Coco Farm & Winery – Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture

Coco Farm & Winery is one of Japan’s most historic and socially unique wine projects. Founded in 1950 as part of a rehabilitation school for individuals with intellectual disabilities, the winery was formally established in the 1980s by educator Norio Kuraishi and winemaker Bruce Gutlove.
The vineyards, located on steep, sunlit slopes in Tochigi, are farmed without herbicides and rely on natural compost. Over time, Coco Farm became a model for sustainable and inclusive agriculture in Japan.
The wines are made with minimal additives, using both Japanese and international varieties such as Koshu, Muscat Bailey A, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Their house style balances purity and generosity, reflecting a deep respect for nature and community.
Coco Farm & Winery continues to champion an ethos of care—both for the land and for people—embodying the humanist spirit that underpins Japan’s natural wine culture.

Winemakers and Key Figures 🧑‍🌾

  • Head of Winemaking: Mr. Toyoichiro Shibata is the current head of winemaking. He joined the winery in 2001 and is known for his careful, nature-centric winemaking, utilizing wild yeasts and lactic acid bacteria.

  • Technical Consultant/Director: Mr. Bruce Gutlove is a key historical figure and current director. An American, UC-Davis-trained winemaker, he joined in 1989 and was instrumental in elevating the quality of their wine, helping them transition to world-class production standards.

  • Head of Viticulture: Mr. Hideki Ishii is in charge of viticulture (grape growing) and works with the students and staff of Kokoromi Gakuen.

  • Founder: Mr. Noboru Kawada, a former special-needs teacher, founded the vineyard in 1958 and the winery in 1980 with the goal of providing meaningful work for people with intellectual disabilities.

  • History and Philosophy 📜

Coco Farm & Winery's history is deeply intertwined with Kokoromi Gakuen, a support facility for people with intellectual disabilities.

  • 1958: Mr. Noboru Kawada and his students began cultivating a vineyard on a steep, challenging mountainside in Ashikaga. The demanding manual labor proved beneficial for the students, teaching them patience and endurance.

  • 1980: Coco Farm & Winery was officially established with the support of parents and guardians.

  • 1984: The winery began producing wine.

  • Philosophy: The core philosophy is to produce high-quality wines without compromise, regardless of who makes them, and to respect nature. The motto is to "make wine based on the kind of wine the grapes are best suited for."They focus on meticulous, manual work in the vineyards and using natural wild yeasts in the cellar.

  • Recognition: The winery gained international attention when its sparkling wine was served at the 2000 G8 Summit in Okinawa.

Grapes and Winemaking Details 🍇

Grape Varieties

Coco Farm & Winery produces wine using 100% Japanese grapes, sourced from their own vineyards in Ashikaga and Sano, as well as from contract growers across Japan (including Hokkaido, Yamagata, Nagano, and Yamanashi). Varieties used include:

Red GrapesWhite GrapesIndigenous Japanese GrapesPinot NoirChardonnayMuscat Bailey ACabernet SauvignonSauvignon BlancRiesling LionMerlotGewürztraminerKokojiZweigeltPetit MansengDelawareCabernet FrancKernerBlack Queen

Export to Sheets

Winemaking Techniques

  • Farming: They practice natural farming, avoiding herbicides and chemical fertilizers in their own fields. The steep slopes necessitate painstaking manual labor.

  • Fermentation: Fermentation is primarily carried out using natural wild yeasts and wild lactic acid bacteria.

  • Sparkling Wine: They produce sparkling wine using the traditional méthode Champenoise (secondary fermentation in the bottle), with riddling and disgorging often done by hand. The wine is aged in a special-built fermentation cave (a tunnel) on the mountainside.

  • Blending: The winemakers focus on a "suitable place, suitable variety" philosophy, utilizing various Japanese grape terroirs in their blends.