Viticulture is an age-old tradition for mankind. Countries have their own offering when it comes to variations. Regardless of these differences, drinking wine has become more commonplace for daily life, whether in parties or meetings in Japan - and a lot more affordable too.
Table of Contents
Wine in Japan
Brief History
For a long time, people in Japan cultivated grapes simply as food. It was only in the 1870s that two Japanese men who were deployed to France to learn French winemaking introduced to the Japanese people how to turn grapes into wine. The two incorporated the traditional Japanese rice wine (sake) equipment in the French winemaking process to make an original locally produced wine. The climate in certain areas of Japan are very ideal for growing grapes and making wine, and the resulting wines made in Japan are easy to drink and pair well with Japanese food.
※ Japan Wineries Association, "What is Japanese Wine?"
Variations of wine in Japan
There are a lot of variations of wines in Japan, depending on the kind of grapes used and the color of the wine. Examples of white wine are the Japanese white grape or Koshu, famous for its aroma, the Kerner, and Sauvignon Blanc. For red wines are the red "Muscat Bailey," and the cabernet is popular.
Several vineyards are scattered in Japan, such as Katsunuma winery and the L'oreat winery in Yamanashi, where people can experience wine-tasting at the origin. Many English vineyard-tours are available as well should that be on the list of things you’d like to do in Japan!
Writer's Pick
Cost of Wine
Wine Market in Japan
Wine was not popular in Japan at first. One of the reasons behind this is because it was first introduced to the public just as Japan was westernizing, during the Meiji period. People at that time preferred to have a diet consisting mainly of rice, and wine did not go as well with it as Japanese sake did. It was later on in 1964 that during the Tokyo Olympics, that wine became popular in Japan because of the people's shift of food preference. They started to appreciate western food and products, suiting the taste of wine when they dine. Now it is still seen as a “classy, upper-class” drink, so while wine-drinking is more wide-spread and has become more popular, it is still not as popular as other alcoholic beverages in Japan like beer and Japanese sake.
※ Japan Wineries Association, "What is Japanese Wine?"
Japanese Consumption of Wine
It was reported in 2018 that wine imports valued at 1.65 billion dollars in 2017, and made up nearly 70% of the wine in the country, which adds up to a total of 376.6 million liters. Another report in 2018 shows that the average consumption of wine per person per year is 3.6 liters.This shows that wine consumption has definitely gone up over the years; with the demand of foreign wine still high. Roughly 30% of the wine in Japan is domestically produced - however “Japan wine” which is made from only domestically grown grapes, is only about 5% of the market.
Japan has a lower wine consumption than European countries (Japan consumed roughly 3.6 liters per person, while France consumed 40.2 liters per person in 2017); thus, sellers have a hard time marketing wine.
※ United States Department of Agriculture, "Global Agricultural Information Network" ※ Sopexa, "Wine: a drink that seduces Japan" ※ Statista, "Annual wine consumption per capita in France from 2007 to 2017(in liters)"
The cost of wine
You can get expensive wine at specialty wine shops. A report in 2018 shows that the average price for imported wines is 5.85 dollars or 625 yen per liter. Another report shows that imported wines under the affordable bracket or the lower end bracket cost around 500 to 1,500 yen. Wines of the higher end bracket cost a lot more, about two to three times the price of those in the European countries or around 2,300 to 3,600 yen to start. There are a lot of reasons why it is more expensive than those of European countries, such as import, tax, and storage fees, but the main reason why it is costly is because of its demand and market.
※ United States Department of Agriculture, "Global Agricultural Information Network"
To give more specific and affordable examples, you can get very cheaply priced wines at convenience stores starting at 500 yen for 750 ml up to about 1000 yen for a bottle, and about 1400 yen for a boxed wine at Seven Eleven. If you go to Seijo Ishii, a nice supermarket, a bottle will start at around 1000 yen and can go up to around 6000 yen for a decent bottle.
Additional Tips
Selecting your Wine
There are a lot of wines that one can choose from while in Japan, and it could be somewhat confusing to select the perfect wine for your taste. There are factors to consider like food pairing, cooking, and the occasion you would need the wine. Below are some tips by a blog called Japanese Food and Wine on how to select your wine when dining with your friends anywhere in Japan.
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If you are fairly new in the wine scene, then you can try a variety of wine for you to find the perfect fit to suit your taste.
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Another tip for beginners, do not be afraid to ask - people at wine shops will have good suggestions - or use resources such as the internet when looking for wine details.
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In terms of what wine to choose during meals here are some suggestions:
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If you love seafood like sushi platter, Gomoku-zushi, sashimi, tuna, tako, hamaguri, and others, pair it with sparkling white and fruity wines like Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir or any semi-sweet white wine.
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Another perfect pair when eating seafood is the koshu wine. This wine is perfect for fresh fish dishes like sushi and sashimi platters as recommended by a wine expert called Peter McCombie in an interview with Decanter. The wine is also perfect with fried dishes like gyoza and sea bream fillet.
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If you have meat for dinner like Gyuu no Tataki, mixed Yakitori, chicken, or any beef, pair it with Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, a Malbec, Pinot Blanc or sparkling rose wine.
※ Japanese Food and Wine, "Japanese Food & Wine Pairing Chart" ※Decanter, “Koshu pairing: A taste of Japan”
Summary
A lot of people enjoy wines - with its aromatic scent, smooth texture, and unique taste that one could surely fall in love with all around the world. Japan consumes a lot of alcohol; that is why it is no surprise that you could find alcohol in all convenience stores in Japan, which includes both imported and local wines displayed on the shelves. In choosing wine, it is important to cater to your taste and be mindful of food pairings to enjoy more of the mouth-watering dishes of Japan. And make sure to try Japanese wine to appreciate the delicate Japanese grape in a new way.
