About Shinga Winery
- Founded
- 2019
- 7 years ago
- Location
- 名寄市
- 北海道
- Wines listed
- 8
- Sparkling 5, White 1, Rosé 1, Red 1
- Main grapes
- Shokoshi, Bacchus, Chardonnay
Shinga Winery is Japan's northernmost winery, located in Nayoro, deep in Hokkaido's interior where winters are brutally cold. Founders Yuji and Mari Takebe began growing wine grapes in 2011, lost their entire vineyard to frost in the early years, and developed a bonfire (kagaribi) technique to protect the vines from late spring frost. After years of contract brewing under 10R Winery's Bruce Gutlove, they opened their own winery in 2019. They grow nine varieties on Nayoro-grown fruit only, including Bacchus, Shokoshi, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Gewürztraminer, and the native Nayoro yamabudou vine, making wines that express the raw, cold northern terroir.
Who Is This For?
For drinkers curious about extreme cool-climate winemaking and terroir-driven wines from Japan's frontier growing regions
Wines of Shinga Winery
Sparkling5
White1
Location & Nearby
- Address
- 北海道名寄市弥生674番地View map ↗
- Founded
- 2019
Source: shinga-shinga.jimdofree.com (checked Sep 2026) / do-hoku.com (checked Sep 2026)
Frequently Asked Questions
- Where is Shinga Winery located?
- Shinga Winery is in Nayoro, in Hokkaido's interior, and is recognized as Japan's northernmost winery.
- What makes Shinga Winery's viticulture unusual?
- To survive Nayoro's severe late-spring frosts, the winery lights bonfires (kagaribi) in the vineyard at night to protect the vines, a technique the founders developed after losing their entire vineyard to frost in the early years.
- Who founded Shinga Winery and when?
- Husband and wife Yuji and Mari Takebe started growing wine grapes in Nayoro in 2011, harvested their first crop in 2014, and opened their own winery in 2019 after training under 10R Winery's Bruce Gutlove.
- What grape varieties does Shinga Winery grow?
- The winery grows nine varieties from Nayoro-grown fruit only, including Bacchus, the hybrid red grape Shokoshi, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Gewürztraminer, and the native Nayoro yamabudou vine.