Cave d'Occi

Cave d'Occi (カーブドッチ) is a Japanese winery and hospitality brand based in Kakudahama, Nishikan-ku, Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture. It was founded in April 1992 by Kiichiro Ochi and Chieko Kakegawa as the European Grape Cultivation Research Institute (欧州ぶどう栽培研究所), and it began planting wine grapes on a one-hectare dune site at Kakudahama in the same year. The name is derived from the French words CAVE (wine cellar) and OCCI (the founder's name, Ochi), meaning "Ochi's wine cellar." A wine cellar was built next to the vineyard in 1993 and winemaking began. The winery is located at the foot of Mount Kakuda, about a 30-minute drive southwest of central Niigata City, along the Sea of Japan. The site was chosen for its terroir: sandy dune soil suited to wine grapes, proximity to the sea with westerly winds that reduce disease, high summer heat accumulation, low rainfall, and little winter snow. Cave d'Occi was the first to plant wine grapes in the Niigata dune area, and it produces "Japanese wine" made entirely from its own estate-grown grapes. The winery is particularly known for Albariño, a grape variety it identified as suited to the local terroir. Over the decades the winery evolved into a destination facility. It added a restaurant building (later Cave d'Occi Hall) in 1995, a lifestyle goods and garden shop building and a farm equipment building in 1996, and a new restaurant building and second winery in 1999. In 2003 it opened a wine school (management school), whose graduates went on to establish nearby wineries such as Fermier, Domaine Chaux, Cantina Giosetto and L'Encre Winery, forming the area known as the "Niigata Wine Coast." In 2005 it opened Cave d'Occi Toyano in Niigata City and a restaurant at the Niigata City History Museum. A hot-spring lodging facility, Vinespa, opened on the grounds in April 2009, and a second hotel, Travinu, was completed in 2019. The company also operates the restaurant cafe at the State Guest House Akasaka Palace in Moto-Akasaka, Tokyo, which opened in June 2020. Cave d'Occi produces just under 100,000 bottles of wine annually, with 80–90% sold directly at the winery, through subscriptions, or consumed at affiliated stores. Its sixth-industry approach was recognized with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' Furusato Zukuri Grand Prize for fiscal 2020. The brand remains privately held and active.

Cave d'Occi traces its origins to April 1992, when founder Kiichiro Ochi and co-manager Chieko Kakegawa established the European Grape Cultivation Research Institute (欧州ぶどう栽培研究所) and began cultivating grapes on a one-hectare dune site at Kakudahama, Maki Town (now part of Niigata City). At the time, Niigata was considered virgin territory for wine; most wineries bought grapes from farmers rather than owning vineyards. Ochi chose the foot of Mount Kakuda for its terroir—sandy soil, sea breezes, high summer heat, low rain and little snow—and for its accessibility from the Tokyo metropolitan area, since the business concept was to have customers come to buy. In 1993 a wine cellar was built next to the vineyard and winemaking began. Initially, grapes were partly estate-grown and partly purchased from Hokkaido to make up shortfalls, but eventually the winery shifted to 100% estate-grown Niigata grapes. Expansion followed: a restaurant building (later Cave d'Occi Hall) in 1995, a lifestyle goods and garden shop building and a farm equipment building in 1996, and a new restaurant building and second winery in 1999. By the late 1990s the business had established stable profitability. In September 2003 the winery opened a wine school (management school). Its graduates went on to found nearby wineries from 2006 onward, including Fermier, Domaine Chaux, Cantina Giosetto and L'Encre Winery, creating a cluster now called the "Niigata Wine Coast." In March 2005 Cave d'Occi opened its first Niigata City store, "Cave d'Occi Toyano," and the following month a restaurant, "Porto Cave d'Occi," opened inside the Niigata City History Museum (Minatopia); the latter closed in March 2021. In April 2009 a wooden, partly two-story hot-spring lodging facility, Vinespa, opened on the grounds. In 2019 a second hotel, Travinu, was completed. In June 2020 the company began operating the restaurant cafe at the State Guest House Akasaka Palace in Moto-Akasaka, Tokyo. These efforts were recognized as a model of sixth-industry industrialization, earning the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' Furusato Zukuri Grand Prize for fiscal 2020. The winery produces just under 100,000 bottles annually, with 80–90% sold directly at the winery, through subscriptions, or at affiliated stores. The brand remains privately held and active.

• 2021

  Porto Cave d'Occi closed in March.

• 2020

  Began operating the restaurant cafe at the State Guest House Akasaka Palace in Moto-Akasaka, Tokyo, in June.

• 2019

  Completed the second hotel, Travinu.

• 2009

  Opened the Vinespa hot-spring lodging facility in April.

• 2005

  Opened Cave d'Occi Toyano in Niigata City in March; opened Porto Cave d'Occi restaurant at the Niigata City History Museum in April.

• 2003

  Opened a wine school (management school) in September.

• 1999

  Opened a new restaurant building and a second winery.

• 1996

  Opened a lifestyle goods and garden shop building and a farm equipment building.

• 1995

  Opened a restaurant building (later Cave d'Occi Hall).

• 1993

  Built a wine cellar next to the vineyard and began winemaking.

• 1992

  Founded as the European Grape Cultivation Research Institute by Kiichiro Ochi and Chieko Kakegawa; began planting wine grapes on 1 ha of dune land at Kakudahama.

A destination winery and hospitality village offering estate-grown Japanese wine, dining, hot springs and lodging, with a high direct-sales ratio and a focus on terroir-driven viticulture.

• Estate-grown Japanese wine

  Wine made entirely from grapes grown in Cave d'Occi's own Niigata vineyards.

• Albariño white wine

  A grape variety identified as suited to the local terroir.

• Sauvignon Blanc (Umigame)

  A Sauvignon Blanc wine listed as a new release on the official site.

• SOLO canned craft beer series

  Single-hop canned craft beer series.

1. 1カーブドッチ | CAVE D'OCCI WINERY | 滞在するワイナリーdocci.com
2. 2ワイン造り – Story of CAVE D’OCCI | カーブドッチdocci.com
3. 3カーブドッチ - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org
4. 4Cave d'Occi, Niigata - Wikidatawikidata.org