About Asaya Winery
- Founded
- 1921
- 105 years ago
- Location
- 甲州市
- 山梨県
- Wines listed
- 7
- Sparkling 1, White 2, Red 4
- Main grapes
- Muscat Bailey A, Alicante, Merlot
Founded in 1921 in Katsunuma, the birthplace of Japanese winemaking, Asaya Winery is a century-old family producer built on a strikingly simple philosophy: no water is ever added during production, so every bottle expresses the grape and the land as they are. Managing director Kazuki Amemiya sums it up plainly — "You cannot make a Chardonnay out of Koshu" — and the winery works with each variety's natural character rather than chasing international styles. Fertilizer use on its vineyards is kept to a minimum, with compost applied only once every few years, letting decades of accumulated terroir knowledge guide the fruit. Visitors can tour the brewing facility and underground cellar by reservation and taste the results in a shop built into the winery's original 1921 concrete fermentation tanks.
Who Is This For?
For drinkers who want an honest, unfiltered expression of Koshu terroir — ideal if you're curious what a century-old Katsunuma producer tastes like with nothing added, not even water.
Wines of Asaya Winery
Location & Nearby
- Address
- 山梨県甲州市勝沼町等々力166View map ↗
- Founded
- 1921
Source: asaya-winery.jp (checked Sep 2026)
The pin with the gold outline marks Asaya Winery.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Asaya Winery add water during production?
- No — Asaya is known for never adding water at any stage of winemaking, letting the wine reflect the grape and vineyard as they naturally are.
- When was Asaya Winery founded?
- Asaya Winery was founded in 1921 in Katsunuma, Yamanashi, the birthplace of Japanese winemaking, and remains a family-run producer over a century later.
- What grape varieties does Asaya Winery use?
- Asaya focuses on Japanese-grown varieties, most notably Koshu for its dry white wines (such as its Koshu Surlie) and Muscat Bailey A for reds and rosés.
- Can visitors tour Asaya Winery?
- Yes, reservation-only tours of the production facility and underground cellar are available, and the on-site shop offers tastings (some charged) inside the winery's original 1921 fermentation tanks.
- What is Asaya Winery's winemaking philosophy?
- Rather than chasing international styles, Asaya works with each variety's natural character — as director Kazuki Amemiya puts it, "you cannot make a Chardonnay out of Koshu."