Teshikaga Winery
弟子屈ワイナリー
Kushiro's first public winery, crafting natural wine from native Yamasachi grapes.
About Teshikaga Winery
- Founded
- 2024
- 2 years ago
- Location
- 弟子屈町
- 北海道
- Wines listed
- 2
- Main grapes
- Yamasachi
Teshikaga Winery is the wine brand of Kussharo Caldera Winery, a public-private facility in Teshikaga, Hokkaido, operated by Teshikaga Farm Co., Ltd. and opened in August 2024 as the first winery of its kind in the Kushiro subprefecture. Rooted in a local push that began in 2012 to cultivate the cold-hardy Yamasachi grape, the project released its first wine, a sparkling rosé named "Teshika" (from the Ainu word for "bedrock," the namesake of Teshikaga), in 2023 via contract brewing before completing its own on-site winery the following year. Under winemaker Natsuko Kiryu, the winery ferments Hokkaido-bred varieties such as Yamasachi and Kiyomai with wild yeast in small batches, producing natural, minimal-intervention red, rosé, and sparkling wines that express the volcanic caldera terroir around Lake Kussharo. The project is closely tied to the local community, with residents and regional revitalization volunteers taking part from harvest through production.
Who Is This For?
For explorers of Japan's frontier terroirs — those curious about ultra-small-batch, wild-yeast wines made from Hokkaido's own cold-hardy grapes in one of the country's coldest wine regions.
Wines of Teshikaga Winery
Location & Nearby
- Address
- 北海道川上郡弟子屈町字屈斜路329番地3View map ↗
- Founded
- 2024
Source: teshikagafarm.com (checked Sep 2026)
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Teshikaga Winery?
- Teshikaga Winery is the wine brand produced at Kussharo Caldera Winery in Teshikaga, Hokkaido, a public-private facility operated by Teshikaga Farm Co., Ltd. that opened in August 2024 as the first winery in the Kushiro subprefecture.
- What grape varieties does Teshikaga Winery use?
- The winery primarily uses Yamasachi and Kiyomai, cold-hardy grape varieties bred in Hokkaido, grown locally around Lake Kussharo.
- What is Teshikaga Winery's winemaking philosophy?
- Under winemaker Natsuko Kiryu, the winery ferments grapes with indigenous wild yeast in small batches with minimal additives, aiming to express the volcanic caldera terroir of Lake Kussharo.
- What does the name "Teshika" mean?
- "Teshika" is an Ainu word meaning "bedrock," and it is also the origin of the town name Teshikaga.
- What styles of wine does Teshikaga Winery produce?
- The winery produces natural red, rosé, and lightly sparkling rosé wines, including labels such as "Wa NAGI," "Koto," "Koharu," and "Caldera Rosé Sparkling."