The Rise of Japan’s Vines

Japanese food and drink are booming. In 2013, washoku, or traditional Japanese cuisine, was added to UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list.

In the 2015 edition of Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible, regarded as the world’s leading whisky guide, a Japanese brand was named the top whisky. In fact, Japanese whiskies are now coveted throughout Asia. And premium Japanese sake continues to gather an enthusiastic following around the world while being paired with an eclectic range of cuisines. So what’s next? How about Japanese wine?

Wine was first introduced to Japan in the 700s by Portuguese traders, although it was more widely consumed after the Meiji Restoration in the 1860s. One Japanese winery sent two young winemakers to France to study winemaking techniques. Returning full of enthusiasm and knowledge, they set about producing a range of wine styles from international grape varieties and Koshu, a white varietal.

Japanese wine has significantly improved over the years and, in particular, during the last decade. There has been a vast increase in local production, too, with hundreds of relatively small wineries aiming to develop 100 percent local wines. Japan should be able to develop delectable wines, and it does, although the amounts produced are limited by the industry’s relative infancy and the lack of expansive natural winegrowing territories in a country that has inconsistent sunlight, hot and humid summers and often torrential rainfall.

Winemakers in Japan, therefore, have sought out regions where the terroir, or growing conditions, and land composition are more conducive to growing grape varietals suited to wine. Most Japanese wine is produced in areas like Yamanashi Prefecture and Hokkaido, which can be cooler and more approachable, but there are wineries located throughout the country, including Kyushu.

While some winemakers are growing traditional varietals, such as Chardonnay and Merlot, many are working with varietals more suited to Japan, like Muscat Bailey A, a red varietal whose thicker skins can better stand up to the challenging weather conditions. Koshu wines, meanwhile, have begun to pick up international wine awards.

Given the low production levels, local wines are rarely exported and are difficult to find in any significant volume on restaurant wine lists. But at this month’s Wine Committee tasting, attendees will have the opportunity to taste several local sparkling, white and red wines, paired with Western dishes, and appreciate the achievements of Japanese vintners.

Japanese Wine Tasting
Sep 16
7pm
Washington and Lincoln rooms
¥9,000*
Sign up online or at Member Services
*Excludes 8 percent consumption tax.

Words: Arthur Ozeki and Julia Fukushima