Once a year, there is a special day that brings excitement to wine lovers around the world. That day is Beaujolais Nouveau Day, and this year it falls on November 20, 2025 (Thu). Taking glass in hand, tasting the fresh wine born from the year’s grape harvest, and contemplating the flavor while giving a toast—truly a precious experience. We imagine that many people are looking forward to that enriching time again this year.

Now then, have you tried Iwate’s wine before? When you think of famous wine producers, France, Italy, and Germany come to mind. Each of these fall in the range of 30°N to 50°N (or 20°S to 40°S), an area commonly referred to as the “Wine Belt,” where the world’s highest quality grape cultivation is possible under optimal conditions.

Iwate is actually located at 39~40°N—right in the center of the Wine Belt. In other words, Iwate experiences the same climate as global wine production areas, so its land is blessed for viticulture!

Over the next two weeks, we will be covering 3 different wineries in the prefecture.

The first one will be Kuzumaki Wine, established in Kuzumaki, a town located at 40°N and blessed with a cool climate and bountiful nature.

Wine produced in this highland town is famous for using yama-budou (crimson glory vine grapes), which are uncommon even within Japan. Yama-budou are wild grapes that originally grew naturally in the northern Tohoku and Hokkaido regions and are one of only two species native to Japan. They are smaller than normal grapes, rich in polyphenols, and have a unique crisp tartness bursting with wild flavors. It is these grapes, nurtured by nature, that are the origin of Kuzumaki Wine.

<Freshly harvested yama-budou>

Today, Kuzumaki Wine is known as the representative Iwate winery, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing in the beginning. 47 years ago, a town employee, now mayor of Kuzumaki, studied yama-budou cultivation and winemaking techniques because the town wished to somehow make use of their local special fruit. He then became further involved in growing yama-budou and establishing a winery. However, the grapes’ strong acidity led to many negative comments such as “this isn’t very good,” and “there’s something wrong with this.”

In response, he decided to order grapes with a sugar content of at least 15° Bx from all over Japan to mix with the yama-budou and attempted to create the perfect blend. Through a grueling trial-and-error process to achieve deliciousness, a well-balanced wine steeped in fruity flavor was born. Additionally, Kuzumaki Wine’s high-level winemaking techniques earned recognition, and the winery now commands such trust that it receives winemaking commissions from regions all across the prefecture.

<Outside the winery>,<A small fermentation room>,<A secret door leading to the tasting area>

On the day we visited, a soft, sweet fragrance drifted across the autumn highlands, and crates of the freshly harvested yama-budou sat in rows outside the winery. Kuzumaki Wine works closely with 25 local yama-budou farmers—their winemaking is truly a town-wide effort. The winery building was built with wood produced in Kuzumaki, and the post-fermentation excess grape waste is returned to the fields to be reused as fertilizer for new grapes. Kuzumaki Wine is by no means a massive winery, but their sustainable approaches that respect the cycle of nature contribute to their appeal.

What’s the best pairing for Kuzumaki’s wine? That would be none other than Kuzumaki’s cheese! Kuzumaki, known by the slogan “the town of milk, wine, and clean energy,” also focuses on dairy farming and dairy products. It’s even said that there are more cows than people! String cheese, cream cheese, caciocavallo… you name it, they have it. You’ll become addicted to the milky flavor that carries the breeze of the highlands.

“People from overseas may not be familiar with yama-budou, but they should experience how tasty our grapes are for themselves,” says Mr. Sekimura of Iwate Kuzumaki Wine Co., Ltd. Born and raised in Kuzumaki, Mr. Sekimura adds with a laugh, “They go surprisingly well with takuan (pickled daikon radish) too!”

<The kind Mr. Sekimura>

Visitors can taste over 20 kinds of wine at the winery for free. Among those, one of the most popular is “Nadore.” In the Kuzumaki dialect, this means “you and me,” making it the perfect wine to connect people with each other.

<Tasting at the perfect temperature>

Kuzumaki has no trains or freeways, so it’s a nice place to relax in nature when you want to get away from the everyday hustle and bustle. There are still very few overseas tourists, so if you come and visit, you may be the first traveler to discover the treasure of Iwate’s wine.