Grape Republic

Originally a restaurateur and sommelier, Kazuomi Fujimaki took a significant leap in 2015 by leaving Tokyo to become a winemaker in the village of Shinden in Yamagata. With no prior experience in wine production, he established three simple rules for himself: the vineyards must be cultivated organically, no additives such as sulfur are to be used during the winemaking process, and the wines must at some point undergo amphora fermentation or ageing. His goal with Grape Republic is to create vibrant and pure Japanese wines naturally, utilizing indigenous grape varieties grown around the Yamagata region.

Central to Fujimaki’s philosophy is the expression of terroir in his wines, encompassing not only the climate, geography, and soil but also the local culture and people. The vineyards and winery are located in Nanyō City, Yamagata Prefecture, where the northern slopes provide fertile ground that stretches southwards. Although the area is well-suited for viticulture, it remains largely underutilized by other winemakers—a situation Fujimaki is determined to change by demonstrating the potential for high-quality grape cultivation and natural winemaking, thereby inspiring other vintners to settle in the region.

Grape Republic’s natural wines are made exclusively from grapes harvested around Nanyō City, with a strict zero-zero approach—no chemicals such as fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, or insecticides are used on the land, and no additives like sugar or acid are introduced in the cellar. Production, though small at 30,000 bottles annually, is steadily increasing. From just 100kg of grapes processed in its first harvest year of 2015, collaboration with local farmers boosted this to about 40,000 kg by 2017. The aim is to continue expanding production, partly to encourage more local farmers to engage in winemaking.

2017 also marked the year Grape Republic completed its professional cellar. A significant number of Spanish amphorae were installed, playing a crucial role in the fermentation processes. After harvesting, the grapes are destemmed and foot-trodden before being placed in the amphorae, which are sealed to facilitate most of the ‘carbonic maceration’ fermentations.