{"id":110542,"date":"2026-02-10T23:03:34","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T14:03:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/?p=110542"},"modified":"2026-03-06T15:48:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T06:48:13","slug":"naganos-new-altitude","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/naganos-new-altitude\/","title":{"rendered":"Nagano\u2019s New Altitude"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Into the Valley<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n


Boarding the shinkansen from Tokyo to Ueda, I searched which side would give the best view. In truth, it didn\u2019t matter \u2013 the train cuts straight through the Japanese Alps, mountains on every side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Nagano is one of Japan\u2019s key wine regions, and within it, the Chikumagawa Valley had been on my mind; it was a name I kept hearing even while abroad. Over the past decade, this stretch of land tracing the eponymous river has become a breeding ground for a new generation of producers redefining what Japanese wine can be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the mountains begin to close in on either side, the light sharpens, the blue of the sky deepens, and rice fields blanket the valley floor. Unlike Yamanashi, Japan\u2019s oldest wine region where winemaking is often local and, at times, generational, most here are newcomers \u2013 those who traded city lives for dreams of creating in harmony with the land. Geography helps their gamble: the valley\u2019s unique microclimate, sheltered by mountains, yields one of the driest spots in Japan, where even delicate European grape varieties can thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Paper umbrellas protect grape bunches from rain.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Nearby, the Chikumagawa Wine Academy, founded in 2015, <\/strong>has become the engine of the valley\u2019s wine movement, teaching viticulture and winemaking and sending many of its graduates to plant their first vines within a stone\u2019s throw of the school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I met the people shaping this valley, I sensed something else in the air \u2013 a shared understanding that here, one is free to experiment. A true carte blanche<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n





Tsuiji Lab (Tomi)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n


Upbeat music fills the cellar, and the barrels are etched with lively chalk drawings instead of tidy labels. This is Tsuiji Lab<\/a>, where winemaker Takahiro Suga oversees both the estate\u2019s own wines and itaku j\u014dz\u014d<\/em> \u2013 contract winemaking, where grape growers bring in their fruit and commission the entire process from fermentation through bottling.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Suga isn\u2019t your typical Japanese craftsman. With bleached blond hair, sleeve tattoos, and a vigneron r\u00e9sum\u00e9 that runs across France, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, and even Hawaii, he is a \u201cflying winemaker\u201d true and true. But here in Tomi, he\u2019s found something to stay for \u2013 a \u201clab\u201d to embrace his experimental streak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Suga punching down by hand, early in fermentation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis client wanted orange wine this year so we pressed Merlot and Riesling first, then fermented on skins of Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Semillon, Petit Manseng, and Chardonnay,\u201d he explains as he hands me a glass straight from the tank. The liquid hums with electric potential and I\u2019m struck by the range of styles and varieties that pass through this modest space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the vineyard, piles of rice straw are stacked at the head of each row. Suga explains, \u201cTomi is an unusual wine region in that rice is grown right alongside the vines \u2013 it’s contradictory really, rice needs a lot of water, and vines are better off without it.\u201d he chuckles, \u201cBut it also gives us a unique way to cope with winter here. Wrapping rice straw around the vine trunks protects them from frost damage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back at the cellar, a grape grower stops by to check on his ferments, though mostly to chat. That\u2019s the rhythm here \u2013 work and conversation flowing together, brightened by Suga\u2019s easy warmth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rice straw piled at the head of each vine row, before winter wrapping.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n



Nagomi Vineyards (Tomi)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cThe first three years of training the vines are crucial,\u201d Toshihiro Ike tells me, gently unveiling a young Pinot Noir sapling hidden among tall grass. \u201cIf you don\u2019t let the tiny trunks grow straight, the water channels twist forever.\u201d He says it with such tenderness that it\u2019s obvious this variety has become both a challenge and a muse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before wine, Ike worked in telecommunications engineering \u2013 a world of constant demolition and rebuild. In his mid-thirties, he longed to create something that would endure, something that would take root. Agriculture, and eventually wine, became that answer. At the time, Japan\u2019s wine scene was dominated by large corporations, and the barriers to entry seemed sky-high. Then Ike came across an article about emerging independent wineries in Hokkaido and Nagano, and it planted a seed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Ike in his vineyard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ike and his wife Kazumi arrived in Tomi during a precarious yet opportune time: the region\u2019s key crop, Kyoho grapes, was gradually losing value, and farmers were beginning to sell off land. Farmers were selling land. Buying their first small Kyoho parcel, the Ikes were warmly welcomed as rescuers of a grape still dear to locals. With that community support, they gradually found more land here and there until Nagomi Vineyards<\/a> grew to what it is today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A decade on, the Pinot Noir has responded to their care and dedication. \u201cFinally, we\u2019ve found our own expression,\u201d Ike says. When French critics in Burgundy praised it for softness and precision at the Salon des Vins Japonais<\/em>, \u201cit felt like a harvest of faith.\u201d His face lights up with humble satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"\"
Ike checking on his Pinot Noir fermentation progress<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
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Nagomi Vineyards also vinifies regional varieties, like Nagano Purple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n



Terre de Ciel (Komoro)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n


Entering Komoro, I turn off into winding mountain roads. The blue sky is infinite, and it feels as if I\u2019m driving straight into it. How aptly named \u2013 Terre de Ciel, \u201cLand of the Sky.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the cellar, winemaker Kazuto Kuwabara greets me mid-destemming \u2013 calm but in constant motion. His philosophy is simple: ninety-five percent of the wine is made in the vineyard, five in the cellar. \u201cEven there, it\u2019s more watching over than doing,\u201d he says, wanting those who drink his wines \u201cto taste this landscape.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Kuwabara in the cellar.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Terre de Ciel team destemming grapes by hand.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As Kuwabara returns to the tanks, estate owner Takeo Ikeda appears \u2013 a rare local among this community of transplants. We climb to a lookout where the vines cascade toward the opposite ridge, clouds drifting low between. My camera wavers between the spectacular view and Ikeda\u2019s animated storytelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"\"
View across the valley from the Terre de Ciel vineyards.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt sixty, I decided my second life would be one in touch with soil.\u201d After retirement, Ikeda planted vines at 950m despite warnings it was too high, too cold. But the sweeping slope, open to the wind, proved protective, with air currents carrying away frost risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their debut Sauvignon Blanc was an instant hit, praised for its piercing acidity. Komoro, long known for apples, was never considered wine country, until Ikeda\u2019s success drew other growers to its hillsides. Building on that momentum, Ikeda launched Nukaji Winehouse<\/a>, a cottage-inspired tasting house. There, photographs of pastel blue butterflies adorn the interior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKomoro lies on the migration path of the Asagi Migratory Butterfly (Chestnut Tiger<\/em>). Their arrival marks the start of harvest, and at times, up to 500 grace us in a single day.\u201d A nod from nature that here, its rhythm is held sacred. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Ikeda in the Nukaji Wine House tasting room.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n



Aperture Farm & Winery (Tomi)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cI imagine the kind of wine I want to make, then reverse-engineer the process, starting in the vineyard,\u201d says Ryo Tanabe, the man behind Aperture. His vines are trained unusually high so clusters stay shaded by layers of leaves; harvest is done in three to five passes, each capturing a different facet of Chenin \u2013 all details refined through years of calibration and precision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It makes sense when you learn that Tanabe was once a nature photographer. A life-altering encounter with a Loire Valley Chenin Blanc set him on the winemaking path, determined to craft Chenin in Japan that could stand among the world\u2019s best. A bold vision in a country where almost no one was attempting the variety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChenin Blanc is thin-skinned with tightly packed clusters, very vulnerable to Japan\u2019s high rainfall,\u201d he explains. \u201cThe berries, once they absorb water, become packed like corn kernels and burst easily. Most who try eventually give up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor the first several years, my Chenins felt diluted,\u201d he says. \u201cThen, suddenly, everything changed. The roots had gone deep, and the wine began to show it with concentration and minerality.\u201d Finally, it was reaping the benefits of the clay-rich soils that define Tomi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Aperture\u2019s labels feature Tanabe\u2019s photography (Photo: Ryo Tanabe)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the cellar, he pours the yet-to-be-released 2024 Chenin Blanc. I\u2019m so entranced by its elegance, even at this early stage, that I\u2019m momentarily caught off guard when he asks what I think of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, he purchased another plot to dedicate to Chenin Blanc at 940m. \u201cNagano is well suited for climate change,\u201d he half-smiles, amused by his own remark. \u201cYou can keep running higher into the mountains.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Tanabe overlooking his Chenin Blanc vines<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n


<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n




Accompaniments to a Wine Country<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n


Ueda makes an ideal base for exploring the valley\u2019s wineries, easily accessible from Tokyo. Start at Wineteria Be-One<\/a>, a basement bar by the station offering tasting pours, perfect for getting your bearings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For dinner, head to Fika<\/a>, a converted bicycle factory turned bistro with industrial warmth and a list balancing local and foreign bottles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Fika, Ueda-shi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A short drive away, Art Village Myojinkan<\/a> offers a day-use onsen overlooking the picturesque valley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Tomi, do not miss Tomi Wine Chapel<\/a>, home to perhaps the most complete Nagano selection anywhere, and where the owner\u2019s pride in local wines is contagious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"\"
Tomi Wine Chapel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"\"
By-the-glass selection at Tomi Wine Chapel.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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