About Dera Kudo
- Style
- White
- Grape Varieties
- Delaware
- Price Range
- ¥2,200-2,600
- Alcohol
- 11.5%
Dera Kudo is Les Vins Vivants' debut cuvée and remains the estate's signature nouveau-style wine, made from 100% Delaware grapes purchased from growers in Yamagata Prefecture (the estate's own vines in Tomi City, Nagano are Pinot Noir, Gamay, Chenin Blanc and Riesling). The grapes are neither destemmed nor crushed; whole clusters undergo semi-carbonic maceration with indigenous wild yeast in open stainless steel tanks, followed by sur-lie ageing. No sulfites are added at any stage, no sugar or acid is adjusted, and the wine is bottled unfiltered and unfined. Because Delaware is a pink-skinned grape and the whole-bunch carbonic process extracts some skin character, retailers classify Dera Kudo as an orange wine (skin-contact white). It shows the bright, charming aromatics typical of a nouveau alongside Delaware's characteristic lifted acidity and a savoury, umami-like depth. The wine takes its name from a lyric in a song favoured by winemaker Takahiro Ogino — a coined phrase chosen for its sound rather than a literal meaning.
The wine that started Les Vins Vivants — still the estate's most approachable bottle, and proof that Delaware, so often dismissed as a simple table grape, can carry real nouveau-wine charm when handled with whole-cluster carbonic care.
New to wine?
A gentle, juicy introduction to natural wine — the carbonic maceration keeps tannin low and fruit bright, so it drinks easily even for newcomers to orange wine.
Food Pairings
A versatile aperitif style — pairs well with fried chicken (karaage), fresh goat cheese, citrus-dressed salads and light Southeast Asian dishes. Its umami-tinged acidity also works with sushi and sashimi.
When to drink it
Casual gatherings, izakaya-style spreads, and as a chilled welcome pour early in a meal.
Terroir & Winemaking
100% Delaware (purchased fruit, Yamagata Prefecture). Whole-cluster, no destemming or crushing; semi-carbonic maceration with indigenous wild yeast in open stainless steel tanks; sur-lie ageing, no oak. No added sulfites, no chaptalisation, no acid adjustment, unfiltered, unfined. 750ml. Unlike the estate's cuvée "Dera" (same Delaware grape), Dera Kudo sees no barrel ageing and is released as a fresher nouveau-style wine, with slightly lower ABV (around 10.5-11.5% depending on vintage vs. Dera's 12%).
About the producer
Les Vins VivantsHusband-and-wife natural wine and cider from Nagano's Tomi.東御市, 長野県 · Founded 2019Visit the producer page →More wines from Les Vins Vivants
- AruiwaSparkling · Steuben
- Bailey ARed · Muscat Bailey A
- Bailey A LuminescenceRed · Muscat Bailey A
- Bailey A toRed · Muscat Bailey A · Cabernet Sauvignon · Merlot · Cabernet Franc
- Chenin Blanc / RieslingWhite · Chenin Blanc · Riesling
- DeraWhite · Delaware
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Dera Kudo made from?
- 100% Delaware grapes purchased from growers in Yamagata Prefecture, vinified by Les Vins Vivants in Tomi City, Nagano using whole-cluster semi-carbonic maceration with wild yeast.
- Is Dera Kudo the same wine as Les Vins Vivants' "Dera"?
- No — they are two separate cuvées made from the same Delaware fruit. Dera Kudo is the fresher nouveau-style bottling with no oak ageing, while Dera is aged for about four months in barrel and has a slightly higher ABV (around 12% vs. Dera Kudo's 10.5-11.5%).
- Is Dera Kudo an orange wine?
- It is generally sold as an orange wine (skin-contact white), since the whole-bunch carbonic maceration extracts colour and texture from Delaware's pink skins even though the grapes are not deliberately macerated on skins like a typical orange wine.
- What does the name "Dera Kudo" mean?
- It is a coined phrase taken from the lyrics of a song favoured by winemaker Takahiro Ogino — chosen for its sound rather than any literal meaning.
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