Gassan Wine Mountain Grape Research Institute
月山ワイン山ぶどう研究所
Japan's rare JA-run winery, born from wild mountain grapes
About Gassan Wine Mountain Grape Research Institute
- Founded
- 1979
- 47 years ago
- Location
- 鶴岡市
- 山形県
- Wines listed
- 5
- White 1, Red 2, Sweet 2
- Main grapes
- Yama Sauvignon, Yamabudo, Yamabudou
Gassan Wine Mountain Grape Research Institute is a winery run by the Shonai Tagawa Agricultural Cooperative (JA Shonai Tagawa) in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture — one of the only wineries in Japan operated directly by a farming cooperative rather than a private company. Production began in 1979 in the former Asahi village, when local farmers sought a new use for the wild mountain grapes (yamabudo, Vitis coignetiae) that grow naturally in the foothills of Mount Gassan and the Asahi mountain range. Today roughly 70 to 130 partner farmers supply grapes — including yamabudo, the yamabudo-Sauvignon hybrid Yama Sauvignon, Koshu, Chardonnay and Seibel — and the wines are aged in a decommissioned national highway tunnel that holds a nearly constant 18°C year-round. The winery favors minimal intervention, aiming to let each vintage's character come through naturally, and its Soleil Levant range has earned gold medals at the Japan Wine Competition and the Feminalise World Wine Competition.
Who Is This For?
For wine lovers curious about Japan's indigenous wild mountain grapes, and anyone interested in a rare farmer-cooperative model of winemaking rooted in a specific mountain terroir.
Wines of Gassan Wine Mountain Grape Research Institute
White1
Location & Nearby
- Address
- 山形県鶴岡市越中山字名平3-1View map ↗
- Founded
- 1979
Source: gassan-wine.com (checked Sep 2026)
The pin with the gold outline marks Gassan Wine Mountain Grape Research Institute.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What makes Gassan Wine Mountain Grape Research Institute unusual among Japanese wineries?
- It is run directly by the Shonai Tagawa Agricultural Cooperative (JA), one of the very few wineries in Japan operated by a farming cooperative rather than a private producer, with about 70 to 130 local partner farmers supplying the grapes.
- What grape varieties does the winery use?
- Primarily yamabudo (wild mountain grape, Vitis coignetiae) and the hybrid Yama Sauvignon, alongside Koshu, Chardonnay and Seibel grown by local farmers in the Shonai region.
- Where does the winery age its wine?
- In a decommissioned national highway tunnel near the winery, which stays close to 18°C year-round and provides a natural, stable aging environment.
- When was the winery founded?
- Production began in 1979 in what was then Asahi village, starting with about 3,000 bottles of rosé made from local wild grapes.
- Has Gassan Wine won any awards?
- Yes — wines from its Soleil Levant range have won gold medals at the Japan Wine Competition and the Feminalise World Wine Competition.