Skip to main content

Understanding the Burgeoning World of Japanese Wine

When you think of Japanese wine, the mind lunges straight for sake. But climate change and a new band of winemakers is looking to rattle that perspective.

Beer and sake consumption is slowing in The Land of the Rising Sun and locals are looking for clean wines to balance out local cuisine. From a winemaking standpoint, it’s not always easy, which is part of the reason Japan has taken so long to really enter the global wine conversation.

When the Japanese consider vineyard plantings and subsequent management, they take into account major challenges like humidity, typhoons, steep and prone-to-erosion slopes, and snow. That’s why hybrids have been popular as they can usually weather the collective storm of conditions. Yet, in places like the Yamanashi Prefecture, Nagano, and Hokkaido especially, there’s growth in producers as well as in indigenous varieties and familiar types like Chardonnay.

koshu wine grapes vineyard japan
Koshu grapes Geobacillus / Getty Images

Japan’s only native grape is the Koshu, increasingly appreciated for its delicate nature and peach flavors. It produces a soft-spoken wine that nicely counters some of the country’s louder dishes. As winemakers experiment more with seemingly suitable varieties like Pinot Noir and promising cross-breeds like Muscat Bailey A, we may begin to see some interesting wine coming out of Japan.

Grape cultivation and wine production, to a pretty minimal extent, dates back to the 8th century here. It was popularized by the Jesuits in the 16th century as they brought in new plantings and insisted on drinking the stuff. But really, the Japanese mostly ignored what they called “grape liquor” until the 1970s. That’s when a few producers saw opportunity in a Japanese interest in western things, which included European and American wines.

vineyard okayama japan
Okayama, Japan JGalione/Getty Images

To this day, the lion’s share of what’s available in Japan is imports from the more established wine-producing nations. The creative new class of area vintners operates under a large shadow cast by conglomerates like Suntory, which typically mix a bit of local fruit with a lot of bulk fruit from other countries and slap a wine label on it. Fortunately, legislation in the last couple of years has made it much more difficult to label something as Japanese wine unless it’s purely that. Plus, local growers and governments are working on origin regulations and appellation designations like we see in the states of France.

There’s a lot to be excited about. A major sign of potential with wine often comes in the form of endorsement from a place that knows best. France has already shown some interest in Japan. Just last May, famed producer Domaine de Montille planted Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in southern Hokkaido, a serious stamp of approval. Undoubtedly, it also points to the larger global warming trend, which has already resulted in a recent sparkling wine hotbed in England, to name one of many examples.

vineyard yamanashi prefecture japan
Yamanashi, Japan Shosei/Aflo/Getty Images

Such attention will lead to more marketing, which in turn will lead to more production and exports to places like the U.S. Curious somms are already showcasing Japanese wines at trade tastings and industry gatherings, convinced there’s something brewing there. There are exciting labels hard at work changing the game, like MGVs in Yamanashi and Domaine Takahiko in Hokkaido.

The focus is in Yamanashi, home to the largest concentration of vineyard and wineries, with stunning terrain and Mt. Fuji perpetually on the horizon. It’s one of the most scenic areas of Japan and is looking to draw tourists in for not only mountain views and cherry blossoms, but solid local wine. Presently, there are more than 100 producers, a mix of both hillside estates and urban outfits like Kurambon.

Look out for pours of Japanese wine at your favorite restaurant or wine shop in the near future. You’re likely to see more and more pop up at natural wine bars and places that prefer green winegrowing techniques, as the newest generation of Japanese winemakers appears to take such things quite seriously.

Editors' Recommendations

Mark Stock
Mark Stock is a writer from Portland, Oregon. He fell into wine during the Recession and has been fixated on the stuff since…
Go Wine Tasting With This Virginia Wine Guide
868 Estate Vineyards.

Virginia and wine have a lengthy history, one that dates back to the pre-nation days of Thomas Jefferson and others. Only recently, however, has the commonwealth become famous for wine again, beginning to draw tourists in the same way places like Sonoma and the Texas Hill Country do.

No, Virginia doesn't boast the sheer number of wineries as states like Washington and California do, but it's home to a rapidly growing scene. And with 8 AVAs and more than 250 wineries, the scene is both respectable and varied. In short, Virginia should be a state you now associate with quality wine, whether it's a Bordeaux-style red blend or a fascinating white like Petit Manseng.

Read more
Americans Cry For Help to Cook Simple At-Home Dishes
berries pancakes breakfast

Does making pancakes sound like a Herculean task? Does your inability to make al dente pasta leave you red in the face? No need to worry. You’ve got plenty of company.

A survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Idahoan Foods, maker of Honest Earth brand mashed sweet potatoes, found that more than half of Americans struggle with cooking the simplest dishes. A survey of 2,000 adults found that over half “mess up” seemingly easy-to-make dishes and that 56% of respondents end up botching foods that most consider easy to make. Maybe they just need some help. 63% of those polled said that they would appreciate some help in the kitchen. Now those of you who dread the sight of a frying pan can come out of the closet and ask for a hand without shame.

Read more
A Guide to Texas Wine and the Hill Country
Duchman Family Winery

Texas is a massive state home to big cities, sprawling plains, and some of the best barbecue on the planet. It's also home to the nation's fifth-largest wine scene in terms of production and growing rapidly. Most of it goes down in the Hill Country outside of Austin and if this region is not on your wine tourism map yet, it ought to be.
Of the several American Viticultural Areas (AVA) in Texas, Hill Country is far and away the largest. In fact, at 9 million acres, it's the second-largest AVA in the nation. Visitors are treated to an assortment of varietals, from Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo to Merlot, Sangiovese, and Tannat. There are white wines too, like Viognier, Riesling, Blanc de Bois, and more. And the weather tends to be stellar, meaning optimal sipping conditions pretty much year-round.

Here are the wineries to visit while sipping in the Lone Star State, along with a few suggestions on where to eat (hint: at pretty much every barbecue stand you come across) and overnight. Go thirsty and hungry and return satisfied. Also, with the pandemic still looming, be courteous and check in with each business beforehand to see what the reservation policy and COVID protocols are.
C.L. Butaud

Read more