Japan also produces wine and the quality is not so bad especially the white wine.
There are many wine producing regions in Japan but the two major regions Ikeda, Hokkaido or Katsunuma, Yamanashi. Wines from Ikeda is called Tokachi wine and Katsunuma wine from Katsunuma. Katsumuma wine has the biggest share in Japanese wine market, approximately 1/4 of the share.
The history of Japanese wine is not so new. It is said that the first wine was made in 1628, in northern Kyushu. However, the quantity was very small. Japanese white wines are considered to match more that European or other countries wines for Japanese cuisine, especially for fish and seafood dishes.
However, only around 22% of the wines produced in Japan are made from Japanese domestic fresh grapes, which means 88% of Japanese wines are made from imported grapes. As like Japanese beers, there are 5 major wine producers in Japan are either subsidiaries of major breweries or sake brewery company.
The photo is a bottle of Ajimu wine bottled in Oita prefecture in Kyushu. The winery is owned by major shochu company Sanwa shurui but the grapes are from the vineyards located in the winery.
If you drank too much sake, shochu or beer and looking for something different, why not trying the Japanese domestic wine?