Funky Chateau
ファンキー・シャトー
Nagano natural-wine pioneers, minimal intervention purists
About Funky Chateau
- Founded
- 2011
- 15 years ago
- Location
- 青木村
- 長野県
- Wines listed
- 8
- White 1, Rosé 1, Red 6
- Main grapes
- Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Funky Chateau is a small natural-wine estate in Aoki Village, Nagano, founded by former music producer Toyohiko Kanehashi and his wife Michiko, who left their careers in their late forties (around 2005-2008) to pursue winemaking. Inspired by minimal-intervention producers such as Nicolas Joly, Frank Cornelissen and Josko Gravner, and guided by the teachings of Burgundy's Henri Jayer, they planted vineyards on deliberately poor, low-yielding soils in Ueda's Higashiyama district and Aoki Village, completing their own winery in 2011. Wines are made with meticulous hand-sorting, indigenous-yeast fermentation, and no fining or filtration, and are produced from grapes including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc and Sangiovese. The winery's name was coined by music-industry veteran Haruo Chikada.
Who Is This For?
For drinkers who seek genuine, minimal-intervention natural wines rooted in Burgundy- and Bordeaux-inspired tradition, grown on Nagano's deliberately poor, mineral-rich soils.
Wines of Funky Chateau
White1
Rosé1
Location & Nearby
- Address
- 長野県小県郡青木村村松1491-1View map ↗
- Founded
- 2011
Source: nihonwine.jp (checked Sep 2026) / winery.or.jp (checked Sep 2026)
The pin with the gold outline marks Funky Chateau.
Nearby wineries
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who founded Funky Chateau?
- Funky Chateau was founded by former music producer Toyohiko Kanehashi and his wife Michiko, who moved to Nagano in their late forties to start the winery, planting their first vineyard in Ueda's Higashiyama district around 2005-2008 before completing their own winery in 2011.
- What is Funky Chateau's winemaking philosophy?
- The winery practices minimal-intervention, natural winemaking: meticulous hand-sorting, fermentation with indigenous yeasts, and no fining or filtration, with vines grown on deliberately poor, low-yielding soils to concentrate flavor, inspired by producers like Nicolas Joly, Frank Cornelissen and Josko Gravner and by Henri Jayer's Burgundian teachings.
- Where are Funky Chateau's vineyards located?
- The winery's vineyards and cellar are located in Aoki Village in Nagano Prefecture, with an additional vineyard in the Higashiyama district of nearby Ueda City.
- What grape varieties does Funky Chateau grow?
- Funky Chateau works with a wide range of varieties including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc and Sangiovese.