Coco Farm & Winery Employs Unique Workforce

It is one thing to enjoy a good bottle of wine but when the back story to that wine includes employment for developmentally disabled individuals it adds a little something extra. At Coco Farm & Winery in Japan over one hundred unique people are employed in creating each bottle of wine. Many even live full-time at the vineyard which also serves as a school. The detail-oriented and repetitive environment is complimentary to many of the autistic students' personalities and their treatment as colleagues encourages everyone to participate fully in the winemaking process no matter the task.

Coco Farms & Winery is commended for its chardonnay, typically a difficult wine to create in Japan's climate. Many Japanese wines tend to be sweeter with the cold winters and hot summers. Their wines range from whites, reds, rosés, sparkling and dessert wines. I find it especially interesting how well the process of winemaking suits the developmentally disabled -- are other wineries offering similar opportunities?

via Vinography