Discover Akafuji Wine Cellar: Sample Over 130 Yamanashi Wines Near Mt. Fuji
Mt. Fuji, known as Japan's highest mountain, is a beautiful mountain recognized worldwide as a symbol of Japan. The areas surrounding Mt. Fuji are blessed with beautiful and magnificent nature, and there are many tourist facilities that take advantage of these natural resources.
Yamanashi Prefecture, where Mt. Fuji is located, is filled with various tourist attractions such as lakes and shrines. Furthermore, Yamanashi is known for its thriving grape cultivation and delicious wine production, with approximately 80 different wineries.
In this article, we'll introduce Akafuku Wine Cellar, one of the wineries near Lake Kawaguchi.
Akafuku Wine Cellar was created with the concept of "making wine more accessible and enjoyable for many people"
Located in Kawaguchiko-Machi, Akafuku Wine Cellar is a wine shop based on the concept of allowing visitors to casually enjoy Yamanashi wines.
At Akafuku Wine Cellar, you can taste and purchase various types of wines brewed in Yamanashi. A total of 130 types of wine are available for sale, including red wines, white wines, and rosé wines, offering a wide variety so you can immediately purchase your favorite wine.
What makes Akafuku Wine Cellar special? A beverage enthusiast explains the highlights
A collection of wines from Yamanashi's leading wine makers
Source:Official website
Akafuku Wine Cellar features wines produced by 10 wine makers from Yamanashi, allowing you to purchase various types of wine.
Yamanashi Prefecture is famous as a leading wine-producing region in Japan. It has the highest grape production in Japan and is also known as the birthplace of Japanese wine.
Koshu Wine, a white wine, is particularly famous and has a history of nearly 1,000 years as a grape variety unique to Japan. The shop offers not only wines for direct consumption but also wines that can be used for cooking, providing a rich selection that wine lovers will find irresistible.
Historical Wine Equipment Display at Akafuku Wine Cellar
Source:Official website
At Akafuku Wine Cellar, you can not only taste and purchase wine but also view historically significant wine-making equipment and artifacts. All these tools were actually used in wine production and contributed greatly to the development of Yamanashi's wine industry.
The displayed equipment primarily consists of tools used for pressing grapes and bottling wine. The wine cellar exhibiting these tools is a faithful reproduction of an actual wine cellar from Bordeaux, France. Visitors can enjoy a unique scene where Japan's magnificent nature collaborates with French winemaking traditions. The Akafuku Wine Cellar tour provides an authentic glimpse into winemaking history while offering exceptional wines for tasting.
During your visit, you'll be accompanied by a guide who will provide detailed explanations about all the winemaking equipment.
Charming Wine Bottle Glasswork Available for Purchase
Source:Official website
Akafuku Wine Cellar also sells many wine-related goods. Among the most popular items are glass crafts made from wine bottles, perfect as souvenirs or gifts.
These glass crafts can be used not only as vases or trinket boxes but also as interior decorations due to their vibrant designs. The selection is extensive, with such captivating merchandise that you might lose track of time while browsing their beauty.
The designs are incredibly varied, and these delicate, artistic wine bottles have enchanted many tourists. When visiting the Wine Cellar, be sure to purchase one as a memento of your trip.
Three Recommended Yamanashi Wines to Enjoy at Akafuku Wine Cellar
*Note: Prices are calculated at 1 USD = 148 yen*
Owner's Wine 《Gold Label》
Source:official online shop
The ultimate premium wine produced using superior brewing methods is the Owner's Wine. Exploring the full potential of grapes produced in Yamanashi, this wine concentrates the delicious flavor of the fruit, making it an essential tasting experience when visiting Yamanashi.
The red wine features a soft mouthfeel, with barrel-aged grapes that spread across your palate. The white wine is characterized by its rich, full sweetness, and once in your mouth, the perfect balance between acidity and refreshing texture creates a moment of bliss with every sip.
This versatile wine pairs well with various meals, making it an excellent companion for dining. Akafuku Wine Cellar proudly showcases these selections in their elegant tasting room.
Prices:
- Owner's Wine (Red): 8,800 yen (59.20 USD)
- Owner's Wine (White): 8,800 yen (59.20 USD)
Toki no Shizuku (Time's Droplet)
Source:official online shop
TOKI NO SHIZUKU is a dessert wine that assembles high-quality red wine with grapes produced in Yamanashi. The additional aging process using Japan's unique earthenware pots has resulted in an elegant taste that mixes rich flavors and sweetness.
The wine uses Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Muscat Bailey A grape varieties. Its fruity and sweet taste is superb, making it what I consider an ideal wine to take home as a souvenir from your visit to the Akafuku Wine Cellar.
Although the alcohol content is relatively high at 20%, its deep and rich flavor is exceptional, guaranteed to impress as it spreads across your palate. When visiting Yamanashi, be sure to experience TOKI NO SHIZUKU.
Price:
- Toki no Shizuku: 33,000 yen (222 USD)
Premium Dessert Wine
Source:official online shop
Premium Dessert Wine is made by fermenting late-harvested Koshu grapes using a freeze concentration method. Created by blending partially unfermented fruit, this wine is matured over time using the juice reserve method, giving it depth within its sweetness.
The smooth sweetness that spreads in your mouth is excellent, making it recommended as an aperitif. With an alcohol content of 10%, lower than the previously mentioned TOKI NO SHIZUKU, it's an approachable wine even for first-time wine drinkers.
This wine allows you to enjoy the natural taste of grapes, so if you want to experience the deliciousness of Yamanashi grapes, be sure to visit the Akafuku Wine Cellar to sample this wonderful creation.
Price:
- Premium Dessert Wine: 13,000 yen (87.4 USD)
3 Original Wines from Akafuku Wine Cellar That You Must Buy When You Visit
Reve Romantique
Source:official online shop
Reve Romantique is a wine produced in Yamanashi, with red bottles for red wine and blue bottles for white wine. The red wine is easy to drink with little astringency and acidity, offering a gentle aroma and sweetness, plus it contains polyphenols which are good for your health.
The white wine features a sweet aroma and refreshing mouthfeel, with the fragrant sweet scent of muscat. Even those who don't usually drink wine can enjoy it deliciously. The moment you take a sip, a refreshing taste spreads throughout your mouth, making it recommended for those who prefer sweet-tasting wines.
All grapes are grown in Yamanashi, with the red wine using Concord grapes and the white wine using Koshu-grown muscat grapes.
Price:
- Reve Romantique Red: 2,500 yen (approx. $16.82 USD)
- Reve Romantique White: 2,500 yen (approx. $16.82 USD)
Blueberry Wine ~No Preservatives Added~
Source:official online shop
This Blueberry Wine is produced through cold fermentation using approximately 100 varieties of carefully selected high-quality blueberries, preserving the fruit's natural aroma and flavor. The Akafuku Wine Cellar is committed to additive-free wine, with no artificial fragrances or preservatives added, allowing you to enjoy the natural taste of blueberries.
With its gorgeous aroma and gentle mouthfeel, this wine has an alcohol content of just 6%, lower than other wines, to fully bring out the elegant sweetness and rich fruitiness of the blueberries.
Easy to drink with a low alcohol content, even those who don't usually drink wine can enjoy it. At 1,850 yen, it's also reasonably priced, making it a recommended souvenir purchase.
Price:
- Blueberry Wine ~No Preservatives Added~: 1,850 yen (approx. $12.45 USD)
Bonne Journee
Source:official online shop
Bonne Journee is an easy-to-drink dessert wine with a lower alcohol content of 7%. The red wine uses two types of grapes, Concord and Muscat Bailey, providing a smooth mouthfeel with a well-balanced umami and acidity.
The white wine uses Muscat and Koshu-grown grapes and is fermented at low temperatures to bring out the aroma, creating a soft and easy-to-drink wine. It's recommended for those who want to thoroughly enjoy the sweetness, and at around 2,000 yen, it's affordably priced and perfect as a souvenir from the Akafuku Wine Cellar.
If you want to fully enjoy the taste of grapes, you should definitely try Bonne Journee.
Price:
- Bonne Journee (Red): 2,200 yen (approx. $13.45 USD)
- Bonne Journee (White): 2,200 yen (approx. $13.45 USD)
Enjoy "Wine Glass Engraving Experience" at Akafuku Wine Cellar where you can create your own wine glass!
Source:Official website
At Akafuku Wine Cellar, you can participate in an engraving experience where you can engrave letters or pictures on wine glasses. Anyone can join with a reservation. The engraving is done using a Rotary Tool called "Leutor," which is safe enough for children to engrave letters or pictures.
It's a perfect way to create travel memories as families can enjoy working together, or couples can create matching designs. The Wine Cellar provides design templates for the glasses, but you can also bring your own original designs.
The creation time takes about 20-30 minutes, and the experience fee is 1,300 yen per session. When visiting Yamanashi, why not create your own beautiful glass as a memento of your trip?
Access to Akafuku Wine Cellar
- Address: 2020-1 Funatsu, Fujikawaguchiko-machi, Minamitsuru-gun, Yamanashi Prefecture
- Access: About 10 minutes by car from Kawaguchiko Station on the Fujikyu Line
- Official Website: https://akafuji-wine.com/
Magical Trip's "Mt. Fuji Nature meets Culture Tour with a Private Hire Car" allows you to enjoy various spots including Akafuku Wine Cellar with a local guide
If you want to thoroughly enjoy local spots around Kawaguchiko in addition to Akafuku Wine Cellar, this tour hosted by Magical-trip is recommended. The tour takes place in a private car, so you can relax during transportation.
During the tour, you'll visit popular photogenic spots such as shrines and waterfalls where you can see beautiful Mt. Fuji. You'll also visit Oshino Hakkai Springs, where Mt. Fuji's spring water is beautifully clear, and tour Wasabi fields, known as a native Japanese spice.
At the end of the tour, visit Akafuku Wine Cellar where you can deepen your friendship with your guide while enjoying wine. One of the strengths of this tour is that you can enjoy Yamanashi on a day trip from Tokyo, with pickup available from hotels around Shinjuku in Tokyo.
Click here for more details
- Meeting Point: Hotels in and around Shinjuku
- Tour Area: Around Kawaguchiko
- Start Time: 8:00
