Japanese wines are a story waiting to be told

The world is in love with whiskies made in Japan and there is so much demand for them globally that the distilleries in Japan cannot simply match it with their supply. But when it comes to wines from the land of the rising sun, an element of mysticism and tradition dominate the history of wines in Japan. However, though their appreciation and consumption are growing locally, the export of Japanese wines is limited.

Though the Meiji government added measures to promote grape cultivation and winemaking as part of its policy for promoting new industries, it was not until the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 that table wine consumption started to become popular in Japan. Since then, wine consumption in Japan has grown rapidly through several ‘wine booms,’ and thereafter has grown steadily step by step, says Tomo-o Arai, Executive Director, Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association (JSLMA )and Japan Wineries Association(JWA)in an interview with Bishan Kumar at his office in Tokyo.

It is very heartening that the passion for wines is growing in Japan and many entrepreneurs are entering the wine making sector. “In the past few years, we have seen a rush to establish new wineries, with an increasing number of new farmers growing grapes and aiming to establish wineries in the future,” the ED points out.

According to the National Tax Agency of Japan, the number of wineries in Japan in FY 2020 was 413 while there are 247 members registered with the agency as of October 22.

Different wine competitions and awards being won by the Japanese wine labels are giving a push to wine rush.

The Japan Wine Competition (formerly the Domestic Wine Competition), which has been held since 2003, has provided a great incentive to winemakers throughout Japan and has also attracted considerable attention from consumers to Japanese wines.

Arai discloses even judges have stated that the quality of the wines in the competition had clearly improved over time and some Japanese wines were now at such a level that they would be able to win the gold medal at international competitions.

Nuances of Japanese Wines

Arai further reveals that the main wine-producing regions in Japan are Yamanashi, Hokkaido, Nagano, and Yamagata. Osaka and other areas between the Kansai and Chugoku regions, as well as Kyushu and Okinawa regions also produce wine. Grape varieties indigenous to Japan are Muscat Bailey A, Black Queen, Yamabudo, Koshu and Yamasachi.

Nakamura Yoshio, Managing Director of Japan Spirits & Liqueurs Makers Association (JSLMA) and Japan Wineries Association (JWA), goes on to elaborate that Japanese wine is characterised by its diversity.

In addition to Japanese wine varieties such as Koshu, a white wine variety representative of Japan, and Muscat Bailey A, a red wine variety, hybrids with Labrusca, a variety native to the US and more recently Chardonnay and Merlot have been introduced in Japan, resulting in a wide range of wines with diverse flavours.

The overall flavour profile of Japan’s indigenous wines is characterised by subtlety, just as in traditional Japanese cuisine. Japanese food and Japanese wine are compatible in their subtlety. “Japanese wines are best suited for Japanese food including sushi, tempura, and sukiyaki,” Nakamura continues, saying the association does not have sufficient information about the number of wineries in Japan, which intend to export their products to India.

Arai informs that as far as promotion of wines abroad is concerned, Koshu of Japan (KOJ), an organisation in Yamanashi Prefecture - Japan’s main wine-producing region - has been promoting Japanese wines around the world since 2010, particularly in the UK; the centre of the global wine market.

Unique Profile

Talking about the highly acclaimed whiskies that Japan is known for, Arai says the manufacturing process of their malt whisky is similar to that of Scotch and other types of whiskies, because Japan adopted Scotch whisky manufacturing techniques since the beginning of its whisky production in 1923. Scotch distilleries generally exchange their own unblended whisky with many other distilleries to secure various types of unblended whiskies, which are then blended with their own unblended whisky to develop and maintain the quality of their products.

"This kind of unblended whisky exchange is not customary in Japan. Therefore, each distiller has worked diligently to develop techniques for producing their own varieties of unblended whisky through friendly competition. Along with this, by owning distilleries overseas or utilising sake imported from overseas, we have been able to provide delicious Japanese whisky with a subtle taste and skillful blending techniques,” he explains.

High Quality Whisky

According to Taxation Statistics of the National Tax Agency, the number of distilleries manufacturing whiskies in Japan was 35 in 2020 and the total volume of whisky production was 135,396 kl.

When asked about the reason for high price of Japanese whiskies, Arai explains that since 2000, the country is producing high-quality whisky products that have won consecutive awards at traditional international competitions such as at International Spirits Challenge (U.K.), World Whiskies
Awards (U.K.) and have come to be so highly regarded that they have attracted global attention.

Further, Nakamura says Japanese consumers are also aware of the high acclaim for these whisky products, which has been contributing to a sharp increase in their domestic consumption. The demand for whisky in Japan peaked in 1983 and had remained stagnant for a while since then. So, there is a period of time in which manufacturers reduced their production of unblended whisky in Japan.

Short Supply and Promotion

Nakamura agrees that there could be short supply of Japanese whiskies in some parts of the world but that is simply because of the nature of the product, which is difficult to supply more in a short period of time due to the way in which it is manufactured; requiring long maturation period.

It is said that Japanese whisky manufacturers are also trying to increase their production facilities but they also believe it is important to maintain a balance between supplying products for the Japanese domestic market and for exports.

As for promoting Japanese whiskies in India, Arai says that at this point in time, the association believes that it is more appropriate for individual manufacturers to communicate for their brand rather than for industry associations to hold PR events.

Arai goes on to appeal to the Indian media to inform the public that the National Tax Agency has established regulations defining Japanese wine and domestically- produced wine ( which are made using imported grape juices, etc.) and that based on these regulations, wineries throughout Japan are working to improve their quality of produce.

In addition to this, in accordance with laws and regulations, Japan has established a Geographical Indication (GI) Protection System to protect the names of its five wine-producing regions across Japan. These include Hokkaido, Yamagata, Nagano, Yamanashi, and Osaka.

“I am sure that soon some beautiful Japanese wines like Koshu and Muscat Bailey A will find their way in India and let the country know that Japan not only makes great whiskies but high-quality wines too!” asserts Arai.