domaine tetta
Niimi, Okayama
domaine tetta is a winery located in Niimi, Okayama, Japan. The name “tetta” comes from Tetta Town in Niimi, where the winery stands. The representative, Mr. Ryuta Takahashi, chose this name to express his wish to “rent land in this city.”
What began as a response to increasing abandoned land seen through his construction business has grown into an 8-hectare vineyard and winery built on limestone soils at 400–600 meters elevation. Through meticulous vineyard observation, minimal intervention winemaking, gravity-flow design, wild yeast fermentation, and aging in limestone mining tunnels, domaine tetta produces wines that aim to regenerate the land and faithfully express their terroir.
Founder: From Construction to Agriculture
domaine tetta is a winery located in Niimi City, Okayama Prefecture.
The name “tetta” derives from Tetta Town in Niimi, where the winery is situated.
Mr. Ryuta Takahashi, the winery’s representative, was originally engaged in the construction industry. Through his work, he witnessed a steadily increasing amount of abandoned local land.
He asked himself: “Couldn’t I revitalize this land with my own hands?”
In 2009, despite having no prior agricultural experience, he entered the agricultural field. He began by cultivating fresh table grapes on a 2-hectare plot.
Later, he learned that at that time there were no vineyards dedicated to winemaking nor domaine-style wineries in Okayama. In 2016, declaring his intention to “regenerate the land with my own wine,” he established the winery.
Over approximately ten years since entering agriculture, vineyard holdings have expanded to 8 hectares.
Head of Viticulture and Winemaking: Yoshiya Kanno
The current head of viticulture and winemaking is Mr. Yoshiya Kanno.
During university, he became fascinated by the beauty of vineyards in Burgundy, France. Inspired by the landscape, he decided to become a winemaker, hoping one day to craft his own wine and return to Europe.
He trained for two years at a winery in Yamanashi Prefecture before joining domaine tetta in 2018. In 2020, he was appointed to his current position as head of viticulture and winemaking.
Geographic Location: Tetta Town, Southern Niimi
Tetta Town lies in the southern part of Niimi City, along the upper reaches of the Takahashi River and against the Chugoku Mountains. The vineyards are situated on a limestone karst plateau at an elevation of 400 to 600 meters, with the town center resting on a gently flat area. Winters are cold, and the surrounding mountains are covered with high-quality snow.
The region is blessed with abundant nature. Mountain stream fishing for ayu sweetfish and amago red-spotted masu trout can be enjoyed. Agricultural specialties of the area include Chiya beef, New Pione grapes, white peaches, and Momotaro tomatoes. In autumn, the Dogeza Matsuri takes place as part of the Funakawa Hachimangu Shrine Autumn Grand Festival on October 15. In winter, the region offers opportunities for skiing.
Terroir: Soil and Wind
Two essential elements define the vineyards: soil and wind. The soil consists of limestone mixed with red clay, similar to soils found in some of France’s finest vineyards. It offers excellent drainage. Because of the high elevation and cool temperatures, the region experiences relatively sunny days despite Japan’s generally high rainfall.
The vineyards are planted on southwest-facing slopes, and winds blowing up from the valley cool the vines and remove accumulated moisture. This natural ventilation significantly improves growing conditions. Together, these factors create an environment highly suitable for viticulture.
Vineyard Scale and Grape Varieties
The vineyards contain approximately 16,000 vines for both wine and table grapes. Around thirty wine grape varieties are cultivated. Ten of these are primarily used for winemaking, while the remaining twenty are grown experimentally.
The main black grape varieties, in descending order of planting volume, are Muscat Bailey A, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Pinot Noir. The principal white grape varieties include Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Chenin Blanc. The experimental varieties differ widely. Because yields from each are small, they are often released as mixed field blend wines.
Sustainable Viticulture and Reduced Chemical Use
In order to maintain sustainable and economically viable vineyards, pesticide use is reduced to one-third of the government standard. No chemical fertilizers are used, and no herbicides are applied. Compared to Europe and the New World, Japan experiences higher rainfall, and the effects of rain, especially during the rainy season, as well as hot summers, can significantly affect yield in any given year.
To mitigate these climatic challenges and improve the growing environment, domaine tetta employs rain-shelter cultivation using vinyl covering, a method that is extremely rare worldwide. This technique protects the vines from excessive rainfall, reduces disease pressure, and allows grapes to grow in a healthier environment while further reducing pesticide use.
Rain-Shelter Cultivation and the Philosophy of Nature
The reason for this strong commitment to nature is the desire to grow grapes with as little stress as possible. However, nature and neglect are not the same. Allowing grapes to express their true potential requires constant attention.
Yoshiya Kanno explains that the grapes must be monitored without missing a single moment. He states that he takes tremendous care and believes that nature and letting go are similar but fundamentally different. Before harvest, he worries about whether the grapes have been eaten by animals, so he sometimes wakes in the middle of the night to patrol the fields. He spends extensive time in the vineyard and carefully nurtures each grape with love and respect.
Harvest: Bunch-by-Bunch Selection
Unlike most wineries that harvest by plot or by row, domaine tetta observes the grapes bunch by bunch. Only those that are properly ripe and have achieved high sugar levels are harvested. This inevitably extends the harvest period and places considerable physical and mental demands on the team.
During harvest, many wineries remove diseased grapes and use only visually healthy fruit. At domaine tetta, however, even diseased grapes are used if they taste sweet. The philosophy is that the effort of the grapes should not be wasted simply because of appearance.
Gravity Flow System
Another distinctive feature of the winery is the use of gravity flow instead of pumps to move grapes and wine. Gravity flow utilizes natural gravitational force to transfer materials between levels. Compared to pumping, this method exerts less impact, allowing grapes and wine to be handled extremely gently. This helps produce elegant and distinctive wines without compromising the delicate character of the fruit.
To make gravity flow possible, the winery building was specifically designed with a two-storey structure and an eight-meter-high atrium to create the necessary height difference.
Careful Manual Transfer
When transferring must and wine to tanks after basket pressing, a small ladle is used to scoop and move the juice slowly and carefully. The team works deliberately to prevent the liquid from rippling or making noise. The belief is that noise indicates contact with air, which can lead to oxidation. By reducing such stress, fermentation proceeds more slowly and sulphite use can be minimized.
Yoshiya says that he is always anxious and constantly fights the fear that something strange might happen to the wine. He believes it must be rare in the world to be so nervous and to take so much time in the process. His wish is to turn as many grapes as possible into wine.
Limestone Mining Tunnel Cellar
Niimi has long been known for its limestone industry. The winery uses limestone mining tunnels for maturation and storage. These tunnels provide a vibration-free and ultra-quiet natural wine cave environment. The temperature averages between 12 and 15 degrees Celsius throughout the year, and humidity remains stable at around 80 percent. Wines intended for long-term maturation are aged and stored under these optimal conditions.
The Panda: Guardian of the Vineyard
The symbol of the winery is the panda, which appears on the labels of its flagship Chardonnay wines. The panda figurine was discovered in the vineyard during the rehabilitation of abandoned land at the time of the winery’s establishment. Since then, it has become the guardian deity of the vineyard.
Other labels feature illustrations filled with distinctive characters. For example, the Cabernet Franc label depicts a wild boar that once damaged the vineyard. The strong visual impact of these labels creates opportunities for conversation with customers and encourages interest in the wines.
International Expansion
The winery’s wines are gradually gaining international recognition. In 2021, domaine tetta expanded into North America. The winery has now decided to enter the Netherlands and the broader European market through GUBI GUBI to test whether its wines can succeed in the historic home of wine. Among other aspirations, they hope that consumers in the Netherlands will enjoy the wines without preconceived notions associated with New World wines.
