Hakutsuru installs new brewing equipment at its Kobe winery

Hakutsuru Sake Brewing, well known as one of Japan’s major sake producers, began its 2026 winemaking at its Kobe Winery in Nishi Ward, Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, on 17 August. This is the first year in which it is using its new fermentation tanks and cold store. Kobe is a port city to the west of Osaka and also one of Japan’s leading sake-producing regions. A company that makes sake there has now invested in equipment for making wine from grapes.

What changes with the new equipment

According to Hakutsuru, the new equipment makes three main things possible. First, harvested grapes can be kept in a cold store until they are vinified, preserving their freshness. Second, wine can be made in small batches, separated by variety and by lot (a group of grapes harvested under the same conditions). Third, the temperature of each tank can be controlled precisely. It can be seen as an investment in moving away from making wine in large tanks all at once and towards bringing out the individual character of each grape. Hakutsuru aims to make wine that draws out the quality of the grapes and so raise the quality of Kobe wine.

This year’s harvest begins with Chardonnay

The weather has been favourable this year, and the grapes are reportedly of good quality. Winemaking was due to start with the white grape Chardonnay and continue through to mid-September with red grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon. The first wine made with the new equipment was scheduled for release in October 2026.

A sake maker widens its field

This move by a major sake producer to invest in wine quality shows that Japanese drinks makers are beginning to look beyond their traditional strengths. It will also be interesting to see how the temperature control and small-batch experience built up over many years of making sake is put to use in vinifying grapes.

In Europe, too, Japanese wine is becoming known for international varieties such as Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. The first wines made with the new equipment carry the 2026 vintage on their labels. Comparing the whites and reds, made separately by variety, with European wines from the same grapes may show how Japan’s climate and the sensibility of sake makers come through in the taste of familiar varieties.