Hombo Shuzo Co., Ltd. is pleased to announce the release of “Fuefuki Muscat Bailey A 2025” and “Makioka Koshu 2025” as its Yamanashi Nouveau products. “Yamanashi Nouveau” refers to new wines vinified from grapes harvested this year within Yamanashi Prefecture, specifically using either the “Koshu” variety (mainly for white wine) or the “Muscat Bailey A” variety (mainly for red wine). The official release date for these new wines is November 3rd each year.

Yamanashi Nouveau Wine 2025

Fuefuki Muscat Bailey A 2025

Fuefuki City, located in the eastern Kofu Basin of Yamanashi Prefecture, is one of Japan’s premier fruit-growing regions. This is thanks to the fertile, well-drained soil formed by the Fuefuki River and its tributaries, combined with long hours of sunshine. Mars Wine has crafted this red wine primarily using Muscat Bailey A from Fuefuki City, blended with Alicante from Hosaka Town. This combination creates a wine with both a “richly fruity palate” and a “condensed, deep flavor.”

Unit	W (mm)	H (mm)	D (mm)	Wt (kg)
Bottle	75	295	75	1.2
Case	350	320	260	15.7

Makioka Koshu 2025

Makioka Town, located in the northeastern Kofu Basin of Yamanashi City, is a steeply sloped hilly area. At an altitude of approximately 700 meters, this region overlooks the Fuefuki River, which originates from the Chichibu Mountains. The soil is clay-based with many large stones, and the environment—blessed with long hours of sunshine and significant temperature differences between day and night—is ideal for grape cultivation. Mars Wine harvested these Koshu grapes from Makioka Town at optimal ripeness and used only the free-run juice for low-temperature fermentation. The result is an off-sweet Koshu wine featuring “a pleasant citrus aroma and fresh acidity” and a “vibrant, fresh taste.”

Unit	W (mm)	H (mm)	D (mm)	Wt (kg)
Bottle	75	295	75	1.2
Case	350	320	260	15.7

What is Yamanashi Nouveau?

Yamanashi Nouveau is the “crystal of gratitude and joy,” cultivated from the lands of Yamanashi and the passion of its makers.
Yamanashi, the wine prefecture Japan proudly presents to the world. Winemaking began here in the early Meiji era, about 150 years ago. Today, with over 90 wineries, it is Japan’s largest wine-producing region. Yamanashi continues to foster an ideal climate and terroir for grape growing, as well as a culture and tradition of loving wine, making it Japan’s representative wine prefecture.
Various grape varieties are cultivated and made into wine in Yamanashi, but because harvest times differ for each variety, the new wines also become available at different times.
Among them, new wines made from Koshu (*1) and Muscat Bailey A (*2)—grape varieties indigenous to Japan and a source of national pride—have been named “Yamanashi Nouveau” and given a set release date.
Including other new wines like Delaware, which are released a bit earlier, the Yamanashi Nouveau Festival is a place to fully enjoy all the new wines from Yamanashi Prefecture.
Characterized by its fresh, fruity aroma and flavor, Yamanashi Nouveau has gained wide support as a wine that can be enjoyed with various dishes, regardless of Western or Japanese cuisine. In Yamanashi, under the slogan “Nouveau isn’t just Beaujolais, it’s Yamanashi Nouveau,” we hope that many people across the country will enjoy this wine as a celebration of gratitude and joy for this year’s Japanese harvest.
The history of grape cultivation in Yamanashi spans 1,300 years. “Yamanashi Nouveau” is wine made with painstaking care from grapes harvested in vineyards passed down from those ancestors.
We invite everyone to try this year’s carefully crafted Nouveau. Yamanashi Nouveau, cultivated from the land of Yamanashi and the passion of its makers, is released on November 3rd.

*1 Koshu: An indigenous Japanese grape variety that has long been cultivated in Japan for white wine. Its representative production area is Katsunuma-cho, Yamanashi Prefecture. Koshu, which is used for both table grapes and winemaking, is highly regarded worldwide for its refreshing taste and is a grape variety that Japan proudly presents to the world.
*2 Muscat Bailey A: An indigenous Japanese grape variety created by crossing Bailey and Muscat Hamburg as a raw material for red wine. Like Koshu, it is used for both table grapes and winemaking. In recent years, it has received high acclaim as a material for red wine due to remarkable quality improvements, boasting a rich and mellow flavor.

quote: THE YAMANASHI NOUVEAU FESTIVAL 2025