Alps Wine Co., Ltd.
アルプスワイン株式会社
Small family winery in Yamanashi crafting clean, honest wines since 1962
Alps Wine Co., Ltd. is a family-run winery in Fuefuki, Yamanashi Prefecture, founded in 1962 when Fukuhei Maejima took over Miyoshizaki Brewery, a community winery once run by local grape farmers in the Kitsune-Arai district. Now led by third-generation president Ryo Maejima together with his three children handling sales, winemaking, and distribution, the winery lives by the motto 'a first-class product, even from a small company.' Its winemaking philosophy centers on simplicity and cleanliness—rigorous equipment sanitation, careful raw-material and yeast selection, and precise temperature control during aging—to produce clear, clean wines built to age gracefully. In 2021, to mark its 60th anniversary, the winery launched the Fox Village label, named after Kitsune-Arai ('fox's new home'), the historic place name of its home district.
www.alpswine.co.jp/ ↗Cuvées
フォックスヴィレッジ 甲州スパークリング
Fox Village Koshu Sparkling
SparklingKoshu
Fox Village Koshu Sparkling is a dry sparkling white wine made from 100% Koshu grapes grown in Yamanashi Prefecture, crafted by the family-run Alps Wine Co., Ltd. in Fuefuki. It pours a bright golden yellow with a fine, creamy mousse, offering crisp acidity balanced by delicate citrus and orchard-fruit character typical of Koshu. Non-vintage and bottled at 12% ABV, it won a Gold Medal at the Sakura Wine Award 2023 and a Silver Medal at the Sakura Wine Award 2024.
フォックスヴィレッジ 甲州 ヌーヴォー
Fox Village Koshu Nouveau
WhiteKoshu
Released each year to coincide with Yamanashi's own Nouveau wine day around November 3rd, Fox Village Koshu Nouveau is the early-release, new-vintage expression of Alps Wine Co., Ltd.'s Fox Village line. Made from freshly harvested Koshu, Yamanashi's signature indigenous grape, it is bottled quickly in the nouveau style to preserve bright, primary fruit character. The wine is medium-dry (yaya-karakuchi), with crisp acidity balanced by a touch of lingering sweetness on the finish, in a 750ml bottle priced around ¥1,980.
フォックスヴィレッジ 甲州バレル
Fox Village Koshu Barrel
WhiteKoshu
Fox Village Koshu Barrel is a barrel-aged white wine from Alps Wine Co., Ltd. in Fuefuki, Yamanashi, made from 100% Koshu grapes grown by contracted growers within the GI Yamanashi appellation. After primary fermentation in stainless steel tanks, the wine spends roughly six months aging in used oak barrels, which round out Koshu's naturally crisp profile without masking it in new-oak flavor. The result is a shining golden-hued white with a smooth attack, aromas of honey and roasted nuts, and a full-bodied, umami-rich palate with a lingering, savory finish — a more structured, contemplative sibling to the winery's Fox Village Nouveau and Sparkling Koshu.
Who Is This For?
For wine lovers who appreciate small, family-run Japanese wineries with an unpretentious, quality-first philosophy—and for fans of accessible, food-friendly Koshu and other Yamanashi varietals.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Alps Wine Co., Ltd.'s winemaking philosophy?
- The winery follows a simple, clean approach—thorough equipment sanitation, careful selection of grapes and yeast, and precise temperature control—under the motto 'a first-class product, even from a small company.'
- Where is Alps Wine Co., Ltd. located?
- The winery is based in Fuefuki, Yamanashi Prefecture, in the Kitsune-Arai district, a historic grape and peach-growing area southeast of the Kofu Basin.
- What is the Fox Village brand?
- Fox Village is the winery's modern label launched in 2021 to mark its 60th anniversary, named after Kitsune-Arai ('fox's new home'), the neighborhood where the winery has stood since 1962.
- Is Alps Wine Co., Ltd. the same company as Alps Winery in Nagano?
- No—despite the similar name, Alps Wine Co., Ltd. (アルプスワイン株式会社) in Fuefuki, Yamanashi is a separate, unrelated company from Alps Winery (株式会社アルプス) in Shiojiri, Nagano.