Cave D'Occi

Cave d'Occi, "Ochi's Wine Cellar", was established in 1992 in Kakudahama, Niigata, and it takes its name from one of its founders, Kiichiro Ochi.

In 1992, Ochi and his business partner, Chieko Kakegawa, planted the first wine grape vines in the sand dunes of Kakudahama, at the foot of Mt. Kakuda in Niigata. It was a pioneering act: no one in the area was growing grapes, and being 800 metres back from the main road, reached only by rutted tracks through watermelon fields, it was deliberately chosen so the winery could be surrounded by its own vineyards.

Over three decades, Cave d'Occi has planted over 40 grape varieties, with 19 still thriving. A turning point came in 2005, when a chance encounter with Albariño wine in Spain revealed a variety with natural affinity for Niigata's coastal, sandy terroir. Today, the winery's success has catalysed an entire wine district: four additional producers have established themselves along the coastline, forming the Niigata Wine Coast.

Rather than sticking to one style, Cave d'Occi aims to create wines that allow people to discover their own preferred tastes. Cave d'Occi is not just focused on the "classical" wine profile, such as their "Sable" wines. Their "Animal Series", which features illustrations of animals such as "badgers," "bees," and "penguins" on the labels, aims to create wines with a gentle taste and has nuances of natural wine. They also have their "FUNPY Series", which are made from table grapes and are more casual and bright.

Ochi has stepped away from Cave d'Occi and, in 2012, established a winery in Yoichi, Hokkaido called Occi Gabi. The current head winemaker of Cave d'Occi is Fumito Kakegawa Fumito, the son of Chieko Kakegawa.