Katashimo Wine Food

The Producer

Katashimo Wine Food was founded in May 1914 by Takaii Sakujirō in Kashiwara, Osaka Prefecture. The Takaii family had been working the Kashiwara hillsides since the 1880s, when Sakujirō’s father Toshisaburō pioneered south-facing slope cultivation in the former Katashimo village to promote grape farming. By the time Sakujirō established the predecessor "Katashimo Yōshu Brewing Company," the family had a substantial existing vineyard base.

The current proprietor is fourth-generation Toshihiro Takaii (高井利洋), who took over the estate in the 1970s. Under his leadership Katashimo modernized while preserving its historical site — including a designated cultural-property warehouse building from the early 20th century.

Production

Delaware is Katashimo’s historical specialty. Kashiwara City ranks third nationally in Delaware production, and Katashimo’s low-temperature-fermented sparkling Delaware is a characteristic Osaka style. The estate also works with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and a small range of indigenous varieties.

Role in GI Osaka

Katashimo’s commitment to Kashiwara terroir over multiple generations was instrumental in the 2021 GI Osaka designation. The cluster of producers in the Yamato River basin — anchored by Katashimo — represented a cohesive enough regional identity to support a Geographical Indication, where individually no single producer would have been sufficient.

Why It Matters

Katashimo demonstrates that Japanese wine identity is not exclusively a Yamanashi-Hokkaido-Nagano story. The prefecture’s historical position as a major early-20th-century table-grape region — and Katashimo’s decision to preserve and refine that heritage rather than abandon it for European-variety imitation — built a parallel branch of Japanese wine evolution that the Kansai region, with its food culture, has supported.

Details

• Founded: May 1914
• Location: Kashiwara, Osaka Prefecture
• Founder: Takaii Sakujirō (with family vineyard activity from the 1880s)
• Current proprietor: Toshihiro Takaii (4th generation)
• Signature variety: Delaware (3rd-largest production area nationally is Kashiwara)
• Heritage status: Cultural-property warehouse on site
• GI: Anchor of GI Osaka (2021)