About hgu-Rough
- Style
- Red
- Grape Varieties
- Seibel 13053
- Price Range
- ¥2,200-2,750
- 720ml historical listing / 750ml 2024 vintage
- Alcohol
- 12%
hgu-Rough is a red wine born from a produce-academia collaboration between Hakkenzan Winery in Sapporo and Hokkai-Gakuen University's Faculty of Engineering, Department of Life Science (Koyama and Niinuma seminars). University students take part in the winery's own experimental vineyard, experiencing pruning and harvest firsthand and joining the winemaking process from tank fermentation through bottling as part of their graduation research. The wine also carries academic DNA in the bottle itself: the Niinuma seminar isolated a proprietary wine yeast strain, HGU-140, by screening more than 400 candidate strains collected from around Hokkaido, and this house yeast is used in fermentation. Made entirely from Seibel 13053 — a cold-hardy hybrid variety also grown across Hokkaido — the wine favors natural fermentation and is typically bottled unfiltered to retain the grape's fresh fruit character, resulting in a medium-bodied red with the crisp, cool-climate acidity Seibel 13053 is known for. It is sold both directly through the winery's own online shop (current release: 2024 vintage, 750ml) and historically through Hakkenzan's official site under the name "hgu-Rough" (720ml).
A rare bottle where you can taste the research: a university-isolated house yeast strain fermenting a Hokkaido hybrid grape, bottled through a genuine multi-year academia-winery partnership rather than a one-off marketing collab.
New to wine?
An approachable, fruit-forward red with soft tannins — a friendly entry point into Hokkaido's cold-hardy hybrid reds, made all the more interesting by its university-research backstory.
Food Pairings
The bright acidity and medium body pair naturally with soy-sauce based Japanese home cooking — think simmered pork and potatoes (nikujaga), teriyaki, or yakitori with tare — as well as grilled fish and other Hokkaido comfort food.
When to drink it
Casual dinners with Japanese home cooking, gifts for wine lovers interested in Hokkaido's wine industry, or conversation-starting bottles for anyone curious about industry-academia collaboration.
Terroir & Winemaking
100% Seibel 13053. Fermented with HGU-140, a proprietary wine yeast strain isolated by Hokkai-Gakuen University's Niinuma seminar from over 400 candidate strains collected across Hokkaido. Emphasis on natural fermentation, frequently bottled unfiltered. ABV 12%. Serving temperature is listed as 12-14°C on the winery's online shop and as 15-16°C on the winery's official product page; either a cool-cellar or lightly chilled serve is appropriate.
About the producer
Hakkenzan WineryTerroir-driven wines at Mt. Hakkenzan's foot, Sapporo札幌市, 北海道 · Founded 2011Visit the producer page →More wines from Hakkenzan Winery
- Ao no KiokuRed · Seibel 13053 · Harmo Noir · Zweigelt
- Campbell (Red)Red · Campbell Early
- Hokkaido Koi Wine PortlandSweet · Portland
- K-Blanc#1White · Sauvignon Blanc · Auxerrois
- KyokoRed · Cabernet Franc · Harmo Noir
- MINAMINAKU FUREWAKKARed · Cabernet Franc
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is hgu-Rough the same wine as "Hokkai-Gakuen Original Wine (Red)"?
- Yes. Hakkenzan Winery's own product page describes "hgu-Rough" using the name "Hokkai-Gakuen Original Wine," and the winery's online shop lists the same collaborative red under the product name "Hokkai-Gakuen Original Wine (Red)." They are the same wine, sold under two names across the winery's channels.
- What makes this wine's yeast special?
- It is fermented with HGU-140, a proprietary strain isolated by Hokkai-Gakuen University's Niinuma seminar after screening more than 400 wild yeast candidates collected around Hokkaido.
- What grape is hgu-Rough made from?
- It is made entirely from Seibel 13053, a cold-hardy French-American hybrid grape widely grown in Hokkaido.
- What food pairs well with hgu-Rough?
- Its crisp acidity and medium body suit soy-sauce based Japanese home cooking such as nikujaga, teriyaki, and yakitori with tare, as well as grilled fish.
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