A joint project from “URBAN VINEYARD” and the winery SAYS FARM of the city of Himi in the Toyama Prefecture and the seven companies based in the Kanda area started, but prior to that event, we had the opportunity to visit the site of SAYS FARM in Toyama prefecture in February 2017.

It is a two hours trip from Tokyo by bullet train. When I arrived at Toyama station the snow from the previous day was lodged, and the area around it was a bit like a silver world. When you catch a taxi from the nearest station and climb the mountain slowly, an idyllic landscape spread in front of you and the barn and vineyard comes into view.

SAYS FARM is located on top of a small hill where you can overlook the sea of Himi city. Because it was winter at that time we couldn’t see the grapes or fruits yet, but we were able to fully enjoy the view of the rich land in which tasty SAYS FARM wine are made. It is also said that the Tateyama can be seen through the bay if the weather is nice.

SAYS FARM is a young winery founded in 2008. But even if we do not know much about wine, the more we hear the name for several years ago, the more it becomes a popular wine.

Before having “Says Farm” the owner had a business of wholesale fish called “Tsuriya”, then he found more than 20 years ago a abandoned land. After acquiring the land, he worked and developed the soil, planting grapes seeds and had to wait 3 years for the plants to grow into their final forms.
In the first two years we planted and grow the trees and only harvest the fruits starting the third year. In 2011 it became possible to make the wine in the company, the wine that was born that year can be said to be the crystal of grace of SAY FARM’s first Hokuriku earth.

SAYS FARM only grow grape that is 100% bio, and they produces wine with a particular process, now they have about 9000 trees that are of course herbicide free, they use as little pesticide as possible and try to stay as close to nature as they can, letting the nature do it’s own thing in harmony with everyone’s daily lives. With the motto of winemaking that can only be made here with this kind of land possessions, we produce delicious and beautiful wines from Hokuriku.

A wooden barrel made in France is sleeping in the basement of the wine factory ready to be used. And on the shelves where containers are piled up, bottled wines are waiting for their shipment.

SAYS FARM is partnering with STAY building that offers accommodation, a cafe & shop, a restaurant building with a gallery. On this beautiful hill, you can spend a relaxing time with exquisite wine and cuisine in a space that was designed by Toyama’s design office called “51%” where their office can be found in Tokyo in the Kanda Nishiki-cho area.

“URBAN VINEYARD” which began in the spring of 2017 is a project to cultivate 30 “Pino noir” grapes and to make wine at “Terrace Square” which has a farm located on the rooftop of a complex building in Kanda Nishiki-cho.

Grape seeds were planted in March and they grew smoothly during May. Grapes harvested at the Terrace Square were planted at the same time as some grapes in SAYS FARM’s farm, mixed together, raised and harvested grapes will be ready for the Olympics in 2020, SAYS FARM will then put the wine into bottles and serve it mainly in restaurants in the Kanda Nishiki-cho area.

By cultivating wine grape trees in the city’s abandoned farmland, it becomes a symbol of thinking about this town that everyone see grow.

Doing everything from scratch; from planting the seeds and to harvesting the fruits of your labour is a really gratifying feeling that makes us happy. SAYS FARM and Kanda Nishiki-cho’s efforts have just begun.