In the orchards and rice country of Nanyo City, a young Japanese project set out to prove that vibrant, additive-free wine could be made entirely from grapes grown in Yamagata's own soils.
Backstory
Grape Republic was founded in 2017 by restaurateurs and sommeliers Kazuomi Fujimaki and Takayuki Taira, born from a wish to bring neglected farmland in Taira's hometown of Nanyo City back to life. In 2019 winemaker Haruyuki Yano joined and became the face of the cellar, bringing experience gained in New Zealand under Alex Craighead.
The Region
The winery sits in Nanyo City, Yamagata Prefecture, in northern Japan, where every bottle is made from grapes ripened in the local climate on fertile, well-draining ground.
Vineyards and Farming
Grape Republic works with grapes traditionally grown in Yamagata, including Delaware, Niagara, Steuben, Muscat Bailey A, Koshu, and others such as Merlot and Cabernet Franc. No pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, or synthetic fertilizers are used.
Winemaking
All Grape Republic wines are zero-zero natural wines, made with nothing considered superfluous: no added sugar, acids, or commercial yeast. The cellar is built around amphora vinification, with seventeen amphorae of varying sizes up to 1,000 liters, making it one of the largest amphora wineries in Japan.
The Wines
The freestyle range spans Bianco, Arancione, Rosato, and Rosso, plus aromatic frizzante and skin-macerated whites, all distinctly Japanese in style.
