Memuro Winery
めむろワイナリー
Winner of the JAL Award at Japan Winery Award 2025 — a next-generation winery recognized for its potential to elevate Japanese wine and wine tourism. Pioneering 'per-vineyard winemaking' in Tokachi, Hokkaido, where each arable farmer's grapes are fermented separately to capture the unique terroir of individual fields. Specializes in Yamasachi, Tokachi's own cold-hardy grape registered with the OIV in 2020.
Memuro Winery (Memuro-cho, Tokachi, Hokkaido) is a community-rooted winery born from the dreams of local arable farmers in Memuro Town — a region traditionally known for potato, sugar beet, and wheat cultivation. Founded in 2020 with a brewing license obtained on October 1, 2020, the winery is located within the Shin-Arashiyama Sky Park public facility as part of a public-private partnership initiative led by Memuro Town. The winery's signature philosophy is 'wine for every field' (畑ごとのワインづくり): each grape grower's harvest is fermented and bottled separately, expressing the unique character of individual vineyards. The winery focuses on cold-hardy varieties suited to Tokachi's harsh winters, led by Yamasachi (山幸) — a Tokachi-born hybrid of Vitis amurensis and Kiyomi registered with the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) in 2020 as Japan's third OIV-certified indigenous variety — as well as Kiyomi (清舞). Using Asia's first high-performance destemmer and rigorous scientific quality management, Memuro Winery pursues wines that speak purely of Tokachi terroir. Representative: Koichi Bito (尾藤光一). In June 2025, the winery received the JAL Award at the 8th Japan Winery Award (JWA) 2025, recognizing it as one of three next-generation wineries expected to contribute to the future of Japanese wine and tourism.
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Who Is This For?
For wine lovers curious about Japan's frontier wine regions and indigenous grape varieties. Perfect for those who appreciate the story behind terroir-driven wines made by farmers who pivoted from potato fields to vineyards. Ideal for travelers exploring Hokkaido's Tokachi food culture, and for collectors seeking distinctive, limited-edition single-vineyard Japanese wines.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why is a winery producing wine in Memuro, a region famous for potatoes and wheat?
- Memuro Town in Tokachi, Hokkaido has long been one of Japan's most productive arable farming areas. Local farmers — who for generations grew potatoes, sugar beet, and wheat — began experimenting with wine grapes around 2016, recognizing that the same mineral-rich soil management skills that make their crops exceptional could be applied to viticulture. In 2020, the Memuro Winery opened as a public-private partnership with Memuro Town, turning agricultural expertise into a new regional identity centered on wine.
- What is the JAL Award that Memuro Winery received at JWA 2025?
- The JAL Award (Japan Airlines Award) is a special prize within the Japan Winery Award (JWA), Japan's most prestigious winery evaluation. It is given to next-generation wineries with high expectations for future growth and their potential to contribute to Japanese wine tourism. At the 8th JWA 2025 held in June 2025, Memuro Winery was selected alongside Heidee Winery (Ishikawa) and Kitani Wine (Nara) as one of only three JAL Award recipients nationwide.
- What grape varieties does Memuro Winery grow?
- The winery's signature variety is Yamasachi (山幸), a cold-hardy red variety developed in Tokachi by crossing Vitis amurensis (Amur grape) with Kiyomi. Yamasachi was registered with the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) in 2020 — only the third Japanese indigenous variety ever registered with the OIV. The winery also grows Kiyomi (清舞), another cold-resistant Tokachi-born hybrid. Both varieties thrive in Hokkaido's extreme winters, producing wines with vibrant acidity and distinctive mountain-grape character.
- What does 'per-vineyard winemaking' (畑ごとのワインづくり) mean?
- At Memuro Winery, each participating grape grower's harvest is received, fermented, and bottled as a completely separate lot. This means a wine labeled with a farmer's name reflects the specific soil, microclimate, and cultivation approach of that individual's field — not a blended house style. The philosophy treats every field as a unique expression of Tokachi terroir, giving consumers the ability to compare and appreciate the diversity of the region field by field.
- Where is Memuro Winery located and can I visit?
- The winery is located at 2-sen 44-3, Nakabisho, Memuro-cho, Kasai-gun, Hokkaido (河西郡芽室町中美生2線44-3), within the Shin-Arashiyama Sky Park. Regular hours are 10:00–16:00, closed on weekends and public holidays (with some summer weekend opening — contact the winery to confirm). Phone: 0155-65-2077. Wine can also be purchased via their online shop at shop.memurowinery.jp.