Katsunuma Winery Row

Katsunuma anchors Japan's oldest and largest wine region, and its hillside cluster of wineries doubles as the prefecture's best shopping destination for wine rather than crafts or souvenirs. Manns Wine Katsunuma Winery, at 400 Katsunumachoyama, Koshu-shi, opened an expanded facility in 2020 with cellars, an exhibition space, and a tasting room offering guided tours with English-subtitled video; Château Mercian's Katsunuma winery occupies Japan's oldest surviving wooden winery building, dating to 1904, now open as the Château Mercian Wine Museum with an attached shop; and Chateau Katsunuma rounds out the trio with its own tasting counter and retail shelf. Nearly every winery bottles Koshu, the pale native white grape, and Muscat Bailey A, a red hybrid variety, alongside smaller runs of other varietals, and bottles bought directly at the winery are often exclusive to that estate rather than available in general retail. Tastings typically carry a small per-glass or per-flight fee that can be applied toward a bottle purchase, and staff at the larger wineries can discuss vintage differences in some English. Prices are fixed; bargaining is not customary. Payment is mixed cash and card, with the larger wineries better equipped for cards and shipping arrangements to hotels or overseas.