NIKI HILLS

The project began in 2014 by bringing abandoned farmland back into use. Its first wines followed in 2015, made from contract growers’ grapes in Niki and Yoichi. Planting of the estate vineyards started in 2016; their fruit entered production in 2019, the year the winery fully opened to visitors.

Wine growing and hospitality belong together here. For visitors, this connection makes the journey from vineyard work to the dining table tangible; tasting offers another, very personal way of experiencing the landscape.

The winery identifies good drainage and marked temperature differences as important features of Niki and Yoichi. Its own account of the 2023 harvest shows how challenging an individual season can still become: severe heat and warm nights complicated ripening.

For HATSUYUKI 2023, the team responded with concentrated juice obtained through freezing techniques. The release describes both freezing juice and pressing frozen grapes. This specific example shows why “cool climate” alone cannot explain a Hokkaido wine: vintage conditions, picking decisions and cellar work remain closely connected.

NIKI HILLS describes close cooperation between its vineyard and cellar teams. Soil characteristics, grape development and winemaking possibilities are considered together. For the winery, quality grows from that continuing conversation.

The producer’s current account of HATSUYUKI 2025 offers a concrete example: Kerner is fermented at low temperature, harvested at different times and vinified using several selected yeasts. The lots are then blended to build aromatic layers. These details reveal the considered decisions behind a white wine whose fragrance may seem effortless.

HATSUYUKI has accompanied the estate since its first vintage in 2015 and is its flagship Kerner. It makes a natural starting point for discovering NIKI HILLS, through aromatic clarity and the relationship between fruit and freshness.

The wider range expands that picture. Bacchus is the variety behind NEIRO; estate vineyards also provide Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Red varieties include Zweigelt. Comparing them offers a rewarding question: how do acidity, fruit and structure change when the winery’s approach remains connected, but the grape variety changes?

Hospitality forms part of the winery’s identity. At Aperçu, landscape and season provide the starting point for the food, with wine pairings extending that exploration at the table. The garden and accommodation overlooking the vineyards and bay add to the experience.

Tours introduce the production rooms and barrel cellar, while vineyard walks bring visitors closer to work among the vines. This combination of farming, food and hospitality makes the place approachable for people beginning to discover Japanese wine. A bottle of NIKI HILLS can become the start of a longer journey, from its first aromas to the landscape behind them.