Amid the lush greenery of Ayacho in Kyushu’s Miyazaki Prefecture, where a forest straddles a tropical-temperate zone inside the UNESCO-designated Aya Biosphere Reserve, a natural winemaker has quietly been rewriting the rules of wine production.
Katsuki Wines, opened in 2017 by Miyazaki City native Yoshitada Katsuki, was never expected to succeed. In a region of Japan that sees nearly 3,000 millimeters of annual rainfall — double or even triple the levels of Japan’s best-known wine-producing prefectures, such as Yamanashi and Hokkaido — Miyazaki’s moist climate and resulting abundance of critters seemed to make winemaking a futile craft.
Against all odds, however, Katsuki’s intensive efforts have paid off to create a thriving winery. Employing 100% natural production methods, he has created seven types of wine whose inventory regularly sells out via his online shop, despite a price tag of ¥7,000 to ¥10,000 per bottle — significantly higher than most domestic wines. His bottles also line the shelves of specialty shops nationwide, including Ginza Six in Tokyo.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.