Diamond Winery
ダイヤモンド酒造
Burgundy-trained winemaker Yoshio Amemiya crafts Japan's most celebrated Muscat Bailey A reds and Koshu whites in tiny quantities around 45,000 bottles per year, making Diamond Winery's Chanter wines highly sought-after and hard to find.
Diamond Winery (Chanter Wine) is a small, family-run estate in Katsunuma, Koshu, Yamanashi Prefecture, originally founded in 1939 as the Ishiharada Grape Wine Cooperative by local farming families who gathered on the Amemiya family land to make wine for themselves. Incorporated as Diamond Winery Co., Ltd. in 1963, the estate is now led by third-generation winemaker Yoshio Amemiya, who trained for three years in Bordeaux and Burgundy including a stage at the renowned Domaine Simon Bize in Savigny-les-Beaune. His Burgundy apprenticeship profoundly shaped his minimalist, terroir-focused approach to crafting wines from Japan's signature grape varieties: Koshu and Muscat Bailey A. Annual production is approximately 45,000 bottles, all from 100% Japanese-grown grapes. Wines are sold under the Chanter brand, a nod to the French winemaking culture the winery admires. Diamond Winery has been a consistent recipient of 5-star recognition from the Japan Winery Award (JWA).
www.jade.dti.ne.jp/~chanter/ ↗Cuvées
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Who Is This For?
For wine lovers curious about authentic Japanese wine crafted with French-trained precision, and for those who want to explore the expressive potential of Koshu whites and Muscat Bailey A reds from a pioneer producer recognized with Japan's highest winery honors.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does the name Chanter mean and why does Diamond Winery use it?
- Chanter is the French word for to sing. Diamond Winery adopted this name as a tribute to the French winemaking culture that shaped winemaker Yoshio Amemiya during his years in Bordeaux and Burgundy, while expressing the winery's aspiration to craft wines that sing with the terroir of Katsunuma.
- What grape varieties does Diamond Winery specialize in?
- The winery focuses primarily on Koshu, a white variety indigenous to Japan grown in the Shimoiwasaki district of Katsunuma, and Muscat Bailey A, a red variety sourced from contracted growers in the Hosaka district. They also produce wines from Delaware for refreshing whites, and grow Cabernet Sauvignon in their own vineyard.
- Where did winemaker Yoshio Amemiya train?
- Yoshio Amemiya, the third-generation owner-winemaker, spent three years in France from 2000 to 2003. He studied at the University of Bordeaux Oenology Faculty, then moved to Burgundy where he worked at the renowned Domaine Simon Bize in Savigny-les-Beaune.
- How does Diamond Winery approach the making of Muscat Bailey A?
- Yoshio Amemiya draws inspiration from Beaujolais Cru, emphasizing purity of fruit, minimal intervention, and careful barrel aging typically 12 months in French oak. The flagship Chanter Y.A Ycube is sourced from a single contracted grower in Hosaka, aiming for Burgundy-level complexity from a Japanese variety.
- Is Diamond Winery open for visits and tastings?
- Yes. Diamond Winery welcomes visitors at their Katsunuma cellar. Opening hours are 10:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 16:30, closed during the year-end and New Year period. Tastings are free of charge. Phone: +81-553-44-0129.