Winemaking in Taiwan began during the 1950s under Japanese rule, with early vineyards focusing on heat-resistant hybrid grape varieties such as Black Queen and Golden Muscat—developed in Japan and the USA respectively—to adapt to the subtropical climate. At its peak, Taiwan had around 5,200 hectares of vineyards.
The story of Weightstone Winery began in 2010 when the Taiwan Agricultural Research Station introduced Musann Blanc, a new 100% Taiwanese grape variety. This variety quickly captured the attention of Ben Yang, who saw it as an opportunity to create wine using modern winemaking techniques. At that time, many grape growers had turned to more profitable crops after government subsidies ended in 1996. Ben found the perfect vineyard site in Puli (埔里), located 480 meters above sea level in the southeast of Taichung. This site, once the shore of an ancient lake, was marked by stone fishing weights carved by aboriginal fishermen, which inspired the name “Weightstone.”
With the help of consultants from Napa Valley, Ben planted Musann Blanc in the Puli vineyard. Tragically, he passed away in 2012 before the first wine was bottled, leaving his daughter, Vivian Yang, to carry on his vision.
Today, Weightstone produces about 10,000 bottles of wine across seven different varieties, sourced from four vineyards. However, with only around 60 hectares of vineyards across Taiwan, winemaking remains a small-scale industry on the island.
