Crimson glory vine is grown wild in mountains of northern Tohoku and Hokkaido. (Some of the vines are currently cultivated in Japan.*) Crimson glory vine is one of the only two Japanese native species of grape vines along with “Koshu.” Almost all grape varieties or species you can find in markets are originated in Europe or America. Compared with other species, an individual grape of Crimson glory vine is small in diameter (8 mm) and it contains large seeds resulting in only a small amount of juice producible. Grapes are polyphenol-rich fruit. Crimson glory vine contains 8 times as much polyphenol as other grapes. The amounts of iron, calcium and potassium are 3 to 7 times as much as regular grapes.

*Sakohonten started the Japan’s first cultivation of Crimson glory vine in 1971.

Crimson glory vine and Campbell Early are all from Iwate prefecture. Apples for “Yamabudo-to-Ringo-no-Jam” are from Aomori prefecture. Acacia honey for “Mitsu-iri-Kibudo” is produced in Japan.

We use Crimson glory vines from the company’s vineyard in Kuji-shi, Iwate prefecture, and licensed growers in Shiwa-cho, Iwate. We use some wild vines as well. Wild Crimson glory vines bear fruit every other year, while the cultivated ones do yield grapes every year thanks to pruning. This means that more grapes of the cultivated vines than those in the wild are used for our products.

The company vineyard has been utilizing only chemical-free organic cultivation. The licensed growers use reduced amounts of agrichemicals (Crimson glory vine: 8 times a year while grapes for eating raw: 12-14 times a year). These 2 kinds of vines are mixed for making our products. The result of residual pesticide inspection is “Not Detected.”

Radioactivity inspections are performed periodically after the Great East Japan Earthquake took place. The results have shown that radioactivity concentration is “not higher than the safety limit (25 Bq/kg)” every year.

We do not have raison products in our line-up. Though berries of Crimson glory vine are very small, each of them contains two big solid seeds without exception. So, edible portions of berries, when dried, are very small. In addition, flavor and taste will be affected by their seeds.

We are sorry, but we do not carry them.

The manufacturing process of the first 2 products is exactly the same. The only difference between them is the timing of harvesting. “Kanjuku Yama-no-Kibudo” is made from a month-late Crimson glory vines harvested in October, by which time the grapes are fully ripe with increased sugar content. “Yama-no-Kibudo” is made from grapes harvested in early to mid-September, by which time they are ripe enough but still lightly acidic. “Mitsu-iri-Kibudo” is a grape juice made from “Yama-no-Kibudo” (100% Crimson glory vine juice) and 10% acacia honey. “Minori” is a grape juice made from Vitis amurensis (Amur grape), another species found in the East Asia. Amur grape has less astringency and bitterness than Crimson glory vine.

No. Crimson glory vines become ripe enough for harvesting in September. You can enjoy more refreshing taste than “Kanjuku Yama-no-Kibudo” because the sugar content of September berries is not high.

First, our Crimson glory vine juices are straight juices and are not from concentrate like other regular grape juices. To produce not-from-concentrate juice costs much. In return, its taste and flavor are incomparably better than the one from concentrate. Second, individual grape of Crimson glory vine is small and contains large seeds. Thus the amount of juice from a grape is about 60% of that made from an ordinary grape. To make an amount of a small bottle of juice of “Yama-no-Kibudo” (100 ml) requires as much as 200 g of Crimson glory vine. Third, pressed juice goes into the company’s original method “3-year vacuum aging.”  The time consuming process is essential to produce the very best grape juice worth its price.

A grape berry of Vitis amurensis (Amur grape) which “Minori” is made from is bigger than one of Crimson glory vine and thus the grape can produce larger amount of squeezed juice. The grape, with mild acidity, does require about 1 year for aging while “Yama-no-Kibudo” and “Kanjuku Yama-no-Kibudo” needs 3 years. These are the reasons why “Minori” is less expensive.

“Yama-no-Kibudo” is natural food with no added sugar, no preservations, no artificial coloring and flavorings of any kind. Our original method “3-year vacuum aging” lets tartar acid naturally settle down at the bottom. Then upper layer of juice is bottled, offering pleasant taste.

No. “Yama-no-Kibudo” is 100% non-alcohol straight juice. It might have been caused by polyphenol contained in the juice. It works as a strong antioxidant agent and a cell activator.