COCO FARM & WINERY
Ashikaga, Tochigi
COCO FARM & WINERY is a Japanese winery based in Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture, rooted in vineyards first cultivated in 1958. Born from a unique collaboration between students with intellectual disabilities and their teacher, Noboru Kawada, the winery is known today for its steep Jurassic-bedrock hillsides, 100% Japanese-grown grapes, and winemaking guided by wild yeasts. Its wines embody a philosophy that unites social welfare, respect for nature, and an uncompromising pursuit of quality.
Origins of a Remarkable Journey
The story of COCO FARM & WINERY begins in 1958, when a group of local junior high school students and their teacher, Noboru Kawada, carved vineyards into a steep hillside near their school. The students had intellectual disabilities, yet they shared a powerful determination: to cultivate a vineyard with their own hands. Guided by Kawada’s belief in education through meaningful work, a small and unlikely vineyard took shape.
In 1969, Kokoromi Gakuen, a social welfare facility for adults with intellectual disabilities, was established at the foot of the hillside. From that point onward, vineyard work and daily agricultural life became a shared effort between residents and staff. Working with the land was not simply a means of production, but a way to foster skills, dignity, and a sense of purpose through sustained engagement with nature.
As the desire to make wine from their own grapes grew stronger, a challenge emerged. Because the school was operated as a social welfare corporation, it was unable to obtain a winemaking licence. In response, Kawada and a group of supporters founded COCO FARM & WINERY Ltd. in 1980. After receiving its official licence in 1984, winemaking finally began in earnest.
A Winemaking Philosophy Beyond Labels
A pivotal figure in the winery’s evolution is Bruce Gutlove, who continues to serve as a director today. Formerly a wine consultant in California, Gutlove came to Japan in 1989 at Kawada’s invitation to join the winemaking team.
Together, Kawada and Gutlove shared a clear and unwavering philosophy. Wine quality must never be compromised, regardless of who makes it. What defines a wine is not background or ability, but wholehearted effort and care.
This belief continues to shape every aspect of COCO FARM & WINERY. Deep respect for nature, genuine appreciation for the people who work in the vineyards and cellar, and the joy found in sincere craftsmanship remain central to the winery’s identity.
A Winemaking Philosophy Beyond Labels
A pivotal figure in the winery’s evolution is Bruce Gutlove, who continues to serve as a director today. Formerly a wine consultant in California, Gutlove came to Japan in 1989 at Kawada’s invitation to join the winemaking team.
Together, Kawada and Gutlove shared a clear and unwavering philosophy. Wine quality must never be compromised, regardless of who makes it. What defines a wine is not background or ability, but wholehearted effort and care.
This belief continues to shape every aspect of COCO FARM & WINERY. Deep respect for nature, genuine appreciation for the people who work in the vineyards and cellar, and the joy found in sincere craftsmanship remain central to the winery’s identity.
That dedication has been recognised on the world stage. Wines from COCO FARM & WINERY were officially served at international occasions including the 2000 Kyushu–Okinawa G8 Summit, the 2017 welcome dinner for UK Prime Minister Theresa May, and the 2019 luncheon at the Apostolic Nunciature in Japan.
Today, the winery is led by Hideki Ishii, Head of Viticulture, and Toyoichiro Shibata, Head Winemaker. Alongside the residents of Kokoromi Gakuen, they continue to tend the vineyards and craft wines with patience and care.
Vineyards Rooted in Ancient Bedrock
The estate vineyards of COCO FARM & WINERY stretch across Ashikaga and neighbouring Sano, covering approximately six hectares at elevations between 50 and 200 metres. In recent years, cultivation and long-term partnerships have expanded to regions such as Hokkaido and Yamagata, allowing the winery to draw from vineyards across Japan while maintaining its commitment to 100% Japanese-grown grapes.
The hillside vineyards of Ashikaga are defined by their distinctive geology. Beneath a thin layer of loam—just 20 to 100 centimetres deep—lie clastic rocks, chert, basalt, and mélanges formed during the Jurassic period. Vine roots penetrate deep into fractures in this ancient bedrock, drawing strength and character from the land itself. This rare soil structure lends the wines a depth and complexity that cannot be replicated elsewhere.
With slopes averaging 38 degrees and reaching as steep as 42 degrees, the vineyards offer excellent drainage and abundant sunlight. At the same time, their steepness makes machinery impossible to use.
Every task must be done by hand. Residents and staff carefully remove insects one by one, wipe diseased leaves, and place protective caps over each grape cluster. This quiet, meticulous labour lies at the heart of the winery’s quality.
A wide range of grape varieties are cultivated in the estate vineyards, including Japanese-native grapes such as Muscat Bailey A, Riesling Lion, and Shokoshi, alongside international varieties like Petit Manseng, Norton, Tannat, Vignoles, and Albariño.
In addition, COCO FARM & WINERY works with dedicated contract growers across Hokkaido, Yamagata, Nagano, Yamanashi, Gunma, Saitama and Tochigi, using only 100% Japanese-grown grapes.
Winemaking Guided by Nature
In the cellar, fermentation is entrusted to wild yeasts and naturally occurring lactic acid bacteria. Rather than relying on cultured strains, the winemakers seek to honour the innate expression of each vineyard and vintage, allowing the wine to unfold at its own pace.
Some wines, particularly early-harvested nouveau styles, are picked in August and bottled within a few months. Others ferment slowly through the winter and into the following spring. Malolactic fermentation often occurs naturally, while select wines rest for extended periods in barrels stored in an underground cellar carved into the hillside.
The winery’s facilities themselves reflect a commitment to living in harmony with nature. Wood-burning stoves fuelled by thinned forest wood and pruned grape canes provide heat. Vineyards rely on hand-pumped wells, solar power is generated on site, and grape skins and seeds are returned to the land through reuse and composting.
A Philosophy That Embraces Impermanence
The guiding words of founder Noboru Kawada continue to resonate throughout COCO FARM & WINERY:
“Put all your strength into something that will ultimately disappear.”
Wine vanishes once it is drunk, just as a meal disappears once eaten. Precisely because these moments are fleeting, Kawada believed that every effort should be wholehearted and sincere. From this philosophy, wines are born that honour both the people who make them and the land from which they come.
