Aichi company develops concrete vats for winemaking

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:32 JST, December 13, 2022

NAGOYA — A concrete company in Toyokawa, Aichi Prefecture, has developed a concrete vat for use in winemaking that is making it through to grapevine to wine producers.

According to Goto-Concrete, such vats are becoming widespread even in the winemaking hotbed of Europe, as they do not have the odor characteristic of wooden containers and are not susceptible to external temperatures.

Goto-Concrete normally produces concrete for roadside gutters and other infrastructure, but President Hideyoshi Matsubayashi, 57, took his passion for wine and developed it into a new business in May 2020.

The company offers four types of vats ranging in capacity from 549 to 1,014 liters. It was inundated with inquiries from wine producers after showcasing the vat for the first time at “Drink Japan,” Japan’s largest beverage trade fair, in the autumn of 2021.

“I am surprised by the response,” Matsubayashi said. “We want to continue to support the Japanese wine industry.”