Maruki Winery
まるき葡萄酒
Japan's oldest winery — crafting Koshu wine since 1891
Founded in 1891 in Katsunuma, Yamanashi, Maruki Winery (Maruki Budoshu) is recognized as the oldest existing winery in Japan. It was established by Ryuken Tsuchiya, who traveled to France in 1877 to study winemaking and returned determined to craft wine from Japan's indigenous Koshu grape that would complement Japanese cuisine the way French wine complements French food. Today the winery continues that legacy under the motto "Innovation Throughout History," pairing more than a century of tradition with sustainable, low-intervention viticulture — including no-till cover-crop cultivation and sheep grazing between the vines — while its underground cellar ages roughly 35,000 bottles, including a Koshu dating back to 1959.
www.marukiwine.co.jp/ ↗Cuvées
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Who Is This For?
For wine lovers who want to taste Japan's winemaking history — fans of elegant, food-friendly Koshu and approachable Muscat Bailey A reds that pair effortlessly with Japanese cuisine.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Maruki Winery really the oldest winery in Japan?
- Yes. Founded in 1891 by Ryuken Tsuchiya in Katsunuma, Yamanashi, Maruki Winery (Maruki Budoshu) is officially recognized as Japan's oldest existing winery.
- What grape varieties does Maruki Winery focus on?
- The winery specializes in Japan's two signature indigenous varieties — Koshu for elegant, citrus-toned white wine and Muscat Bailey A for soft, strawberry-scented red wine.
- What is Maruki Winery's winemaking philosophy?
- Founder Ryuken Tsuchiya believed that "just as French wine pairs with French cuisine, Koshu grapes should pair with Japanese cuisine" — a philosophy the winery still follows under its "Innovation Throughout History" motto, alongside sustainable practices like no-till cover-crop farming and sheep grazing in the vineyards.
- Can visitors tour Maruki Winery?
- Yes, the winery offers roughly 30-minute guided tours of its fermentation room, tank cellar, barrel cellar, and underground cellar, followed by a tasting; reservations are recommended.
- Has Maruki Winery won any awards?
- Yes. Its wines have repeatedly won at the Sakura Award, including a Double Gold for "Iro Koshu 2024" and "Rafille Tresor Taru Minamino Bailey A 2022" in 2025.