Watanabe Sake Brewery

Watanabe Sake Brewery is located in Nechidani, a small mountain valley in Niigata Prefecture. The winds flowing between the mountains and the valley create the ideal temperature differences for rice cultivation, while the heavy snowfall in winter provides soft underground water well-suited for sake brewing. In this blessed environment, the brewery has established a unique domaine-style approach. It is the only brewery in Japan that grows 100% of its own rice and handles every step of the process from seedling to bottling. Typically, sake breweries in Japan purchase rice from agricultural cooperatives or farmers, with only a few exceptions. However, sixth-generation brewer Yoshiki Watanabe questioned this practice and began cultivating rice in-house in 2003. In 2023, after years of dedication, the brewery became the first in Japan to use only self-grown rice and to produce only junmai-style sake. Today, they are also engaged in pesticide-free rice farming. Their sake, which reflects the terroir of Nechi valley, is offered by vintage to showcase the distinct character of the rice from each harvest year, much like a fine aged wine.