Domaine Takahiko A farm with a brewery that started with the purpose of making wine in the Nobori district of Yoichi, Hokkaido. In the vineyards, there is a bio-managed Pinot Noir (about 9,000 bottles) and a small winery with a remodeled barn, which brews wine with its own ideas. Domaine Takahiko was founded in 2010 by Takahiko Soga, the second son of Obuse Winery in Nagano Prefecture. After studying brewing at a university in Tokyo, he went on to become a microbiological researcher while working at the university, but he never forgot the charm of wine and worked as a farm manager at Coco Farm & Winery for 10 years. During that time, he traveled to wine producing regions all over Japan and around the world. Above all, I was strongly impressed by the wine of Obernois of Jura, and I wanted to aim for wine making with the image of such wine in Pinot Noir, so I bought 4.6ha of agricultural land in Yoichi Town and established Domaine. Currently, 13 strains of Pinot Noir are cultivated, all of which are cultivated and managed by Biologic (organic cultivation). Since it is characterized by wild yeast and whole bunch fermentation, the color tone is pale, but the flavor with a long lingering finish and umami attracts many people. Since the 2015 vintage, red wine has not used sulfurous acid. We aim to make such natural wines that only farmers can make, and to continue agriculture and winemaking in various ways. Wine made by Takahiko Soga I am attracted to the world of wine, which is delicate (thin) but deep and wide, and has a long finish, rather than the world of wine, which is thick and has a long finish. .. In order to draw such wines in Japan, it is important to have Pinot Noir grown in well-drained volcanic soil and moderately rainy climate. It's not a warm area, but a cool climate. I think there is a possibility in other varieties, but since I am not a dexterous person who can handle many varieties, I would like to devote my life only to Pinot Noir and search for the ideal world. Currently, I buy a small amount of grapes from a farmer in my neighborhood, and the label of the wine made from the grapes does not specify the domain name, only my name "Takahiko Soga". farm The farm is located on a well-drained hill at an altitude of 60 m in the Nobori district of Yoichi, and its geological features are volcanic clay soil mixed with weathered gravel and sand on the andesite host rock. Due to the influence of warm seawater, Yoichi belongs to a relatively warm area in Hokkaido and has prospered as a fruit tree and fishing town since ancient times as a place with low rainfall. In addition, because it has a special terrain surrounded by capes and mountains, fruit trees are protected by sea breeze and strong winds, and the dry wind blown from the foot of Mt. Yotei suppresses the outbreak of diseases, so it is suitable for cultivating Pinot Noir. It is a very blessed environment. On the other hand, every winter, there is a stable snowfall of 1 m or more, and cotton snow called powder snow covers the vines, which protects the Pinot Noir trees from the harsh winter cold, which is a rare climate in the world. It is also a production area with conditions. Click here for ideas on cultivation. brewing Fermentation is performed in the whole bunch (without de-stemming) and promotes natural fermentation without adding yeast. Basically, if you don't need it, don't use sulfurous acid. It's easy to say in words, but it's also difficult and scary. The basic idea of brewing is to watch as much as possible and to ferment naturally. Domaine Takahiko is the maker who brews with sensitivity instead of brewing with textbooks (manuals). Click here for ideas on brewing.