The history of Ebiiro Estate

The name of the estate is called "Ebiiro", although the Kanji character is written as "Grape colour", and has been registered as a proper existing colour that can be displayed in keyboard typing when you converted from Kana character. 

This colour is a reddish-purple colour, alike a ripe wild grapes' colour. This traditional colour has been also recorded in the "Ceremonial Law in Engi era" enacted in mid-Heian period. 

While the surname of the founder "Ebisawa" rhymes with the grape colour "Ebiiro", his  "Iro-iro" (means "varies" in Japanese)  dreams are packed into this naming. The logo mark contains the various dreams that the founder holds.

The vineyard is located in Namegata, Ibaraki prefecture, where the founder's father was born and raised, while the founder was raised in Mito and has lived in Tokyo for more than 30years.

So now, in 2021, the founder has established this estate, with a passion for being "Vignillon".

"I hope that everyone will enjoy watching the progress of my close-to-60's challenge"

As of 2021/Nov/30 (On the founder's 55th birthday)

Where is Namegata city?

Namegata is located in the district in the south-eastern part of Ibaraki prefecture, which is the home town of Kashima Antlers (football team), this area is sandwiched between the two lakes - Kasumigaura that is the 2nd largest lake in Japan, and Kitaura, that is the 15th largest lake in Japan, in the east. The area can oversee Mt. Tsukuba and Mt. Fuji, as well as the Pacific Ocean, spreads around the corner of the "Kashima-nada" coast. Namegata is rich in nature and very scenic. 

The blessing extends to the local products. Starting from the agricultural and livestock industry, fishery and fishery processing industries are the top industries that Kanto Plain has given. 

We are proud to note that the many vegetables such as sweet potatoes, pork and chicken.  

Feature of Shinmei Field

"Shinmei" is the very first vineyard in the estate, sandwiched between National Route 354 and the Takeda river. On the East side of the vineyard, the Higashi-Kanto Expressway Mito Line's InterChange (Tentatively called "Kitaura IC") is currently under construction. 

As for the historical side of the story, apparently, the "Shinmei" castle was built in the 15th century by the Hitachi-Takeda clan, a member of the Kai-Takeda family. The fields are in total more than 3 hectares including the moats and ones that are subdivided by a few different owners. Among them, close to half of the land purchased/leased was cultivated by the founder, by using heavy machinery. By spring 2021, more than 1,200 seedlings were planted within 1 hectare. The seedlings were below: White grapes - Chardonnay, AlvarinhoBlack grapes - Merlot, Pinotage, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc.

While taking care of the plantation, the founder's 2 hunting dogs run around freely between the seedlings. 

The vineyard continues to spread across the land. The plan is to expand double the size by Spring 2022, and also planning to set up a place where the visitors can have BBQ and camping within the premises, on the top of horse ranches and dog park. 

The dream of the founder

~Want to create "the taste of localness" into "casual, natural, and sustainable" in "the one and the only place"~

• "The one and the only place"
  A one-of-a-kind vineyard where the visitors can enjoy horse riding and hunting (including the land other than  Shinmei field)
  
  ＊Consider establishing "Ibaraki wine" tourism, cooperating with other wineries in Ibaraki prefecture.
  ＊Consider developing the accommodation facilities by using local vacant houses, with the real estate securitization methods.
  
  

• "The taste of localness"
  A wine that holds the "Terroir" (means a sense of place in French*) which can express the land that is close to lakes and the sea.
  
  ＊Make the numbers of wines, assemblage with the key grapes - Chardonnay and Merlot - to go with the varieties of Ibaraki ingredients.
  ＊I just love bubbles - sparkling wine is the must item to make one day.
  
  

• "Casual, Natural, and Sustainable"
  
  ＊Casual brand image is what we aim for so that the people can enjoy the very 1st wine from the local.
  ＊While making sure it's soundness, cultivation, and brewing as natural as possible.
  ＊Sustainable business such as contributing to the social issues locally, other than having the environmentally friendly cultivation and brewing. 

*Essentially, terroir encompasses all of the factors that go into producing wine grapes in a vineyard, from the climate to the soil to the elevation.