About Wine Workshop Aizu
- Founded
- 2005
- 21 years ago
- Location
- 猪苗代町
- 福島県
- Wines listed
- 6
- Sparkling 2, White 2, Rosé 2
- Main grapes
- Portland, Steuben, Chardonnay
Wine Workshop Aizu is a boutique winery at the foot of Mt. Bandai in Inawashiro, Fukushima Prefecture, founded in 2005 by Tsuyoshi Honda, a former technical high school teacher who turned to winemaking after retirement — making it the second winery to open in Fukushima. The winery is known for a method rare in Japan: fermenting and aging wine almost entirely in small 23-liter glass carboys rather than wood, so no oak aroma masks the pure character of the fruit. Honda ferments every wine to full dryness with no added sugar, acid, or fining agents, producing clean, naturally dry wines from Muscat Bailey A, Merlot, Chardonnay, Steuben, Delaware, and wild yamabudou grapes sourced from local farmers around Aizu-Wakamatsu, Aizu-Misato, and Inawashiro. Visitors can tour the small facility, taste the wines, and even try bottling their own bottle by hand.
Who Is This For?
For drinkers who love bone-dry, unembellished wines and are curious about rare glass-barrel-aged Japanese wine made by a small, hands-on producer.
Wines of Wine Workshop Aizu
Location & Nearby
- Address
- 福島県耶麻郡猪苗代町大字千代田字千代田3-7View map ↗
- Founded
- 2005
Source: hondawinery.co.jp (checked Sep 2026)
The pin with the gold outline marks Wine Workshop Aizu.
Nearby wineries
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why does Wine Workshop Aizu ferment and age wine in glass instead of oak barrels?
- Owner Tsuyoshi Honda uses small 23-liter glass carboys so no wood aroma masks the grape's natural character, letting the pure flavor of locally grown fruit come through.
- Are Wine Workshop Aizu's wines sweet or dry?
- All of them are dry. Honda lets fermentation run to completion without stopping it early, so no residual sugar remains and no additives are used to adjust sweetness.
- Who founded Wine Workshop Aizu and when?
- Tsuyoshi Honda, a former technical high school teacher, founded the winery in 2005 after retiring, making it the second winery to open in Fukushima Prefecture.
- What grape varieties does Wine Workshop Aizu use?
- The winery uses Muscat Bailey A, Merlot, Chardonnay, Steuben, Delaware, and wild yamabudou grapes sourced from local farmers around Aizu-Wakamatsu, Aizu-Misato, and Inawashiro.
- Can visitors tour Wine Workshop Aizu?
- Yes, the winery welcomes visitors for tastings and tours, and even offers a hands-on bottling experience. It is typically open 10:00-16:30 (until 17:00 in winter), closed Mondays and other irregular days.