Noto Wine
能登ワイン
Ishikawa's pioneering winery on the Noto Peninsula, famous for unpasteurized 'nama-zume' wine grown in oyster shell-enriched red earth. JWA 2025 award recipient and a symbol of post-earthquake resilience.
Noto Wine (能登ワイン株式会社) is Ishikawa Prefecture's first and flagship winery, established on July 22, 2004, in the town of Anamizu on the Noto Peninsula. Vineyard development began in 2000, and the first vintage was released in 2005. The winery produces approximately 120,000 bottles per year from roughly 25 hectares of vineyards, working in partnership with local farming families. Noto Wine is renowned for its commitment to expressing the unique terroir of the Noto Peninsula through what they call 'nama-zume' (生詰め) — unpasteurized, additive-free wine that preserves the living character of Noto-grown grapes. The signature is freshness: wines bottled without heat treatment to lock in the natural aromas and flavors of each vintage. The winery's most distinctive feature is its soil: vineyards are planted in mineral-rich red earth that is amended with powdered oyster shells from Anamizu Bay, imparting a briny minerality unique to this coastal terroir. This technique draws on Anamizu's centuries-old tradition of oyster aquaculture, connecting wine to the broader Noto agricultural heritage recognized as a FAO Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS). Grape varieties cultivated include the signature Japanese hybrid Yama Sauvignon (ヤマソーヴィニヨン — a cross of wild Japanese mountain grape Vitis coignetiae and Cabernet Sauvignon), alongside Chardonnay, Niagara, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, and Sangiovese. Yama Sauvignon is the emblematic variety — wild, earthy, and intensely flavored with the character of Noto's mountainous coastal landscape. Noto Wine received recognition in the 8th Japan Winery Award (JWA) 2025, affirming its standing among Japan's quality wine producers. The winery survived the devastating 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake (M7.6, January 1, 2024), which caused damage to facilities but left vineyards and core operations intact. The team's determination to continue winemaking — pressing on with the 2024 vintage — became a symbol of Noto's resilience and recovery.
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Who Is This For?
For wine lovers drawn to authentic Japanese terroir — those who seek mineral-driven, food-friendly wines with a story rooted in coastal farming heritage. Ideal for fans of natural winemaking philosophy and those curious about Japan's emerging wine regions beyond Yamanashi and Hokkaido.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is 'nama-zume' and why does Noto Wine use it?
- Nama-zume (生詰め) means bottling wine without pasteurization. Noto Wine uses this method to preserve the natural aromas, delicate flavors, and living character of Noto-grown grapes exactly as they come from the vineyard. It results in fresher, more vivid wines that require refrigerated storage and have a shorter shelf life, but deliver an authentic expression of the vintage.
- What makes Yama Sauvignon (ヤマソーヴィニヨン) special?
- Yama Sauvignon is a Japanese grape hybrid, crossing the indigenous wild mountain grape (Vitis coignetiae / ヤマブドウ) with Cabernet Sauvignon. The result is a grape that thrives in Japan's humid climate, producing wines with earthy, wild berry, and woodland herb notes — deeply expressive of the Japanese landscape. Noto Wine has made it their signature variety.
- How did the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake affect the winery?
- The January 1, 2024 earthquake (magnitude 7.6) caused facility damage at Noto Wine, but all staff were reported safe and the core winery structure remained standing. Operations were disrupted and deliveries delayed, but the team committed to continuing production, pressing the 2024 vintage as a sign of resilience and dedication to Noto's wine legacy.
- Is Noto Wine's winery open to visitors?
- Yes. Visitors can tour the winery and vineyards (typically outside winter months), and taste wines in the Noto Wine Gallery. Admission and parking are generally free. It is located in Anamizu-machi on the Noto Peninsula, Ishikawa Prefecture.