8 Vineyard

ユイット・ヴィンヤード・ミサカ

Connoisseur's Award winner at the 8th Japan Winery Award 2025 — a JA Fuefuki cooperative winery in Misaka Town producing 100% estate-grown wines from Japan's top grape-growing city, with 60-year-old Muscat Bailey A vines and a flagship Koshu that won the 2021 SAKURA AWARD.

8 Vineyard (officially 8 vin-yard MISAKA, pronounced "Huit Vineyard Misaka" in French) is a winery operated by New Yamanashi Wine Brewing Co., Ltd. (ニュー山梨ワイン醸造株式会社), a directly managed subsidiary of JA Fuefuki agricultural cooperative. Founded in 1963 in Misaka Town, Fuefuki City, Yamanashi Prefecture — the city that boasts Japan's number-one grape cultivation area, harvest volume, and shipment volume — this winery has a proud six-decade history of crafting wines from 100% locally grown grapes. The brand name "8 vin-yard MISAKA" carries deep symbolism: the number 8 (八) is traditionally considered auspicious in Japan, representing good fortune and prosperity. Laid on its side, it becomes the infinity symbol (∞), embodying the winery's wish for enduring success. The "8" also represents the eight farming regions within JA Fuefuki that supply grapes exclusively to this estate. Every bottle is made from grapes grown in Misaka Town, preserving authentic terroir of this storied wine district. The winery produces wines from both indigenous Japanese grape varieties — most notably Koshu (甲州), which has been cultivated in Yamanashi for over 1,200 years — and traditional red varieties. Their flagship white wine, Misaka Free-run Koshu (御坂 フリーラン甲州), is made using only free-run juice from Koshu grapes, resulting in delicate citrus aromas, fine minerality, and refreshing acidity. Their flagship red, Yachikura Muscat Bailey A (八千蔵 マスカットベーリーA), is crafted from vines over 60 years old in the historic Yachikura district, yielding a wine of uncommon depth and character with cherry-like aromas and well-integrated tannins. In 2019, the winery made a landmark decision to begin barrel aging, producing their first oak-aged wine under the guidance of Yasuo Murakami, a leading figure at the Japan Winery Association. The result, "Takei" (竹居), showcases vanilla and toasted oak notes beautifully integrated with the regional Koshu grape. The winery also produces wines from rare and distinctive varieties including Adirondack (アジロン) — a fragrant American-origin black grape grown almost exclusively in Yamanashi — and TAIHO, a large-berried variety related to Fujuminori. In 2025, 8 vin-yard MISAKA was recognized with a Connoisseur's Award at the 8th Japan Winery Award (日本ワイナリーアワード 2025), an honor given to distinctive wineries chosen by wine specialists for their unique character and future potential.