His first encounter with natural wine took place about twenty years ago. During a cherry blossom viewing party, a friend brought Edoardo Valentini’s Cerasuolo. When he tasted it, he was captivated by the elegance and power of the wine.

On a slightly chilly April evening, he sat on the grass in a nearby park, listening to a friend's story of lost love while drinking Valentini from a teacup. The night cherry blossoms, the sound of insects around the lampposts, and his friend’s humorous yet somehow touching complaints about life all blended into a single sensory experience through the glass of wine.

It became an unforgettable moment. He felt a tremor in his heart and realized that expressing wine in this way was completely valid, and that life itself could be free. For the first time, he felt a sense of permission that wanting to make his own wine was entirely acceptable.

From then on, he focused only on how to learn winemaking and eventually chose to leave his job and begin growing grapes.

Leaving a career as an engineer to become a wine producer represented a significant life change. At that time, small-scale winemaking in Japan was gradually increasing. He felt that he could not remain still because his desire to make wine was too strong to ignore.

He believes that engineering principles can be meaningfully applied to winemaking. In his view, it is the yeast that transforms grape juice into wine, and the role of humans is to create an environment in which grapes and yeast can naturally thrive. He considers his strength to be the ability to make the best possible use of what is available, a skill developed during his years as an engineer.

When he moved to Tomi in 2010, winemaking was not yet as widespread in Nagano and Tomi as it is today. Securing farmland for wine grapes was difficult. He first worked under a local grape farmer to learn viticulture and gradually build trust within the community. In his third year of farming, he was finally able to lease farmland and begin cultivating wine grapes independently.

He further deepened his knowledge by studying viticulture at the grape farm and assisting in winemaking at Villa d’est Winery in Tomi and at Arc-en-vigne, a winery specializing in commissioned vinification.

The winery is sustained not by one person alone but by a shared commitment. From vineyard cultivation to grape growing and the labor-intensive process of vinification, every stage involves close collaboration.

When the idea of making wine was first introduced at home, it was met with surprise but also curiosity and interest. Fourteen years have passed since the decision was made to pursue winemaking together. Working side by side in the vineyard led to more disagreements than when working in a company setting, yet there are few painful memories from that period. This may be because both partners consistently focused on moving forward rather than dwelling on hardship.

The dream of making wine has always been shared, and the work has been carried out together from the very beginning. Gratitude and mutual support form the foundation of the People behind Nagomi Vineyards.

The Kano district of Tomi, where Nagomi Vineyards is located, has become one of the fastest-growing wine-producing regions in Nagano. The area originally cultivated table grapes such as Kyoho. In 1991, Toyoo Tamamura planted wine grapes there and later established Villa d’est Winery in 2004. Since then, winemakers with strong passion have gathered from across Japan.

In 2008, Tomi was approved as a special wine zone. Toshihiro and Kazumi moved there and began growing grapes around that time.

The soil is clay-based, rich in nutrients, and tends to produce grapes with strong flavor concentration. Clay can present drainage challenges, but the vineyard is located on a gentle slope that allows water to flow naturally. In addition, soil is mounded at the base of the vines and formed into high rows, further ensuring proper drainage.

The vineyard has gradually expanded and now covers approximately 2.5 hectares. In the early years, securing land for wine grapes was not easy, but they were fortunate to obtain a vineyard of several dozen hectares that they happened to come across. They planted the varieties they most wished to produce, beginning with Sauvignon Blanc and later expanding to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay as the years passed.

The vineyard management relies as little as possible on pesticides, focusing on cultivating and harvesting healthy grapes. Toshihiro constantly monitors the condition of the vines and grapes and aims to move progressively toward more natural winegrowing and winemaking in the future.

When entering the winery, one of the most noticeable features is the height of the ceiling. Even in a small winery, this vertical space allows for a smooth workflow and makes gravity flow possible.

Throughout the process from harvest to bottling, containers must be changed multiple times. While pumps are commonly used in many wineries, Nagomi Vineyards uses gravity instead. Juice moves from higher to lower levels naturally. This method reduces vibration and limits oxygen exposure, allowing the juice to be handled more gently and resulting in an elegant finish that preserves delicate flavors.

The cellar is partitioned within the winery. Maintaining appropriate humidity and temperature in a small space is challenging, but through repeated trial and error, Toshihiro has found the right balance. These efforts are all part of achieving the gentle style of winemaking he pursues.

Toshihiro believes that wines produced from grapes grown in the Japanese climate possess a unique softness and gentleness that cannot be found in wines from Europe or other countries. He feels that these wines pair naturally not only with Japanese cuisine but also with delicately flavored dishes in general. He hopes that people overseas will also have the opportunity to enjoy their wines.