Echigo Winery
アグリコア越後ワイナリー
Snow-cellar wines from Niigata's snowiest wine country
Founded in October 1975 as Echigo Wine Co., Echigo Winery (Agricore Echigo Winery) is located near Urasa Station in Minamiuonuma City, Niigata Prefecture — one of Japan's heaviest snowfall regions. The founder traveled to Bordeaux, France in 1973 to study viticulture before returning to pioneer European-style vertical trellis (espalier) cultivation of vinifera grapes in Niigata, the first winery in the prefecture to do so. The winery is best known for its 'yukimuro' (snow room) storage, which uses up to 250 tons of packed snow to keep cellar temperatures around 5°C year-round without electricity. Visitors can tour the vineyards and snow room, taste more than twenty wine varieties — including Kerner, Merlot, and Chardonnay — and dine at the on-site restaurant 'Budo no Hana,' which pairs Echigo wines with local Niigata ingredients. An annual grape harvest festival draws families from across the region.
www.echigowinery.com/ ↗Cuvées
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Who Is This For?
For travelers and wine lovers curious about Japan's snow-country terroir and unique yukimuro cellar-aging tradition.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What cultivation method does Echigo Winery use for its grapes?
- Echigo Winery uses European-style vertical trellis (espalier) training rather than the overhead 'tana' (pergola) system — it was the first winery in Niigata Prefecture to adopt this method, starting in 1975.
- What is 'yukimuro' snow storage?
- Yukimuro is a snow cellar that packs up to 250 tons of winter snow to keep the wine storage room at a constant ~5°C year-round without mechanical refrigeration.
- When was Echigo Winery founded?
- It was founded in October 1975 as Echigo Wine Co., after its founder traveled to Bordeaux, France to study winemaking.
- Can visitors tour the winery?
- Yes — visitors can tour the vineyards and snow room, sample more than twenty wines, and dine at the on-site restaurant Budo no Hana.