Nakagawa Village
Nobuari Soga

After 8 years of preparation, the construction of the brewery will finally start this year. The village has also been certified as special zone of wine making and the release of natural wine from Nakagawa-mura is just around the corner.

A wine unique to this place, reflecting the taste of this region

The turning point arrived suddenly. That was on one of those days when he had resumed his life in the village, thinking to start agriculture, after graduating from a university in Yokohama and experiencing the life of a company employee. The stove making artist Jirka Wein, who lives in the village, poured a glass of natural wine at dinner. A wine that he has heard for the first time and the taste that he has never experienced. And when he heard the story behind a cup of wine, the entrance to the road continues up to the present was probably shown.
Broadly speaking, a natural wine is a wine that has been produced without relying on chemical treatment in the process from cultivation to brewing. In Japan, it is translated as “natural wine” having an image of ear-pleasing, but in France, the birthplace, it is also said to be a symbol of a counter movement to the enormous and authoritative wine world.
Nobuari decided to manage both cultivation and brewing, but It is a long way to go just to stand on the starting line. While practicing grape cultivation that does not rely on agricultural chemicals, I also learned brewing techniques... Days passed as an arrow. “everyone wondered what he was doing after he returned from the city,” he said. He speaks with a smile, but he must have had many regrets and conflicts in his chest.
And in 2019. Driven by Nobuari's thoughts and actions, Nakagawa-mura was finally certified as a special wine zone as a municipality. Construction of a brewery near his house is scheduled to begin this fall.
“In order to thank everyone who kindly rented me the field and watched me warmly, I wanted the name to be the area name.” So, the brewery name bears “Minakata,” which is the name of the area where he lives.

Interviewed in July, 2020
Writer : Mikiko Tamaki / Photographer : Kenta Sasaki