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Japanese Wine | Wineries, Grapes & Regions

Overhead pergola-trained Koshu vineyard in Katsunuma
Photo: Asturio Cantabrio / CC BY-SA 4.0

08 — JAPANESE WINE · NIHON WINE

WINEFROMJAPAN.

KATSUNUMA · KOSHU, YAMANASHI

Under Japan's labeling standard, only wine made in Japan exclusively from Japanese-grown grapes may be called "Nihon Wine" (Japan Wine). It is distinguished from wine merely produced in Japan from imported must or concentrate.

Yamanashi, Nagano, Hokkaido and Yamagata lead, but vineyards now reach across the country — including varieties with long Japanese histories, such as Koshu and Muscat Bailey A.

Pale purple bunches of Koshu grapes hanging from an overhead trellis
Photo: 江戸村のとくぞう / CC BY-SA 4.0
A glass of red wine beside a glowing candle on a table

JAPANESE GRAPE VARIETIES

Source: NTA ↗

  1. OIV 2010

    KOSHU

    甲州

    Registered with the OIV as a wine grape variety in 2010.

  2. OIV 2013

    MUSCAT BAILEY A

    マスカット・ベーリーA

    Bred by Zenbei Kawakami from Bailey × Muscat Hamburg; registered with the OIV in 2013.

  3. OIV 2020

    YAMASACHI

    山幸

    Registered with the OIV in 2020.

WINE GIs

  • GI Yamanashi2013
  • GI Hokkaido2018
  • GI Yamagata2021
  • GI Osaka2021
  • GI Nagano2021
All geographical indications
A

Producers

  1. 01Château Mercianシャトー・メルシャン—
  2. 02Chuo Budoshu (Grace Wine)中央葡萄酒（グレイスワイン）EST. 1923
  3. 03Hokkaido Wine北海道ワインEST. 1974
  4. 04Takahata Winery高畠ワイナリーEST. 1990
  5. 05Iwanohara Vineyard岩の原葡萄園EST. 1890
B

Drinks

ABV, polishing ratio, vintage, age and similar details appear only when confirmed by an official source.

  1. Château Mercian Iwasaki Koshu—
  2. Grace Koshu—
  3. Cuvée Misawa—
  4. ARKADIA Select Harvest Chardonnay—
  5. Zenbei—
  6. Sparkling Blanc de Blancs Rose Ciotat—
G

Gallery

Product names, labels and logos shown are trademarks of their respective owners. Photographs are used under their creators' licences.
C

Stories

SOURCES

  1. 1果実酒に関するもの（お酒の豆知識）国税庁 東京国税局 National Tax Agency, Tokyo · Government · accessed 2026-09-26
  2. 2甲州が OIV を登録山梨県 Yamanashi Prefecture · Government · accessed 2026-09-26
  3. 3【ワイナリーを知る・第4回】岩の原葡萄園 日本のワイン用ブドウの父「川上善兵衛」の遺徳を今に活かす日本ワイナリー協会 Japan Wineries Association · Industry body · accessed 2026-09-26

PHOTO CREDITS

All image credits →
  1. 1Koshu vineyard — Asturio Cantabrio · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  2. 2Koshu grapes — 江戸村のとくぞう · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  3. 3Hokkaido vineyard — MaedaAkihiko · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
  4. 4Barrel cellar — Eric Kilby · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  5. 5Red wine glass — Photos Public Domain · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
  6. 6Koshu wine (Chanmoris) — Asturio Cantabrio · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  7. 7Chateau Mercian Katsunuma Winery — 江戸村のとくぞう · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  8. 8Meiji-era winemaking equipment — KCyamazaki · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  9. 9Chateau Mercian Wine Museum — Asturio Cantabrio · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  10. 10Furano wine — Douglas Perkins · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  11. 11Furano Wine House — Douglas Perkins · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  12. 12Chuo Budoshu wine display — 江戸村のとくぞう · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  13. 13Chuo Budoshu (Grace Wine) — 江戸村のとくぞう · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  14. 14Chuo Budoshu (Grace Wine) — 江戸村のとくぞう · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  15. 15Hokkaido Wine head office — 星組背番号10 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  16. 16Ikeda Wine Castle, Tokachi — ノボホショコロトソ · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  17. 17Muscat Bailey A and Koshu — Asturio Cantabrio · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  18. 18Iwanohara Vineyard second cellar — Josh Furr · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  19. 19Koshu vineyard — Asturio Cantabrio · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  20. 20Muscat Bailey A wine — Sakaori · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  21. 21Chateau Lumiere underground cellar — Sakaori · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  22. 22Marufuji Winery cellar — さかおり · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  23. 23Marufuji Rubaiyat wine — 江戸村のとくぞう · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  24. 24Ryuken Cellar — Asturio Cantabrio · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  25. 25Suto Winery cask — Fantasy Leigh · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  26. 26Takahata Winery — Ellerad · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  27. 27Glass of white wine — Ka23 13 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons