“Y by YOSHIKI”wine is created in collaboration with Rob Mondavi Jr., 4thgeneration Napa Valley winemaker and grandson of Robert Mondavi.

As a wine lover and California resident, YOSHIKIhas truly respected the Mondavi family and their long commitment to producing world class wines for many generations. From this respect, the “Y by YOSHIKI” collaboration was born in 2009.

In February 2009, YOSHIKImet with Michael Mondavi and his son, Rob Mondavi Jr. They invited YOSHIKIto their Napa Valley home to have dinner and to discuss their new collaboration wine project. They tasted many wines together that evening in order to get a sense ofthe wines that YOSHIKIloves and enjoys. The next day, YOSHIKIand winemaker Rob Mondavi Jr. visited the Michael Mondavi Family Estate where they tasted and blended many different wines from the different barrels of Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon in order to blend the perfect wines for YOSHIKI.

The first two wines of their new collaboration, --“Y by YOSHIKI California Chardonnay 2008”and “Y by YOSHIKICalifornia Cabernet Sauvignon2008”were released in Autumn 2009 exclusively in Japan.

In the fall of 2016, YOSHIKIreleased his “Napa series”of wines –“Y by YOSHIKINapa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2011”and “Y by YOSHIKINapa Valley Chardonnay 2012”.The grapes for these luxury wines were sourced exclusively from selected vineyards in the Napa Valley.The reputation for these wines continued to grow and after several YOSHIKItelevision appearances featuring the wines, “Y by YOSHIKINapaValley”wines became instantly famous and quickly sold out. Since then, the “Y by YOSHIKI”wines have become more andmore difficult to obtain.

YOSHIKIdecided to create a new blend of “smart casual wine” so that the average consumers could enjoy his California wines. YOSHIKIand Rob went back to work and in July 2018, they released their "California series" of wines –“Y by YOSHIKICalifornia Chardonnay2017”and “Y by YOSHIKICalifornia Cabernet Sauvignon2017”both of which were sold outwithin 6 months.

At the end of 2018, in celebration of his 10-year partnership with Rob Mondavi Jr., YOSHIKI released his “masterpiece”, the 10thAnniversary Special Edition “Y by YOSHIKIOakville Napa Valley 2016”.

In December 2020, YOSHIKIreleasedthenew vintages of both,“Y by YOSHIKI California” and “Y by YOSHIKIOakville”, as well as a new line called “Y by YOSHIKIRussian River Valley”.

During their last blending session, YOSHIKI proposed a new challenge to Rob – to produce together a beautiful pinot noir and chardonnay from California that could stand alongside the best wines from Burgundy, France, which YOSHIKI had grown very fond of in recent years. Fortunately, Rob did not have to look far from his Napa Valley home and winery, for just over the Mayacamas mountain range lies the Russian River Valley, arguably the very best region in California to produce top quality chardonnays and pinot noirs – the Y by YOSHIKI Russian River wines were born.

The success of YOSHIKI and Rob Mondavi’s thirteen year partnership has produced three core brands —“Y by YOSHIKICalifornia”, “Y by YOSHIKIRussian River Valley”and “Y by YOSHIKIOakville”.However, due to smoke taint caused by large-scale wildfires that devastated some California vineyards, Rob Mondavi Jr. and YOSHIKIdecided not to produce the 2020 vintage of Russian River Valley wines.

For this same reason, YOSHIKI and Rob Mondavi Jr. decided not to produce the 2020 vintage of Y by YOSHIKICalifornia Cabernet Sauvignon. Instead, Rob Mondavi Jr. was able to source and secure more 2019 vintage and together with YOSHIKI, they were able to blend and complete a second 2019 vintage. As a symbol to their success to produce another vintage of 2019, they have decided to name this wine “Encore”.

In 2024, the “Y by YOSHIKI California” series, which YOSHIKI has called his “smart casual” wines , a new “Rosé” wine will be added to the line up. Roséwines have become very popular worldwide in recent years. In France, consumption has tripled over the past 23 years, and it is said that one out of every four bottles of wine consumed is Rosé wine. Rosé wines are becoming increasingly popular in the U.S. as well. YOSHIKI has cometo enjoy fresh and refreshing rosé wines so it was only natural that with Rob Mondavi Jr., he has decided to produce his own Rose wine from California.”