Agri-Cœur
Kaminoyama, Yamagata
People
Hiroaki Katayose's first encounter with wine was when he was a student at a wine bar where he worked part-time. After graduation, he worked in the hospitality industry, but his passion for wine was so strong that he went on a two-week trip around France.
After returning to Japan, he worked in an Italian restaurant, but moved back to France in 2003. He helped out in the vineyards of a domaine while attending language school, and then spent the next six years in Dijon, Beaune and Champagne, gaining practical experience at various domains while attending viticulture and oenology school.
He had the option to continue making wine in France, but his dream was to work in Japan, so he returned to Japan with his family. He joined domaine tetta in Okayama in 2013, but at the time it did not yet have its own winery, so he trained at the 10R winery in Hokkaido during the preparation period. In 2016, domaine tetta's winery was completed and since then he was in charge of vinification at the winery.
He then left the winery and moved to Kaminoyama in Yamagata in 2022. He moved there because he wanted to keep its rich environment for the next generation and to protect the agriculture that sustains life.
Agri-Cœur is a combination of the two words Agri = agriculture and Cœur = heart. The aim is to produce wines that can only be made in the region, that can feel the terroir to the maximum extent, and that are an ‘art’ that can only be created by the winemaker himself.
Vineyard
Kaminoyama in Yamagata stretches at the foot of the famous Zao mountain range. The city has prospered as a castle town, hot spring town and inn town, and has developed a rich food culture, including cherries, buckwheat noodles, Imoni (stewed potatoes) and Tama-konnyaku (ball shaped konnyaku). Wine is another such product.
Climate of extreme differences in temperatures and well-drained, rich soils. Producers who are passionate about their grapes, with cultivation techniques developed over many years. And winemakers who bring out the full potential of the grapes. Everything necessary for winemaking is available in the city.
In 2015, the city launched the Kaminoyama Wine Country Project as a public-private partnership. The city is working to enable more people to play an active role in the town through wine, and to connect people's thoughts and feelings, by providing support for the establishment of wineries and for farming for wine grape cultivation, including certification as a special wine zone.
Hiroaki currently manages his own vineyard of 20-year-old Delaware, that is on pergolas, in the Haraguchi district of Yamagata. He took over the vineyard that until the previous year had grown grapes for fresh eating under conventional farming methods, but has since changed to grass growing cultivation method, reducing the use of pesticides and producing seeded Delaware for winemaking.
The number of vineyards under his own management has gradually expanded, and from 2023, the number of wines made from purchased grapes has also increased. He has used equipment at Fattoria AL FIORE in Miyagi to vinify his wines.
One such grape is Hokujyun. It is the first grape variety that Hiroaki encountered when he came to Kaminoyama. Hokujyun was planted 40 years ago by people with a passion for wine grapes in this area, but it was said to be too sour to drink when made into wine, and it has become a very difficult grape to obtain, with only four people said to be growing it in Kaminoyama at present.
‘Hokujyun is a grape that has been carefully grown and protected by our predecessors in this region. I want to respect their wishes. Everything has value. It just hasn't seen the light of day because of the times and trends. I want not only the Japanese but also people from other countries to enjoy wine made from these grapes’ (Hiroaki Katayose).
