2025

The winter of 2025 was dry, with relatively little snowfall or rainfall, allowing dormant-season vineyard work, including pruning, to be carried out smoothly. Temperatures from winter through spring were slightly cooler than average, resulting in budburst occurring a few days later than in the previous year. From May onwards, warmer temperatures combined with limited rainfall provided favourable conditions for flowering and fruit set. The rainy season was also drier than usual, resulting in low disease pressure and healthy vine growth.
Summer was characterised by persistently high temperatures from June onwards, accompanied by abundant sunshine, accelerating grape ripening. Harvest commenced in late August with Chardonnay for sparkling wine production. As sunshine hours declined during October, however, the ripening of later-maturing varieties progressed more slowly. At the Misawa Vineyard in Akeno, harvest concluded as usual in the second week of November with the completion of the Koshu harvest.
Although the 2025 growing season was marked by prolonged warm conditions, reduced sunshine during the latter stages of harvest contributed positively to the winemaking. The resulting wines display delicate aromas, together with a harmonious balance of acidity and tannins, reflecting the distinctive cool-climate character of Akeno.

2024

The 2024 growing season at Misawa Vineyard in Akeno began with notable snowfall during winter, followed by above-average precipitation through spring. Warm temperatures arrived early in April, prompting an early budbreak, and the pace of development remained ahead of schedule through flowering and fruit set. The rainy season was relatively short, with rainfall levels close to the seasonal norm. Vine growth was vigorous, and thanks to minimal disease and pest pressure, the season progressed smoothly.
Summer brought record-breaking heat across Japan, and Yamanashi Prefecture was no exception. The warm conditions accelerated grape ripening, and by late August, we began harvesting Chardonnay for our sparkling wine lot. September offered stable, favourable weather, while October saw intermittent rain and cloud cover, with overall precipitation in line with long-term averages. Harvesting was carried out with careful attention to timing and weather conditions, and concluded in the second week of November with the picking of Koshu.
Despite the vineyard’s 700-meter elevation, the impact of the heat was evident. However, throughout the winemaking process, we were consistently impressed by the grapes’ ability to retain acidity even alongside elevated sugar levels. This vintage was a testament to the remarkable potential and resilience of our vines.

2023

March to May were blessed with perfect weather conditions with the right amount of rainfall and sunshine, resulting in early budburst, and growth started in good shape. The rainy season also ended sooner, and Veraison set in motion as early as late July, followed by steady fine weather, maintaining vine health.
Amidst the summer heatwave which saw record high temperatures across Japan, Yamanashi experienced minimal rainfall, enabling grape ripening to progress smoothly. Even during the harvest period, there was no impact from typhoons, and grapes ripened at an unprecedented speed.
At Misawa Vineyard, which is 700m in altitude, the harvest of the late-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon concluded around two weeks earlier than usual on October 22nd, followed by the final harvest of the year of Koshu grapes.
Throughout the harvest period, we were able to secure healthy, high-quality grapes. Both early and late ripening varieties had sugar content levels more than 1 degree higher than the average vintage, resulting in exceptionally full ripeness rarely seen before. It can be said that 2023 is a vintage that promises long-term aging potential, a true "great vintage."

2022

From March to May, the weather was favourable with sufficient rainfall and sunlight. Budburst kicked-off earlier than usual, giving a smooth start to growth.
Thereafter, berry development went at a relaxed pace due to the dry rainy season and low rainfall, but there were few cases of diseases or physiological disorders, and the ending of the rainy season ahead of time brought precocious véraison to some vineyards as early as the end of July.
Despite occasional downpour, the summer months passed by with little precipitation, and the diurnal temperature differences, with high daytime and low night-time temperatures, resulted in healthy growth with higher than usual accumulation of berry sugar content.
This year's vinification period began ahead of time in mid-August with the harvesting of Chardonnay grapes for sparkling wine in the Hishiyama area of Katsunuma.
Although there was a typhoon in mid-September, the weather and growing conditions were similar to those in previous years, with no damages.
The weather up to the summer seemed to indicate that the grapes would ripen at an unprecedented rate, but when looked back, the harvest at Akeno Town, Hokuto City, took place in the second week of November.
The 2022 vintage saw the longest vinification period. The grapes were meticulously cared-for up to harvest time and were picked under the best possible conditions.