Niseko Winery

ニセコワイナリー

Hokkaido, Niseko Town, Japan

Niseko Winery is the only winery in the town of Niseko, perched on a hillside at the foot of Mount Yotei. It was founded in 2016 by Yasunori Homma, a former international banker who left banking to become a winemaker. The estate is organically certified, farming 4.5 hectares of vines in its own organic-certified vineyard in the Kondo district of Niseko — and produced Japan's first organically certified sparkling wine with 100% vitis vinifera varieties. No chemical fertilizers or herbicides are used at any point: pests are removed by hand, one by one, and weeds are cut by hand as well.

Winemaking Philosophy

Homma's approach is to work with — not against — Niseko's extreme conditions. After years spent on still wine, he turned to sparkling wine, recognizing that the region's naturally high acidity, long seen as a limitation, was in fact an asset for traditional-method sparkling production. Homma sees the winery as an extension of the Niseko brand beyond skiing: a way for visitors to experience the region through all five senses.

Production

The winery produces 9,000 bottles a year from its 4.5-hectare vineyard, sold only at the winery itself and online. Each vintage sells out completely.

About Niseko

Niseko is a small town on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, set at the foot of Mount Yotei — a near-symmetrical volcanic peak often called “Ezo Fuji” for its resemblance to Mount Fuji. Niseko is one of Hokkaido's heaviest snowfall regions. In summer, though, the town benefits from long hours of sunshine, large swings between day and night temperatures, low humidity, and clear, unbroken skies through the vines' flowering in early July — conditions that together allow healthy grapes to be grown organically.

At a Glance

2016

Founded

4.5 ha

Hectares

9,000 bottles

Production

Region

Hokkaido, Niseko Town, Japan

Winemaker

Yasunori Homma

Grapes

Pinot Noir, Chardonnay

Farming

Certified organic (JAS) with zero synthetic pesticides or chemical fertilizers.

Harvest

Hand-harvested at 20 degrees Brix with immediate on-site processing and temperature-controlled fermentation..

On the map

Niseko Winery — Niseko Town, Hokkaido

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Available Now (1)

Organic Special Cuvee

2024 · Sparkling · White · 12.5%

Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Kerner, Müller-Thurgau

A JAS-organic, méthode-traditionnelle sparkling from Niseko Winery in Hokkaido, blending Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, and a small portion of kerner and Müller-Thurgau with 18 months on the lees. Fresh and precise, with green apple, citrus and a touch of white floral in place of heavier brioche notes — a well-made, delicate fizz.

Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, and Sauvignon Blanc form the backbone of the blend, with small additions of Kerner and Müller-Thurgau for aromatic lift. The blend is co-fermented together in stainless steel tanks. The wine then undergoes secondary fermentation in bottle, aged on its lees for 18 months. The wine is then riddled (remuage), each bottle turned one-eighth of a rotation, twice daily, over the course of one month. The wine was disgorged in March to April 2026.

OrganicTraditional MethodZero DosageExtended Lees Aging