About this wine
Echigo Wine Merlot is a standard-tier single-varietal red made from 100% Minamiuonuma-grown Merlot. It offers a soft, mellow character with gentle tannins and moderate acidity, making it an approachable, everyday dry red that still carries the distinct character of its snow-country terroir.
A gentle, everyday dry red — a great first step into Japanese Merlot.
Sommelier's Note
"Proof that everyday wine doesn't have to be an afterthought — soft, honest Merlot with real snow-country character."
Food Pairings
An easy match for everyday meals — grilled chicken, hamburg steak, and simple tomato-based pasta dishes.
When to drink it
Casual weeknight dinners, everyday drinking.
Specs
- Grape Varieties
- Merlot
- Style
- Red
- Alcohol
- 12%
- Price Range
- ¥3,600-3,700
Terroir & Winemaking
100% Minamiuonuma-grown Merlot. Dry, medium body, soft tannins, moderate acidity. 12% ABV.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does Echigo Wine Merlot taste like?
- It's a soft, mellow dry red with gentle tannins and moderate acidity, easy to drink on its own or with food.
- How is it different from Sekki Red?
- Unlike Sekki Red, which is matured in the winery's yukimuro snow cellar, Echigo Wine Merlot is the winery's standard-tier bottling without extended snow-cellar aging, making it a lighter, more everyday style.
- What food pairs well with it?
- Grilled chicken, hamburg steak, and tomato-based pasta dishes pair easily with it.
Want to know more about this wine?
Ask Vinami's sommelier — no intimidation, just answers.
Talk to the SommelierMore wines from this producer
越後ワイン 雪季（せっき）赤
Sekki Red
RedMerlot
Sekki Red is the signature red wine of Agricore Echigo Winery, crafted from 100% Merlot grown in Minamiuonuma, Niigata—Japan's legendary snow country. The wine is aged in the winery's yukimuro (snow cellar), where up to 250 tons of packed snow keep the cellar at a stable ~5°C year-round without mechanical refrigeration, while an adjacent barrel room holds steady at ~15°C. This gentle, low-stress aging environment preserves delicate aromatics and produces a dry, medium-bodied red with soft tannins and bright red-fruit character. At 12% ABV, it is best enjoyed at 14–16°C and reflects the winery's four-decade-plus philosophy: 'snow nurtures, snow protects, snow ages' the wine.
越後ワイン 雪季（せっき）白
Sekki White
WhiteChardonnay · Seyval Blanc
Sekki White is the signature dry white wine of Agricore Echigo Winery, made from Niigata-grown Chardonnay and Seyval Blanc. Like its sibling Sekki Red, it is matured using the winery's celebrated yukimuro (snow cellar), which stores up to 250 tons of natural Uonuma snow to keep the aging environment at a stable, cool temperature year-round without electricity. The result is a crisp, clean dry white (12% ABV) with bright acidity, ripe fruit aroma, and a refreshing finish that reflects the snow country terroir of Minamiuonuma.
ゆきむろおばけ
Yukimuro Obake
RedMerlot
Yukimuro Obake is Agricore Echigo Winery's flagship top-tier red, made from 100% hand-selected Merlot grown in the winery's own Minamiuonuma vineyards. Named after the yukimuro (snow cellar) in which it is patiently aged for five full years at a stable ~5°C using up to 250 tons of natural packed snow, this wine achieves a depth and refinement rarely seen in Japanese reds. It was awarded Bronze in the Vintage 2020 category at the 2025 Japan Wine Competition. Dry and medium-to-full bodied, it shows powerful, concentrated fruit balanced with silky, well-integrated tannins built up over its long, gentle snow-cellar maturation.
ドメーヌ越後カベルネ
Domaine Echigo Cabernet
RedCabernet Sauvignon
Domaine Echigo Cabernet is a single-vineyard red made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grown in the contracted Myogasawa vineyard in Minamiuonuma. Grapes are hand-selected first by cluster and then berry by berry before pressing, and the wine is aged for twelve months in oak barrels. It won Bronze at the 2023 Japan Wine Competition. The result is a dry, medium-bodied red with concentrated fruit, well-balanced oak, and a structure that combines power with elegance.
越後ワイン カベルネ
Echigo Wine Cabernet
RedCabernet Sauvignon
Echigo Wine Cabernet is a standard-tier single-varietal red made from 100% Minamiuonuma-grown Cabernet Sauvignon. It shows a deep color with concentrated tannins and a pleasant, lingering aroma on the finish, offering more structure than the winery's Merlot bottling while remaining an accessible, dry everyday red.