Tōmi City, Nagano Prefecture, Japan

Ryo Tanabe moved from Tokyo to Tomi City, Nagano in 2011 with the intention of growing organic vegetables and eventually grapes. His farm sits at an altitude of 600 to 800 metres, conveniently nestled next to Yutaka Nakajima of Domaine Nakajima, with whom he currently shares a cellar space.

Like Nakajima, Tanabe benefits from a cool, drier climate that favours European varieties. His plantings include Chenin Blanc, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. His own cultivation currently yields around 1,500 bottles each year, though recent harvests show promise for the first substantial yield from his own vineyard.

New Portrait Kyoho 2024

Made from Kyoho, Japan's beloved table grape, with 5% Merlot blended before bottling. Whole-cluster carbonic maceration for 9 days in a 1,000L tank, foot-crushed and hand-plunged. Wild fermentation at ambient temperature for 20 days, then pressed to barrel and aged for 11 months. No added sulphur.

The result is a wine of vivid fruit, natural energy and quiet precision — a deeply personal expression of Nagano's mountain terroir. Production is extremely limited. Once it is gone, it is gone.