Cave d’Occi: Niigata’s Exotic Resort

Cave d’Occi is a winery located in Nishikan Ward, the westernmost district of Niigata City. It is part of the Niigata wine coast, together with four other wineries. Waiting for you here are the winery itself, of course but also hotels, a hot spring spa, a bakery, shops with imported goods from Europe, as well as restaurants and cafés.

Let’s talk about the main reason you would want to visit Cave d’Occi: Wine! There is something very special about this locally produced Japanese wine. With the Sea of Japan being just a few minutes away, sand and strong winds are elemental parts of the brewing process here and influence the taste of the wine. Wine tastings are quite a unique experience, in a good way of course! And for those of you who want to learn more, you can also book a winery tour!

You can also visit the shops to find Cave d’Occi’s wine, as well as honey, sausages, fresh bread, imported cheeses and basically everything Europeans like to eat with great wine!

Although technically in Niigata City, Nishikan Ward is what you would expect from the Japanese country side: rice addies and nature everywhere. So do not worry about the noise and other disturbances, you will be able to rest and breathe some fresh air here. The Niigata Wine Coast’s wineries all have a very southern European atmosphere, and Cave d’Occi is no exception. Even the slightest details of this complex look very much French and Italian: from the wine arrels to the nameplate of each facility and obviously the products being sold there, many of which are actually being directly imported from France. So if you feel like going to Europe but do not really want to spend twelve hours in a lane, you could just take your car and go to Cave d’Occi.