NIKI Hills Winery
NIKIヒルズ・ワイナリー
Japan's Decanter gold-winning estate — 96-point Chardonnay from Hokkaido's cool volcanic hills
A pioneering estate winery on the hills of Niki Town, Hokkaido, founded in 2014 by Kazunori Ishikawa with a mission to revitalize a semi-declining rural community through world-class wines. Under chief winemaker Asami Ota — trained at New Zealand's Pirihi Hills and Champagne's Domaine Jacques Selosse — NIKI Hills crafts elegant, terroir-driven wines from their 6.8-hectare estate. Their YUHZOME 2018 was the first Japanese red wine to win gold at the Decanter World Wine Awards; their Chardonnay 2023 earned 96 points and a Decanter gold in 2025. The 33-hectare complex integrates vineyards, a restaurant, and a hotel, offering an immersive 'Northern Paradise' experience.
nikihills.co.jp/ ↗Cuvées
NIKIヒルズ・ワイナリー ヴィニフェラ シャルドネ
NIKI Hills Winery VINIFERA Chardonnay
WhiteChardonnay
NIKI Hills' flagship VINIFERA Chardonnay, produced from the best-selected blocks of their estate vineyard in Niki Town. Barrel fermented and aged on lees (sur lie), this wine represents the pinnacle of what the cool Yoichi terroir can achieve — with a richer texture, greater complexity, and longer aging potential than the Natur line.
NIKIヒルズ・ワイナリー ナテュール ピノ・ノワール
NIKI Hills Winery Natur Pinot Noir
RedPinot Noir
A natural-style Pinot Noir from NIKI Hills Winery's own estate vineyard in Niki, Hokkaido, crafted with 100% wild yeast fermentation and no added sulfites. The wine captures the cold-climate terroir of the Asahidai hillside, where Yoichi Bay mists and large diurnal temperature swings yield grapes of refined concentration. The color shifts from rooibos red to garnet; the nose offers sweet-sour red berries layered with black tea, cinnamon, and a delicate floral lift. On the palate, plum-candy acidity harmonizes with a subtle savory umami character and silky tannins, ending with an earthy, mineral length characteristic of Niki's volcanic soils.
NIKIヒルズ・ワイナリー ナテュール シャルドネ
NIKI Hills Winery Natur Chardonnay
WhiteChardonnay
NIKI Hills' premium estate Chardonnay from volcanic hillside vineyards in Nikki town. Rich yet fresh with characteristic mineral tension from the cool Yoichi climate.
NIKIヒルズ・ワイナリー ヴィニフェラ ピノ・ノワール
NIKI Hills Winery VINIFERA Pinot Noir
RedPinot Noir
Crafted from 100% estate-grown Pinot Noir in Niki, Hokkaido, this wine embodies the cool-climate terroir of northern Japan. It features a delicate color ranging from rooibos red to garnet. The palate offers charming sweet-and-sour red berry fruitiness layered with nuanced aromas of fermented tea — black tea and cinnamon — alongside subtle notes of clove, fallen leaves, and bonito dashi. With a silky texture and bright, elegant acidity, it reflects NIKI Hills Winery's meticulous winemaking, fermented with wild yeast and aged 7 months in French oak to produce approximately 3,300 bottles.
Who Is This For?
Wine enthusiasts drawn to cool-climate elegance, genuine terroir expression, and Japanese wines competing at the international level — especially those who appreciate Burgundian finesse in a distinctly Japanese context
Frequently Asked Questions
- What makes NIKI Hills Winery wines internationally recognized?
- NIKI Hills has consistently won at the world's most prestigious competitions — YUHZOME 2018 was the first Japanese red to win Decanter gold, and their Chardonnay 2023 scored 96 points (Decanter gold, 2025). The estate's volcanic soils and cool maritime climate produce wines with precise acidity and mineral depth.
- What grape varieties does NIKI Hills focus on?
- The 6.8-hectare estate focuses on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as its prestige varieties, alongside Kerner (for the flagship HATSUYUKI), Merlot, Zweigelt, Bacchus, Pinot Gris, and Sauvignon Blanc.
- What is the best entry-level wine to start with?
- Start with HATSUYUKI (Kerner, ¥6,600) — an approachable, aromatic white that perfectly captures Hokkaido's cool character. The Natur Chardonnay is the natural next step for those who want more depth and minerality.
- Can I visit the winery?
- Yes. The winery is open daily 10:00–16:00 (10:00–15:00 in winter) and offers 75-minute tours three times a day, tastings, a restaurant, and on-site accommodation. It is 1 hour 50 minutes from New Chitose Airport by car.