Continuing after Kuzumaki Wine for You and Me, this will be our second article about wineries in Iwate. This time, we visited Shiwa Winery in Shiwa, Iwate.

Shiwa is a town located 20 kilometers south of the prefectural capital Morioka. The area is home to a rich fruit growing industry, and approximately half of Iwate’s grapes are produced here.

left:Shiwa Winery exterior. Wine festivals are held here too!

right:Shiwa Winery exterior. Wine festivals are held here too!

Shiwa Winery’s motto, “homegrown and homebottled,” refers to their policy of using 100% Shiwa-grown grapes to produce wine. This style of winery that stays local—from the grape growing to the winemaking—is still quite rare in Japan.

Winemaking in Shiwa was originally inspired by local farmers wishing to make wine out of the grapes they grew. Their company was established in 2003, and wine production began in 2005. Currently, 25 farms are involved in Shiwa’s winemaking business. Shiwa Winery’s unwavering commitment to only using wine grapes is one of their unique characteristics not often seen in other regions.

We were shown around by Ms. Sugawara. She’s a huge wine lover, and after retirement her passion only kept growing, so she started working here! She says that “good grapes are born from good fields,” revealing her trust and confidence in this land. Her message to young workers and her successors is “Instead of chasing trends, cherish what you care about right now, and keep sharing research and information about wine.”

Wine tasting is also available inside the facility. 10 types are available for free, and another 6 types can be sampled for 100 yen per glass. The first one we tried was Shiwa Winery’s famous Represent Shiwa. It is a crisp and refreshing dry white wine, with a dignified flavor that allows you to feel Shiwa’s homegrown and homebottled resolve. The next wine, Oak-Aged Chardonnay, was full-bodied despite being a white wine, and had a depth that would pair nicely with rich, flavorful dishes.

As expected from a northern region, Shiwa Winery’s red wines are mainly light and medium-bodied. Muscat Bailey A 2019 is smooth and pleasant on the palette with a satisfying finish. The complimentary tasting wines also offered flavors that would harmonize well with everyday meals, making us wish we always had a bottle of both the red and white wines on hand.

left:Visitors can enjoy three types each of red and white wine

right:Daily wines available for complimentary tasting. The labels are cute too!

The winery also implements several sustainable practices. The leftover pomace and stems from the grapes are reused as fertilizer, which is then also used for onion cultivating. Empty wine bottles are easily collected, as customers receive a 30 yen discount per bottle on their next purchase. While we were on site, we actually saw people return their empty bottles, then proceed to buy more wine.

As for international tourists, there are quite a few from Taiwan, and recently more are coming from Europe as well. It appears that there are also people who heard about Shiwa Winery at their hotels, which prompted them to visit. In fact, a river runs through Shiwa, splitting the town into Japanese sake makers to the west and winemakers to the east. Ms. Sugawara comments that she hopes visitors will try comparing these two drinks, an experience unique to the town.

Furthermore, Shiwa Winery has a membership system with around 500 participants across the country. Three times per year, members can experience grape cultivation and winemaking for themselves. They also get new wines and member-exclusive label wines delivered to their homes, making this system irresistible to wine lovers. Ms. Sugawara, who showed us around on our tour, is of course one of those wine lovers! This wine region is a must-visit destination where you can enjoy the fragrance of orchards filling the town.
In the next article, we’ll cover Edel Wein of Ohasama, the Wine Paradise.