Mercian
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History

 

1930's

1934 December Showa Brewery Co., Ltd., is established in Tokyo
1935 April Begins production of neutral spirits
1937 September Begins production of Sanraku synthetic sake
Chuji Suzuki.
Company founder.
Poster of Sanraku synthetic
sake in 1937.

1940's

1946 March Begins production of shochu, a distilled spirit
Yatsushiro factory in 1949 Mercian wine in 1940fs

1950's

1957 March Begins production of feedstuffs

1960's

1961 May Merges with Nisshin Brewery Co., Ltd., and acquires the Mercian brand
1962 July Merges with Ocean Co., Ltd., acquires Ocean brand whisky and changes company name to Sanraku Ocean Co., Ltd.
1966 January Begins production of the agricultural antibiotic Kasugamycin
1969 September Begins production of the medical antibiotic Josamycin

1970's

1970 March Begins production of Chateau Mercian
1972 November Completes an import and distribution agreement for Tio Pepe brand sherry with Gonzalez Byass S.A. of Spain
1973 May Receives dealership in Japan from Gustav Adolf Schmitt'sche Weinlellerei in Germany
1973 September Opens Mercian Wine Musium, renovated oldest wooden winery in existence
1973 October Receives dealership of Hungarian Tokaj Wine in Japan
1974 October Bigins "Harvest Festival" at Katsunuma Winery
1976 May Begins sales of Mercian Blanc de Blanc Katsunuma
1976 July Begins sales of the first single malts whisky Ocean Karuizawa
1978 February Begins import and distribution of sparkling wines produced by Codorniu S.A. of Spain
1979 October Begins sales of Chateau Mercian Koshu Toriibira
Mercian Wine Museum

1980's

1981 December Begins marketing of the anti-cancer agent Aclacinon inj.
1982 February Acquires distributorship for Japan of the wines produced by Maison Albert Bichot, S.A. of France
1985 April Changes company name to Sanraku Co., Ltd.
1985 June Begins sales of Mercian Koshu Sur Lie
1987 October Acquires premium wine producer Markham Vineyards of Napa, California, United States
1988 June Begins sales of the anti-cancer agent Pinorubin inj.
1988 July Completes an agreement for the import and distribution of the French champagnes produced by Champagne Pommery
1988 September Purchases Chateau Reysson, a winery in Bordeaux, France
1989 June Begins sales of Chateau Mercian Kikykogahara Merlot
1989 November Begins sales of veterinary antibiotic Aivlosin
1989 December Contract of import and distribution with seven Italian wineries
Mercian Katsunuma Winery

1990's

1990 July Begins sales of Chinese Shaoxing wine Gu Yue Long Shan
Establishes a joint venture company, Shenzhen Main Luck Pharmaceuticals Inc., with Shenzen Pharmaceutical Factory and Main Life Corp., to produce and market anti-cancer drugs for the Chinese market
1990 September Changes company name to Mercian Corporation
1991 October Begins sales of Shochu Hakusui
1993 February Begins import and distribution of wines produced by Vina Concha y Toro S.A. of Chile
1994 June Wine market in Japan expands rapidly, triggered by introduction of Bon Marche, a moderately priced table wine
1994 October Begins sales of Chateau Mercian Jyonohira Cabernet Sauvignon
1995 July Opens the Musee dfart Mercian Karuizawa
1995 October Begins sales of reasonable price wine Bistro
1996 October Begins sales of Bon Rouge
1996 November Begins import and distribution of wines produced by Trapiche of Argentine Mercian Katsunuma Winery obtains ISO9002 certification
1996 December Opens Mercian Web Site
1997 May Begins sales of Shochu Hakusui, series of brand-name rice
1997 June Chateau Mercian Jyonohira Cabernet Sauvignon f90 wins the gold prize at International Wine Challenge in Bordeaux, France
1998 September Begins import and distribution of wines produced by Robert Mondavi of California, in the United States
Mercian Karuizawa Museum of Art

2000's

2001 January Begins import and distribution of several Piat dfOr wines from Piat Pere et Fils of France
2001 April Begins sales of imported Dourthe Wines from major Bordeaux negotiant (wine merchant) Compagnie des Vins de Bordeaux et de la Gironde (CVBG)
2003 March Begins sales of Oishii-sankaboshizai-mutenka Wine
Completes construction of biological resources laboratory
2003 June Commences cultivation of high-grade wine grapes at Mariko Vineyard in Nagano Prefecture
2003 October Begins sales of Chateau Mercian Koshu Girs de Gris
2005 February Acquires capital in Nippon Liquor Ltd.,
2005 March Begins sales of Chateau Mercian Koshu Kiiroka
2005 August Revamps Eaglehawk Australian wines, introducing a screw cap
2006 February Begins sales of natural cosmetics Vinage Natural
2006 March Acquires a 51% stake in Nippon Liquor Ltd., a company specializing in sales of high-quality wines
2006 August Completes construction of Nikko plant, which becomes a production base for the processing liquors business
2006 September Completes Yatsushiro Shiranuigura facilities for the production of otsuru shochu at the Yatsushiro plant
2006 November Concludes business alliance with Kirin Brewery Company Limited
2007 February Revamps Sunrise Chilean wine, introducing a screw cap
2007 May Begins sales of Nihon no Awa
2007 July Becomes an operating company under Kirin Holdings Company, Limited
 
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