Born in 1989 in Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture, Takeda Nobuhiro initially pursued studies in environmental engineering at university. During his university years in Aichi Prefecture, his exposure to classes on soil and microorganisms, combined with part-time work on a tomato farm, sparked an interest in agriculture. At the same time, he developed a fascination with sake that eventually led him to explore sake brewing and rice cultivation.

Working for a few years at Akishika and Moriki Shuzo, breweries famous for cultivating their own rice according to a shizen-saibai ethos (no external fertilizers, pesticides, etc) deepened his appreciation for the connection between high-quality ingredients and the beverages they make. Inevitably, Nobu-san was drawn to the even deeper connection between grapes and wine, and in 2016 moved to Takahata, Yamagata to begin a new life as a grape farmer. In time, Nobu-san became the protege of Miyagi-Yamagata grape farmer Masahiro Ohno, whose old-vine (30+ year old) vineyards of naturally farmed Chardonnay, Merlot and Delaware are among the most coveted in Tohoku. In 2020, Meguro-san (Fattoria al Fiore) encouraged Nobu to make his first barrel of wine. Remaining tiny, Nobu-san has since increased his production and moved to Grape Republic’s winery in Yamagata, where he carefully vinifies a small portion of his harvest each year. In October 2024, we were honored not only to drink Nob’s first vintage but also eat a coffee cake made with his merlot grapes... seeds and all.