Kurambon Wine

The Producer

Kurambon Wine (くらむぼんワイン) traces its origins to 1913, when first-generation Chōsaku Nozawa began making wine from his own grapes in Katsunuma. In 1962, nearby grape farmers established the Tanaka Grape Wine Brewing Cooperative, which the Nozawa family later bought out, establishing Yamanashi Wine Brewing Co., Ltd.

In 2014 — the company’s 100th year — the operation rebranded as "Kurambon Wine" and began producing wine from 100% domestically-grown Japanese grapes only. The name comes from "kurambon," a word spoken by a crab character in Miyazawa Kenji’s 1923 fairy tale "Yamanashi" — a story about coexistence between humans and nature, the limits of science, and compassion. The choice of name reflects the estate’s philosophy.

Methodology

Kurambon is one of Yamanashi’s clearest natural-wine producers. After encountering biodynamic winemaking in southwestern France in 2007, fourth-generation Takahiko Nozawa shifted the estate to:

• No chemical pesticides
• No chemical fertilizers
• No tilling
• Cover-crop / regenerative cultivation
• Indigenous-yeast fermentation (wild yeasts from grape skins)
• Minimal-to-no filtration

Takahiko Nozawa studied viticulture and winemaking in Burgundy before taking over the estate. The combination of Burgundian training and Japanese natural-wine adaptation produces wines with a distinctive Yamanashi natural identity — Koshu sur lie + skin-contact + pétillant naturel cuvées all in the lineup.

Vineyards

The estate's "Shichitawara Field" (七田原圃場) is one minute on foot from the winery. The vineyard uses vertical trellis training (kakine, 垣根) — a contrast with Yamanashi’s traditional pergola.

Why It Matters

Kurambon is among the strongest examples of a heritage Yamanashi family winery (1913 founding) successfully evolving into the natural-wine generation. Where many Yamanashi producers chose to remain on traditional methods, Kurambon’s 2007 biodynamic shift positioned it as the key Yamanashi natural producer in international natural-wine conversations.

Details

• Founded: 1913
• Renamed: "Kurambon Wine" in 2014 (100th anniversary)
• Location: Katsunuma, Koshu City, Yamanashi
• Current proprietor: Takahiko Nozawa (4th generation, Burgundy-trained)
• Methodology: Biodynamic / regenerative since 2007, indigenous yeast, minimal SO₂
• Name origin: Miyazawa Kenji’s 1923 fairy tale "Yamanashi"