Kinkei Wine
金渓ワイン
A family winery on Yamagata's 'golden valley,' crafting easy-drinking wines from 100% local grapes.
About Kinkei Wine
- Founded
- 1940
- 86 years ago
- Location
- 南陽市
- 山形県
- Wines listed
- 9
- Sparkling 1, White 4, Red 4
- Main grapes
- Muscat Bailey A, Delaware, Niagara
Kinkei Wine is the label of Sato Budoshu (Yugengaisha Sato Budoshu), a small family-run winery founded in 1940 in the Akayu hot-spring district of Nanyo City, Yamagata Prefecture. The winery's name comes from the 'golden valley' (kinkei) where gold was once mined during the Edo period, before founder Tomoya Sato cleared the land to plant grapevines. Now led by president Asako Sato, the winery uses 100% Yamagata-grown grapes — including Delaware, Niagara, Muscat Bailey A, Black Queen, Campbell Early, and Merlot — and keeps production deliberately small, with roughly 90% of its output sold and consumed within Yamagata Prefecture. Eschewing mass production, Kinkei crafts approachable, clean-tasting red, white, rosé, sweet, dry, and additive-free sparkling wines that reflect the Okitama Basin's wide diurnal temperature swings, and several bottlings carry GI Yamagata certification.
Who Is This For?
For those curious about Japan's rural, community-rooted wine culture — Kinkei's gentle, unpretentious wines are made to be enjoyed daily by the people of Yamagata, not chased as rarities.
Wines of Kinkei Wine
White4
Location & Nearby
- Address
- 山形県南陽市赤湯1072-2View map ↗
- Founded
- 1940
Source: kinkei.net (checked Sep 2026)
The pin with the gold outline marks Kinkei Wine.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What does the name 'Kinkei' mean?
- Kinkei (金渓) means 'golden valley' — the vineyard site in Akayu was once a valley mined for gold during the Edo period, before founder Tomoya Sato cleared it for grape growing in 1940.
- Where is Kinkei Wine located?
- Kinkei Wine is produced by Sato Budoshu in the Akayu hot-spring district of Nanyo City, Yamagata Prefecture, in the Okitama Basin.
- What grapes does Kinkei Wine use?
- Kinkei uses 100% Yamagata-grown grapes, primarily Delaware, Niagara, Muscat Bailey A, Black Queen, Campbell Early, and Merlot.
- Is Kinkei Wine available outside Yamagata?
- Most of Kinkei's production — around 90% — is sold and consumed within Yamagata Prefecture, making it something of a local secret; select bottlings are available through regional retailers and online shops.