Domaine Tetta – The Limestone Dream of Okayama High above the Kibi Plateau in Okayama, the vineyards of Domaine Tetta shimmer beneath rows of white vinyl covers, glinting like something out of The Martian more than a traditional vineyard. These covers aren’t for show: they protect the vines from Japan’s unpredictable rains and harsh summer sun, creating a delicate microclimate where Chardonnay, Muscat Bailey A, Cabernet Franc, Koshu, and Muscat of Alexandria can thrive. In a world where climate and geography are being redrawn by the decade, Tetta stands as a bold experiment in the future of viticulture. Founded by Ryuta Takahashi, who once worked in the local limestone mining industry, Domaine Tetta was born from rediscovery. In 2009, Takahashi stumbled upon abandoned vineyards on the limestone-rich hillsides of his hometown, remnants of a once-thriving agricultural past. Inspired to revive this forgotten landscape, he envisioned a domaine in the truest sense: one that cultivates, ferments, bottles, and ages entirely on-site, independent from the imported concentrates that long defined much of Japanese wine production. The terroir here is remarkable. Beneath the red earth (terra rossa) lies a bedrock of pure limestone, rare in Japan, paired with mountain winds that clear humidity and a strong diurnal temperature shift that preserves acidity. These elements, combined with Tetta’s hands-off approach, yield wines that are pure, mineral, and quietly expressive of their place. To drink Domaine Tetta is to taste a new chapter in Japan’s wine story: one rooted in innovation and memory, shaped by the land and the limestone beneath it.