Established in 2017, Grape Republic have quickly become one of the biggest names on Japan’s burgeoning natural wine scene.
A well respected sommelier and natural wine advocate, Kazuomi Fujimaki decided to take the next step and moved 350km north from Tokyo to Nan'yo in Yamagata to become a farmer and winemaker.
In tandem with a young wine enthusiast Haruyuki Yano, they set about adopting the many abandoned vineyards with the hope to inspire a new generation to return to the land through their wines. They foresee a day when dozens of vignerons will work side-by-side with them forming a winemaking area like a 'Grape Republic'. The name Grape Republic is a goal, not just a moniker.
They have three simple rules. Namely, that the cultivation of grapes must be organic, that the wines must be made without sulphur and other additives, and that there should be an element of storage in amphora. The last rule they feel ensures their wines are “more viney than the grape itself”.
