this university. Thanks to the University of Lincoln, even people who have worked in a completely unrelated field can learn about winemaking from scratch.
The Japanese producers (brewers and owners) we are introducing this time all have unique backgrounds.
The wines produced in New Zealand by Japanese producers, who are sensitive and serious in nature, are highly regarded both at home and abroad.
The order of introduction is alphabetical order.
Taizo Osawa (Osawa Wines)
Source: Osawa Wines official website
Osawa Wines , owned by Osawa Taizo, is a boutique winery located in Hawke's Bay on New Zealand's North Island.
Osawa-san joined the construction company his father managed and became president and CEO at the age of 45. He then established a company involved in real estate business and continues to play an active role in many areas, including serving as its representative.
Osawa's winemaking journey began with a childhood dream to "become a farmer overseas ." To make this dream a reality, he visited many agricultural countries overseas, and decided to start making wine in New Zealand, which he considered to be the ideal location. Then, at the age of 55, his wish came true, and he purchased land in Hawke's Bay that had been a sheep pasture. He cultivated the land as a vineyard, and planted his first grape vines in 2006. Osawa's challenge is described in detail in his book , "The story of how a 55-year-old man started farming overseas from scratch and made a miraculous wine."
Source: Osawa Wines official website
Since its founding, Osawa Wines has maintained the belief that "making safe and delicious wine begins with growing the best grapes," and they minimize the use of herbicides, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers, and make wine by hand as much as possible.
By the way, you can purchase wines from Osawa Wines directly at the garden facility "Roseberry Tawada" in Maibara City, Shiga Prefecture. This is an authentic English-style garden run by Osawa Taizo's wife, Eriko. The tasting and direct sales shop, which is like a real New Zealand cellar door, sells not only wine, but also many New Zealand specialties such as manuka honey and organic tea.
▶ Osawa Wines official website
Takeki Okada (Folium Vineyard)
Source: Folium Vineyards official website
The winery "Folium Vineyard" run by Okada is located in Marlborough on New Zealand's South Island. The winery's name "Folium" means "leaf" in Latin. It reflects Okada's respect for nature.
Source: Folium Vineyards official website
Takaki Okada was born in Tokyo in 1978. After graduating from the Faculty of Agriculture at Hokkaido University, he studied winemaking at the University of California, Davis.
He then moved to New Zealand, and in 2004 joined Clos Henri, a New Zealand operation of the prestigious French Loire winery Henri Bourgeois, and became its head of cultivation in 2006. After working there for six years, he launched Folium Vineyards in 2010.
believes that " the fastest way to make high-quality wine is to grow high-quality grapes ," so he strictly limits the yield in the fields, removes leaves, and cultivates grapes. Then, in the fall, he hand-picks all the fully ripe fruit and carefully selects them.
The Sauvignon Blanc that Okada makes is different from the typical New Zealand type that has herbs and tropical fruits, but it is mainly acidic and has a soft and delicate aroma of fresh fruits. Therefore, it goes well with food.
Okada's wines, including other varieties such as Pinot Noir, all have a strong, structured acidity and a long aftertaste, reminiscent of the Burgundy wines he admires.
▶ Folium Vineyards official website
Shigehisa Kimura (Kimura Cellars)
Source: Kimura Sellers official website
Shigehisa Kimura runs "KIMURA CELLARS" with his wife.
Kimura was born in Tokyo in 1973. He worked at The Capitol Hotel Tokyu (formerly the Capitol Tokyu Hotel) for 10 years, serving in the restaurant and obtaining his sommelier qualification during that time. When he visited a winery in France, he was fascinated by the passion of the local winemakers and the high quality of the wines, and decided to become a winemaker himself.
He then moved to New Zealand in 2004 to study winemaking and viticulture at Lincoln University. After gaining experience at wineries such as Clos Henri and Villa Maria, and further training in winemaking in Oregon, he founded Kimura Cellars in Marlborough in 2009.
His wife, Mieko, has supported Kimura Cellars' winemaking since the winery was founded, studying grape cultivation and brewing, and then trained with the brewing team at Villa Maria.
The winery carefully produces wines using organic farming methods, based on the concepts of "wine made by a known maker" and "producers who are close to consumers."
In 2018, we purchased our own Sauvignon Blanc vineyard, and in 2021 we obtained Bio-Gro, a New Zealand organic certification.
In addition, our Pinot Noir won a gold medal at the International Wine Challenge (IWC) 2020, one of the world's most influential wine competitions.
Kimura's goal is to "make wine that brings lots of smiles."
The Kimura Cellars logo is a cherry blossom depiction of the new shoots of a fern, a symbolic plant of New Zealand. Ferns represent new beginnings and harmony, and Kimura Cellars wine is often used for wedding anniversaries and other special occasions.
▶ Kimura Sellers official website
Kimura-san always comes to see me whenever he comes to Japan. I think his humble and serious personality is reflected in his wines. The concept that Kimura-san aims for, "wine that makes everyone smile," is something that only a former sommelier who is conscious of the drinker can have.
Hiroyuki Kusuda (Kusuda Wines)
Source: Kusuda Wines
Hiroyuki Kusuda was the first Japanese person to start making wine in New Zealand.
Born in 1964, Kusuda worked for Fujitsu after graduating from university, then joined the Consulate General of Japan in Sydney. However, influenced by his older brother who loves wine, he decided to become a winemaker at the age of 30.
He then moved to Germany to study viticulture and enology at Geisenheim University, and in 2001 he moved to Martinborough with his family to complete his dissertation at the invitation of Kai Schubert (Schubert Wines), who was also studying at the university.
In October of the same year, without any vineyards or facilities, he established "KUSUDA WINES" . At first, he was fumbling around trying everything. He was fortunate to be able to rent a small plot of land of about 2 hectares, and released his first vintage in 2002.
Currently, Mr. Kusuda owns 3.8 hectares of land where he grows Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Riesling. At Kusuda Wines, he does not employ any staff and is responsible for winemaking and winery operations almost entirely by himself.
Source: Kusuda Wines
Kusuda's favorite grape variety is Pinot Noir. His long-held dream was to "produce the world's best Pinot Noir ." Nearly 20 years have passed since he moved to New Zealand, and now that dream is becoming a reality.
Kusuda Wines' Pinot Noir received a rating of 93+ from Wine Advocate magazine, founded by Robert Parker, the world's most renowned wine critic.
In addition, Kusuda Wines was ranked first in the 2021 New Zealand Winery Rankings, which is announced annually by the tasting team called The Real Review, led by renowned New Zealand wine critic Bob Campbell.
▶︎ Learn more about The Real Review here
Kusuda Wines' wines are sold at very high prices around the world and are difficult to obtain. Kusuda Wines is famous for its Pinot Noir, but its Syrah and Riesling are also popular.
▶ Kusuda Wines official website
Kohei Koyama (Green Songs)
Image source: Southern Cross Co., Ltd.
There are two wine producers named Mr. Koyama in New Zealand. To distinguish between them, I will use their first names in this article.
Koyama Kohei is a winemaker who makes wine with consideration for the natural environment and who values his lifestyle.
Born in Aomori Prefecture in 1976, Kohei graduated from the University of Tokyo and worked for a securities company for 11 years. He was posted to London and fell in love with wine, which led him to aspire to become a winemaker. This was likely influenced by the fact that Kohei's mother's side is originally from a sake brewing family in Yamagata, and alcohol has been a familiar presence since he was a child.
After leaving the company, he moved to New Zealand in 2011 and studied Viticulture and Oenology at Lincoln University, graduating with honors.
After graduating from school, he studied winemaking in New Zealand and California, and established Atamai Village Wines Winery in 2014. It is a small village where orchards and farms are jointly operated by people with the common goal of living a life with as little impact as possible on the global environment.
Image source: Southern Cross Co., Ltd.
In 2017, in order to broaden the scope of his activities, he changed the name of his winery to "Green Songs" and is now working on winemaking with an even more free-spirited approach.
Source: Green Songs official website
Kohei is also the head vineyard manager at URLAR, a winery located in Gladstone, Wairarapa. URLAR is owned by Nishi Yoichiro , the eighth generation owner of Nishi Sake Brewery in Kagoshima Prefecture. At URLAR, grapes are grown using biodynamic farming methods that show the utmost respect for the natural world.
Currently, Kohei is focusing his activities on Gladstone, while also further expanding Green Songs' lineup and broadening the scope of his winemaking.
▶ Green Songs (Southern Cross introduction page)
Ryuu Koyama (Koyama Wines)
Source: Koyama Wines official website
Takahiro Koyama runs Koyama Wines in Waipara, a city that is attracting attention in New Zealand's South Island.
Source: Koyama Wines official website
Born in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1970, Ryu-yu grew up in Taipei, Taiwan from his childhood to junior high school due to his father's work. He then studied business at a university in Seattle and worked for an event company. However, he was unable to forget his strong desire to be involved in manufacturing, so he quit his job and began his journey as a wine brewer.
He began studying Viticulture and Oenology at the University of Lincoln in 2003, and in 2004 began working as assistant winemaker at Mountford Estate, a winery renowned for its Pinot Noir.
He further trained in Italy and Germany, honing his skills around the world, and founded his own company, Koyama Wines, in 2009.
Ryuu believes that "great wine comes from great grapes," and so he began cultivating his favorite Pinot Noir and Riesling grapes in the fields, hoping that this was the only place he could make his own wine. Since then, he has been dedicated to making wine that expresses his own style while staying close to the land.
In 2017, he also acquired his former winery, Mountford Estate, which was in financial difficulty and in decline, and became the owner of the winery. Currently, he delivers wines with different appeals to the world through these two brands.
One of my regular customers happened to be a woman who married a man named Koyama, and she chose "Koyama Wines" as a wedding gift. I thought that was very stylish!
He currently produces wine at the newly established Takakei Wines.
▶ Koyama Wines (Village Cellars introduction page)
Sato Yoshiaki and Kyoko (Sato Wines)
Image source: Village Cellars Co., Ltd.
Yoshiaki and Kyoko Sato are the husband and wife team behind Sato Wines in Central Otago.
Source: Sato Wines official website
The Sato couple used to work at the same bank. They were originally wine lovers, but after being transferred to London and experiencing the appeal of wines from around the world, they decided to pursue a career in winemaking.
They then moved to New Zealand to study winemaking at Lincoln University in 2007. During their time there, they worked at Felton Road, one of the most prestigious wineries in New Zealand, and built their careers in winemaking.
In 2009, Yoshiaki moved to Mount Edward and worked as winemaker while also founding Sato Wines . Kyoko continues to work at Felton Road as a supervisor.
The Central Otago region , where the winery is located, is said to be the southernmost wine-producing region in the world. This extremely cool and dry region produces fragrant, high-quality grapes, making it a famous wine-producing region recognized by wine fans around the world. Sato Wines believes in making natural wines, and grows grapes using "biodynamic farming" methods.
▶ Sato Wines official website *The website is currently under construction
Shinobu Teraguchi (MUTU, M by Shinobu)
"MUTU" is the word of the Maori people, the indigenous people of New Zealand, and means "essence."
The name MUTU pays respect to Maori culture and uses the Japanese kanji character "mutsu".
Just like the word "friendly," which means friendship and connection, by using this kanji character, we also hope to convey the meaning of a bridge between New Zealand and Japan, and a new wine experience.
The owner of this winery is Japanese winemaker, Shinobu Teraguchi.
In 2017, when he turned 50, Teraguchi moved to New Zealand to fulfill a long-held dream, and began his career as a brewer in Hawke's Bay.
In 2021, he released his own brand, "MUTU Mutsumi." The rich-flavored Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc became popular in Japan immediately after their release.
However, in February 2023, Cyclone Gabriel will hit the North Island of New Zealand.
While this incident received little coverage in Japan, in New Zealand it became such a major disaster that a national state of emergency was declared.
The cyclone caused devastating damage to Teraguchi's winery and vineyards.
Teraguchi says he was stunned to witness this natural disaster, which occurred just two weeks before the harvest of the grapes he had painstakingly grown.
I met Mr. Teraguchi last year and while we were talking he showed me photos of the damage. I felt that he had a somewhat lonely look on his face.
However, Japanese winemakers have the tenacity to not give up!
Now that he has lost his own winery, Teraguchi is helping out at another winery and working hard to get back on his feet.
Teraguchi says that now that he has lost everything, he is thinking of new endeavors.
Bokumo Wine is supporting Teraguchi's recovery by delivering as much of his wine as possible to people in Japan.
summary
Among the Japanese producers introduced here, there are many who have worked in fields other than winemaking in the past, and some who have taken up the challenge of winemaking regardless of their age.
The great thing about New Zealand is that they have a system in place that welcomes people with that kind of spirit of adventure. You can study winemaking at Lincoln University, and they have an environment that makes it easy for foreigners to start a business even with a small amount of capital. By creating this kind of environment, you can see the clear intention of the New Zealand government to support people who take on new challenges and boost the country's industry.
These adventurous Japanese producers all have strong convictions and approach winemaking with sincerity in order to bring out their own unique style.
Their wines are not mass-produced, so they are not in an affordable price range. However, they are all handmade wines made with the passion of each Japanese person. I think drinking such wines will help support the Japanese people who are taking on challenges in places far away across the sea.
Perhaps their wines will become more and more popular in the future. If that happens, the prices may go up a little... With that in mind, now might be the time to buy wines from Japanese winemakers in New Zealand!
