With its magnificent natural splendor, Hokkaido is full of captivating allure. It has long claimed the top position in Japan’s Most Attractive Prefecture rankings, drawing admiration from people in Japan and abroad. This land of beautiful scenery is a treasure trove of natural bounties, including vegetables, fruits, dairy products, meat, and seafood. Throughout the region, you can savor exquisite culinary delights, and it is also renowned for crafting alcoholic beverages like wine, sake, and beer. Hokkaido even offers a wide array of activities, such as professional and winter sports. Welcome to the great northern island of Hokkaido! Enjoy an exceptional trip as you explore the bounties of nature and traditions here.
Hokkaido,a treasure trove of delicious ingredients,such as vegetables,seafood,and more,is one of the best place in Japan to find wineries,breweries,and distilleries.This tour is a great opportunity to learn about wine and whiskey,beer,sake and the culture of Japan.
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Crafting world-class wine in Niki Town
NIKI Hills Winery
Among the 14 wineries in Niki Town, NIKI Hills Winery, founded in 2014, was the second to open. This internationally acclaimed winery made history as the producer of the first Japanese red wine to win a Gold Medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2020, one of the world’s most prestigious international wine competitions.
NIKI Hills began its first vinification in 2015 using grapes sourced from contract grape growers in Yoichi. In 2019, it started crafting wine with its own grapes, grown on land that had been improved from abandoned farmland. Each tank is meticulously temperature-controlled, and every process is tailored to match the desired profile of each wine and the condition of that year’s grapes.
The shop here offers a range of wines, although availability may vary by season. Among the selections are the flagship white wine HATSUYUKI, the aromatic white wine NEIRO, and the award-winning red YUHZOME, which won the gold medal at an international wine competition. Visitors can enjoy wine by the glass or sip their way through wine flights. The winery also features an on-site hotel.
Aperçu restaurant serves a five- to seven-course lunch and an eight- to ten-course dinner. Inspired by the seasons and nature, Chef Naoki Nagai writes poems and translates these poetic visions into culinary art.
One dish features 40 to 50 different vegetables, including asparagus, turnips, zucchini, and herbs, each cooked using methods that highlight their natural flavors, such as grilling and sautéing, and presented in an artistic arrangement like a flower bouquet. The dish is served with four sauces evoking different emotions, such as sweet onion sauce and spicy tomato sauce. The grilled lamb, paired with a sauce made with lavender, Niki Town’s official flower, includes lamb bone sauce and a purée made from aged and sweetened potatoes.
The winery commands views of neatly arranged vineyards and a nature-inspired garden. It also offers various activity programs, including nature trekking in the nearby forest, cycling tours, and snowshoe tours in winter.
A winery that brings people together, where accommodations and a café are also available
Domaine Bless
The label of Domaine Bless’s flagship wine MUSUBI features a plum knot made of mizuhiki, a traditional Japanese decorative cord symbolizing interpersonal connections. This wine was crafted by blending multiple grape varieties. Owner Hiroyasu Honma explains, “This wine represents the connection of different grape varieties. We also hope that those who share this wine at celebrations will feel a sense of connection.”
Driven by his love of wine, Mr. Honma, a former clinical laboratory technician, ventured into the winemaking world with his wife, Maki. Together, they transformed abandoned farmland into a gently sloping south-facing hill and began cultivating grapes there in 2015.
As passionate wine lovers, they envisioned a winery with a café and accommodations where they could enjoy wine while overlooking the vineyard, savor delicious snacks, and stay overnight with friends without worrying about driving home. To bring this vision to life, they named it Le Rêve Winery (“rêve” means “dream” in French).
After outsourcing winemaking to 10R Winery in Iwamizawa City in 2018 and 2019, they began crafting their own wine in 2020. During this time, they brought their dream to life by opening a café and, this year, launching a condominium. As they realized their dream, they renamed their winery Bless in 2023 to symbolize “blessing.”
In addition to wine by the glass and wine flights, the café offers savory cakes (cake salé), quiches, and tartines and sandwiches from Pan do Coro bakery in Yoichi Town. The condominium, located adjacent to the wine cellar, features two rooms, one of which overlooks barrels used for aging wine.
Domaine Bless cultivates 13 grape varieties, including Pinot Noir, Meunier, and Chardonnay. They focus on blending multiple grape varieties as practiced in Alsace and use natural yeast to craft elegant wines with bright acidity. Looking ahead, they aim to enhance their sparkling wine production. Honma says, “We want to create a wide array of wines that can complement a full multi-course meal from toasting wines to dessert wines.”
Discover the history of Japanese whisky and enjoy exclusive tastings
Nikka Whisky Yoichi Distillery
Nikka Whisky Yoichi Distillery was founded in 1934 by Masataka Taketsuru, the first Japanese ever to master the art of whisky making in Scotland. Ten structures on the distillery premises, including the fermentation building, distillation building, and the former Taketsuru residence, were collectively designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan in February 2022. The distillery celebrates its 90th anniversary in 2024, continuing to craft bold and strong malt whisky using traditional direct coal-fired distillation.
In addition to guided tours of these facilities, the Nikka Museum on the premises showcases the lives of Masataka Taketsuru and his Scottish wife Jessie Roberta (Rita), as well as the history of the distillery. There is also a tasting bar where visitors can enjoy single-cask whiskies exclusive to this location. The restaurant here offers dishes recreated from Rita’s original recipes.
