Gassan Wine Wild Grape Research Institute
月山ワイン山ぶどう研究所
Japan's only JA-owned winery, tunnel-aged wild grape wine
Gassan Wine Wild Grape Research Institute (月山ワイン山ぶどう研究所) is a singular presence in Japanese wine: the only winery in the country operated directly by an agricultural cooperative, JA Shonai Tagawa. Founded in the former Asahi Village in 1977 and formally licensed in 1979, the winery sits in Ecchuyama, Tsuruoka City, ringed by the Dewa Sanzan and Asahi mountain ranges. Its roots trace back to local farmers and mountain ascetics who once fermented wild yamabudo (Vitis coignetiae, or 'crimson glory vine') grapes into doburoku for strength and vitality. Today the winery still crafts wine from 100% Shonai-grown grapes — wild yamabudo, the hybrid Yama Sauvignon, and European varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Koshu — aging many bottles inside a decommissioned highway tunnel that holds a natural, near-constant temperature below 18°C year-round.
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Who Is This For?
For those curious about Japan's indigenous yamabudo (wild grape) wines and looking for a rare cooperative-run winery with a truly unique terroir story.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When was the winery founded?
- JA Shonai Tagawa began wine brewing in the former Asahi Village in 1977 and obtained its official manufacturing license in 1979.
- What makes this winery unique?
- It is the only agricultural cooperative (JA) in Japan that brews wine, and it ages much of its wine in a decommissioned highway tunnel that stays below 18°C year-round.
- What grapes does the winery use?
- Historically wild mountain grapes (yamabudo, Vitis coignetiae) native to the Gassan foothills, plus the hybrid Yama Sauvignon and European varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Koshu, all grown in the Shonai region.
- Has the winery won any awards?
- Yes — it has won prizes at the Japan Wine Competition, Japan Wine Challenge, and Feminalise World Wine Competition, including a gold medal for its Soleil Levant Merlot.
- Why do some sources call it 'Yamazato Winery'?
- Some English-language sources translate a Japanese description of its mountain-village setting ('yamazato no wine-ry') as if it were a proper name, 'Yamazato Winery.' The winery's official name is Gassan Wine Yamabudo Kenkyujo (Gassan Wine Wild Grape Research Institute).