Is Belly Beads Winery the same company as Domaine Sourire or Suntory Shiojiri Winery?

No. Belly Beads Winery is an independently licensed winery founded in 2018 and now part of the Nagano-based Ohtaki Group, distinct from other Shiojiri producers such as Domaine Sourire, Domaine Kosei, Alps Wine, and Suntory Shiojiri Winery.

What is Belly Beads Winery's signature wine?

Their 'Niagara Green Harvest' is the flagship: an early-picked, dry-style Niagara white with brighter acidity and less of the grape's typical heavy 'foxy' sweetness, made to pair with everyday meals.

What grape varieties does Belly Beads Winery grow?

Primarily the traditional Shiojiri varieties Niagara and Concord, with newer plantings of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Riesling as the winery expands.

ProducerKikyogahara

Belly Beads Winery

ベリービーズワイナリー

Reviving Shiojiri's heritage Niagara and Concord vines

About Belly Beads Winery

Founded: 2018; 8 years ago
Location: 塩尻市; 長野県
Wines listed: 10; White 3, Red 7
Main grapes: Muscat Bailey A, Concord, Marselan

Founded in 2018 in the Souga-Seba district of Shiojiri City, Nagano — right in the Kikyogahara Wine Valley — Belly Beads Winery takes its name from the idea of connecting people 'like a circle of shining beads,' radiating out from Shiojiri, which sits at the geographic 'belly' (center) of Japan. In 2020 it joined the Ohtaki Group, a Nagano hospitality and food-service company, broadening its reach while keeping winemaking rooted in the local vineyards at roughly 780m elevation. The winery is best known for reviving and championing Shiojiri's traditional but declining Niagara and Concord vines, most notably through its early-harvest 'Niagara Green Harvest,' a dry, food-friendly white that leans into rather than masks the variety's aromatic character. The team also rehabilitates abandoned local vineyards taken over from aging farmers, and is gradually adding Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Riesling alongside its heritage plantings.

Official website: bellybeadswinery.com ↗

Who Is This For?

For drinkers curious about Japan's native-hybrid grapes — Niagara and Concord done in a crisp, dry, food-friendly style rather than sweet or simple.

Wines of Belly Beads Winery

White3

Red7

Location & Nearby

Address: 長野県塩尻市宗賀2372-1View map ↗
Founded: 2018

Source: nagano-wine.jp (checked Sep 2026)

The pin with the gold outline marks Belly Beads Winery.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does the name 'Belly Beads Winery' mean?: It reflects the winery's wish to connect people like a circle of shining beads, radiating out from Shiojiri — a city that sits at the geographic 'belly,' or center, of Japan.
Is Belly Beads Winery the same company as Domaine Sourire or Suntory Shiojiri Winery?: No. Belly Beads Winery is an independently licensed winery founded in 2018 and now part of the Nagano-based Ohtaki Group, distinct from other Shiojiri producers such as Domaine Sourire, Domaine Kosei, Alps Wine, and Suntory Shiojiri Winery.
What is Belly Beads Winery's signature wine?: Their 'Niagara Green Harvest' is the flagship: an early-picked, dry-style Niagara white with brighter acidity and less of the grape's typical heavy 'foxy' sweetness, made to pair with everyday meals.
What grape varieties does Belly Beads Winery grow?: Primarily the traditional Shiojiri varieties Niagara and Concord, with newer plantings of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Riesling as the winery expands.