Japanese wines that are produced using only domestically grown grapes are becoming popular, with wineries across the country organizing guided tours and tasting events.
Visiting wineries or participating in such events is a pleasant way to search for your favorite while enjoying a variety of tastes.
100% domestic grapes
"Japanese wines" are 100 percent made from domestically grown grapes. Japan's "domestically produced wines" use imported grape juice from overseas.
Growing grapes exclusively for wine has also been spreading in Japan, and the quality of the grapes has improved, thus leading to a boom in Japanese wines.
According to the National Tax Agency, shipments of Japanese wines in fiscal 2016 increased 5.2 percent from fiscal 2015 to about 16,000 kiloliters.
In a survey of wine drinkers conducted by Mercian Corp. of the Kirin group this spring, about 70 percent of respondents said they drank Japanese wines in the past year.
When asked about the appeal of Japanese wines, 65.2 percent of respondents cited "safety and security," followed by 47 percent who said they feel "affinity" for the products and 40.3 percent who replied they like the wines because they can "support production sites."
Mercian, Sapporo Breweries Ltd., Asahi Breweries Ltd., Suntory Wine International Ltd. and others offer guided tours at their wineries.
Visitors can try types of wines they are interested in and listen to explanations at production sites, while also strolling around to observe grape fields and storage facilities. At some of the wineries, visitors can also enjoy light meals that go well with wines.
Uchiko Winery in Ozu, Ehime Prefecture, started a guided tour in which visitors can enjoy drinking wine while eating local barbecued foods. The aim is to demonstrate that Japanese wines go well with meals.
Shirayuri Winery in Koshu, Yamanashi Prefecture, holds events in which visitors experience stomping on grapes in the harvest season. An official of the company said the attempt aims to help "visitors deepen their interest in wines while having a good time."
Tasting events
Events at which visitors can taste various kinds of wine are held in many parts of the country.
On April 13 and 14, the Nihon Wine Matsuri festival was held in Hibiya Park in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. Fifty-six wineries exhibited about 180 brands of wine, and about 9,200 people visited the festival.
Similar events have been held and are scheduled to be held in many other parts of the country.
On May 26 and 27, a tasting event was held at Hanamaki, Iwate Prefecture, in which 38 wineries from Hokkaido, the Kanto region and other places exhibited their products.
On June 9, an event to enjoy Japanese wines is scheduled to take place at a cafe and restaurant in the Kyoto Garden Palace, a hotel in Kyoto. Participants can try Japanese wines while a sommelier explains the flavor of the products.
It is the hotel's first event of this kind, with a hotel official saying, "If the event is successful, we will consider holding a second and further events."
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