Follow her travel and wine adventures in Instagram @lilmarzipan. [14] The name “Koshu” is a former name for Yamanashi. The Agency states the share of Japanese wine, as defined as domestically produced wine from domestically grown grapes, as only 4% of total domestic consumption, or 14,988 kiloliters. Muscat Bailey-A has been blended with western grapes creating a very full bodied, Bordeaux style flavour. Also, in response to demand from Japanese consumers, the production of organic wines also became popular. There are Merlot grapes from France, and Iwadarehara Merlot grapes from Japan. There are over 150,000 copies in print, and it has been printed in three editions. Imported wine grape cultivars include Müller-Thurgau, Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Known for delicacy in style, these wines make lovely compliments to most regional dishes. However, independent self-governing municipal bodies have begun systems of regional appellation. In Japan there is no nationwide organization of legal designation, regardless of domain of origin or types of grape, anything that is fermented domestically can be labeled as "Japanese wine". For example, Nagano Prefecture's "Appellation Control System" (長野県原産地呼称管理制度, Nagano-ken Gensan-chi Koshō Kanri Seido), and Kōshū's "Wine Domain of Origin Certification Regulation" (ワイン原産地認証条例, Wain Gensan-chi Ninshō Jōrei). This eventually became Chateau Mercian, the first private winery in Japan. Tsuyoshi Takemura of Mashino Winery prefers to work with these grapes, as well as cider apples. Although viticulture and the cultivation of grapes for table consumption has a long history in Japan, domestic wine production using locally produced grapes only really began with the adoption of Western culture during the Meiji restoration in the second half of the 19th century. They must be especially vigilant and meticulous in these vineyards, but as we know, the Japanese are known for their precision and dedication. Suntory Japan Premium Iwadarehara Merlot 2014 Just like putting grapes in my mouth, the taste and fragrant aroma is of the grape–that is why I like it.” – Jun Nagahashi. Cultivation methods vary among each of these vastly different climates. A pink grape in the land of cherry trees. THE NAME JAPANESE MUSCAT GRAPE IS A GENERAL DESCRIPTOR USED TO ENCOMPASS MULTIPLE VARIETIES OF GRAPES THAT WERE CREATED IN JAPAN, BRED FROM THE EUROPEAN MUSCAT GRAPE IN THE LATE 19TH AND EARLY 20TH CENTURIES. Japan is known for having an affinity for natural wine. She is an international wine judge for the IWSC, where she uses the skills she has learned in her WSET Diploma training. Japanese grape growers who brought their unique grapes to Hawke's Bay are expanding, and are now selling to New Zealand's "top 50" cafes and restaurants. A chance to taste some of the farmer wine adored by Japan’s natural wine scene would be an ideal situation. Most Japanese wines are straightforward and pure and a number of wineries produce natural wines. Specialists began to call their holdings "wineries", and the emulation of Western style hedging and cultivation of insect resistant grape varieties spread. Japan may be better known for its sake, but its national grape, Koshu, has been picking up awards for several years, mostly under the radar. Japanese maple tree often refers to maple tree cultivars from Acer palmatum, and also may include maple trees from species Acer japonicum, and Acer shirasawanum (and even closely related species A. circinatum – N. American native). Kyoho Japanese breeders cross-bred the bluish-purple American Concord grapes to develop the Kyoho in the early 20th century, and today, it is the most popular variety in Japan, accounting for a third of all of the table grapes grown. While opportunities in the U.S. to taste these wines are limited, hopefully in the near future more brands will make their way here. There are relatively few independent wine producers in Japan, the industry being dominated by large beverage conglomerates such as Suntory, owner of the Snaraku, and Manns Wine brands, Sapporo trading with brands such as Chateau Lion, Delica, and Kirin through its Mercian Corporation operating subsidiary, owner of the Chateau Mercian label. These trees have a reputation for being hard to grow, but this is largely undeserved. In terms of Japanese taste for domestically produced wine, astringency and acidity were not readily accepted at the beginning.2 For a long time sugars such as honey were added to moderate the flavor and "sweet" (甘口, amakuchi) wine was the mainstay. [8] Domestically produced mass market wines using imported wine or grape concentrate are required by law to note this on the label. STR/AFP/AFP/Getty Images. [2] The first regularly documented wine consumption in Japan was however in the 16th century, with the arrival of Jesuit missionaries from Portugal. In 1995, Shinya Tasaki became the first Japanese to be awarded the title of Meillieur Sommelier du Monde, and helped to significantly raise public awareness of wine appreciation. Grapes were initially introduced to Japan from China around the Nara Period (710-784). [2] They called the Portuguese wine chintashu (珍陀酒), combining the Portuguese word tinto (chinta in Japanese) meaning red and shu (酒) meaning liquor. If you are interested to try some Japanese wine for yourself right now, these are a few options to seek out in the States: Subscribe to Winetraveler and receive notifications when new articles are published. “I love Vin Nature wine. This … One of the most popular Japanese varieties of grapes is the dark purple Kyoho grape, which is particularly large. This eventually became Chateau Mercian, the first private winery in Japan. But with time Koshu wines are blended with different varieties of wines that give flavor of mineral and herb along with lemon. The variety was first produced by a Japanese viniculturist, Yasushi Ohinoue in the 1930s and 1940s, by crossing Ishiharawase (itself a variety of the "Campbell Early") and Centennial grape varieties (Vitis vinifera × Vitis labrusca). In the recent past Aichi Prefecture was also a large producer of wine. First developed in Shizuoka Prefecture in 1957, Pione is hands down my favorite Japanese grape. Japanese maples need: While some can tolerate full sun, most Japanese maple varieties prefer dappled or afternoon shade, especially when young. The locally grown large and… Compared with many other trees and shrubs they have few pests or diseases and are versatile enough to thrive in locations ranging from full shade to full sun. 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