Looking for the best Japanese Wine? Check out the top wines from Japan that are amazing in taste and also affordable. Read further to know more.
Japan is known worldwide for its range of delicious sake. However, that is not all that you can get in Japan. Japan is also known for its wine industry which produces some of the finest wines you will ever taste.
Japan has also won several medals at the Decanter World Wine Awards. This shows that the wines made in Japan have a fine quality.
Best Japanese Wine: Summary
| Best Japanese Wine | Alcohol Content | Important Feature |
| Suntory Red Wine | 14% | Soft and smooth texture |
| Lumiere Sparkling Koshu 2016 | 11% | Slightly citrus in flavor |
| Premium Koshu 2016 | 12% | Perfect when paired with creamy foods |
| Kurambon Wine | 12% | Made using a slow fermentation technique |
| Beringer Red Wine | 14.5% | Can be used for other cooking purposes |
| Yoshiki Red Wine | 13.5% | Has an essence of vanilla, coffee and chocolate |
| Provetto Brut | 10.5% | Made with Spanish grapes |
| Santa Helena Alpaca Wine with Green Herbs | 13.5% | Caramel flavor |
Which is the best Japanese wine?
My team and I taste-tested a lot of Japanese wines and rated them based on their taste, alcohol content, and price. We found Suntory Red Wine to be the best out of all. Here’s why:
Suntory Red Wine is an easy-to-drink, smooth, and soft textured wine. It’s made with top-quality grapes. The wine can be consumed at any time of the day with or without meals. This red wine doesn’t contain any antioxidants additives and is natural. It’s available on Amazon Japan for sale.
You will also notice that there is a huge demand for these wines all over the world. If you are looking for the best Japanese wine, look no further.
- Related: Best Japanese Plum Wine
- Related: Best Japanese Sake
I have put together some of the finest wines you will ever taste, right from the land of the rising sun. Are you ready to sip the night away with these wines?
Top Japanese Wine
Suntory Red Wine
Enjoy the pleasure of drinking this red wine from the brand Suntory. This is a pack of six tetra packs that contain wine made without any additional artificial additives.
It is easy to drink and is absolutely tasty as the grapes, with which the wine is made, are cultivated in restrictive weather to bring out the flavor completely. This is the best cheap wine in Japan.
The wine is quite strong but can be taken with regular meals. Without antioxidants also, this wine has a perfect aroma and the taste of grape stays intact. It’s one of the good Japanese wine for beginners.
At any time of the day, I can enjoy a glass of Suntory and give myself some mental peace and time to relax with this best Japanese wine. I particularly love the texture of this wine which isn’t too dry and has a good amount of sweetness and low acidity. I also don’t have to burn my pocket to buy this wine.
Key Features:
- Red wine without antioxidant additives
- Made with good quality grapes
- Can be consumed at any time of the day with or without meals
- Soft and smooth texture and easy to drink
Ratings:
- Ingredients: 9.5/10
- Taste: 9/10
- Affordability: 9.5/10
Lumiére Sparkling Koshu 2016
Made using Koshu grapes, this dry sparkling wine is known for its refreshing sour taste. I love the fact that this does not have a very sweet taste.
This is top-choice when it comes to raising a toast. It is highly carbonated and effervescent. The acidity level of this wine is also quite high. This Japanese wine’s price is quite reasonable so you can enjoy it without a second thought.
Also, I love the slight citrus flavor that this Koshu sparkling wine has. I have to agree that this is the best Japanese wine for its flavor.
Key Features:
- Made using Koshu grapes
- Has a refreshing sour taste
- Not a lingering sweetness
- Perfect for raising a toast
- Highly carbonated
- Has a slight citrus flavor
Ratings:
- Ingredients: 9.5/10
- Taste: 8.5/10
- Affordability: 8.5/10
Premium Koshu 2016
If you love Japanese white wine and are passionate about it, then you must give this Premium Koshu a try. This wine has a refreshing taste that is very light. I love the slight hint of mint and apples in this wine.
It is quite easy to drink this wine, which makes it the perfect partner for creamy foods. You can also enjoy this wine as a chilled drink on a hot summer night. It’s the best Japanese wine for its refreshing taste. Japanese wines like Koshu are perfect for dine out party with friends.
Key Features:
- White wine with a refreshing taste
- Light and crisp
- Hints of mint and apples
- Easy to drink
- Perfect when paired with creamy foods
Ratings:
- Ingredients: 10/10
- Taste: 9.5/10
- Affordability: 8.5/10
Kurambon Wine
This is the perfect wine for first-time drinkers. It has a rich taste, thanks to the carefully selected Koshu grapes. The grapes are slowly fermented at a low temperature. This wine has a fruity fragrance with a slight hint of citrus.
It leaves quite a fresh taste in your mouth. I also love the aftertaste it leaves behind. It’s the best Japanese wine for beginners.
Key Features:
- Perfect wine for first-time wine drinkers
- Made using home-grown Koshu grapes
- Made using a slow fermentation technique
- Has a fruity fragrance with a slight hint of citrus
- Fresh taste
Beringer Red Wine
If you are wondering which red wine you should buy then go for this one. This red wine has bagged itself the ‘Wine of the year’ award because of its rich taste and feel.
The process of making wine matters the most to have that delicious taste. It’s the best Japanese wine for cooking purposes.
The brewing technique keeps the taste unique and long lasting. This wine is made with grapes cultivated in the environment of California which gives both sweet and sour taste. You can even use this red wine as umami to marinate the meat.
The taste spreads evenly in the mouth and feels both thick and mellow. Grab this bottle of wine and enjoy the rich and punchy taste. This is not so expensive japanese wine that can be enjoyed with friends and family.
Key Features:
- Famous red wine from a well know winery
- Made with traditional wine production ways
- Made in a way to keep the fruity taste unique
- Can be used for other cooking purposes
Yoshiki Red Wine
This best Japanese wine is an interesting option if you are planning to invest in red wine. You will definitely have a heavenly taste in your mouth when you try this extremely delicious wine. In the beginning, it is a bit acidic but later it feels smooth and soft.
With a good aroma and mellow taste, it is easy to drink and can be served with other heavenly dishes like lamb and beef. This is also the most popular red wine in Japan.
Rich in flavor, this red wine also has chocolate, coffee, and vanilla essence to bring out the subtleness of the wine.
The grapes used in this wine are of high quality that were cultivated in California. Also, it is alcoholic with a 13.5% of alcohol content. It’s definitely the best Japanese wine that’s acidic as well as soft.
Key Features:
- Made with California grapes to get the fresh taste
- Slightly alcoholic in nature
- Easy to drink with a both acidic and soft flavor
- Also has an essence of vanilla, coffee and chocolate
Provetto Brut
Not a fan of red wine? Don’t worry, as there is an option in white wine that will blow your mind completely because it’s the best Japanese wine for the fizz.
Provetto Brut is a white wine made with handpicked excellent quality Spanish grapes that are completely ripe. This is a sparkling wine made with aromatic grapes that give you both citric and sweet taste which is not all overpowering.
It blends in your mouth and feels absolutely delicious. The fizz and white bubbles make its appearance amazing and it can be drunk daily or on special occasions to celebrate.
To make it a perfect wine choice, a balanced amount of acidity and carbon dioxide are added, which also keeps the texture pleasant. Relish this best Japanese wine with your friends.
Key Features:
- Made with Spanish grapes
- Sparkling white wine with citrus and acidic taste
- Produced in high technology environment to keep the grape flavor intact
- Fizzy and has clear white bubbles
Santa Helena Alpaca Wine with Green Herbs
Fruit wine with herbs and spices? Ever tasted that? If not, then get this caramel flavored best Japanese wine to fulfill your mouth’s taste. To make this wine taste more exotic and delicious, herbs and spices of good quality have been used.
Environment and cold temperature play a very important role in the ripening process of the fruits as the difference in temperature make the fruit sweeter and condensed.
This eventually makes the wine flavor extremely fruitful. Keep this as a daily wine and enjoy it with different types of meals. Do try out this best Japanese wine.
Key Features:
- Grape wine infused with herbs and spices
- Preserved at cold temperature to keep the flavor intact
- Suitable for daily drinking
- Caramel flavor that satisfies your mouth
How we tested the Japanese wine?
We tested the wine for the following point:
Taste
After tasting all the wines here, you can be sure that each one of them is perfect for a nice refreshing treat after your evening meals. The flavors of these wines are such that they tingle your taste buds. The aftertaste of most of them is also quite pleasing.
Alcohol Content
We also test the Japanese wine based on the alcohol content it has an ideal wine’s alcohol content should be anywhere between 10-15%
Tips to Choose a Japanese Wine:
There are a few things to look for when choosing a Japanese wine, check these boxes before you buy a Japanese wine.
- First, you want to make sure that the wine is made from 100% Japanese grapes.
- Second, you’ll want to check the label to see if the wine has been aged for at least three years before release.
- Finally, you’ll want to make sure that the winery is reputable and has a good track record.
Some of our favorite wines from Japan include the Dewatsuru Junmai Daiginjo Sake, the Kamoizumi Kyoto White Sake, and the Koshu Wine Yamanashi. All of these wines are made with 100% Japanese grapes and have been aged for at least three years before release.
Reasons for Popularity of Wine from Japan
Japan used only grapes that were native to Japan when producing wine. For this purpose, the Japanese used varieties such as Koshu or Delaware, which is a close relative.
It was only after 1980 that European grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot came to Japan. With these new varieties entering the wine industry, Japanese wine reached new heights.
In recent times, Japan’s wine export has increased exponentially. Japanese wine is so popular because of its smooth and delicate flavor. Also, since 2018, Japan Winery Award has started using a star classification to rank wineries and their wines.
Difference Between Japanese Wine and Domestic Wine
Wine is a kind of drink that is very expressive. It tells us about the climate of the land as well as the culture of the place.
There are many wine-producing countries in the world that are very particular about where their wine is produced. These countries include France, Italy, Germany, and Spain.
Countries regulate their production areas and label their grape varieties so they can protect the uniqueness and value of their wine.
For many years, the label of domestic wine in Japan was very loosely used. Although it said domestic wine, most of them were being produced by fermenting grapes that were imported.
Also, there were several domestic Japanese wines that were bottled by using wines that were imported from overseas. These were also labeled as domestic wine.
This caused a lot of confusion regarding what really was domestic wine, and so, a law for wine labels called ‘Labeling Standards for Manufacturing Process and Quality of Wine, etc.’ was established in October 2015.
The law was, however, implemented only in October 2018.
It was after the enforcement of this act that the label changed from domestic wine to Japanese wine. After this, Japan followed international regulations.
Now, any wine that is labeled as Japanese wine must reveal that the grapes have been harvested and fermented in Japan.
Apart from this, the label also shows the year when the grapes were harvested and the region. You will also find the variety of grapes that were used to produce the wine.
The information that we find on the label is highly informative. Wineries, winemakers, and vineyards also feel proud and responsible because of this label.
The Main Wine Producing Regions of Japan (Yamanashi, Nagano, Niigata, Yamagata, Hokkaido) and the Leading Varieties of Grapes Native to Japan
Koshu (Yamanashi)
Koshu is a kind of grape that is used for making Japanese wine that has a huge market in foreign countries. This white wine grape, as per a DNA test result, is a hybrid between a European grape variety and Chinese wild grapes.
The wine that is made using Koshu grapes has a hint of citrus along with acidic and fruity flavors. The wine leaves a slightly bitter aftertaste, which is actually quite pleasant. It goes really well with Japanese cuisine and so, it is well-praised.
Ryugan (Nagano)
Ryugan is a variety of grapes that is said to have originated in China. This Eastern-European white wine grape is cultivated around the Zenkoji Temple of Nagano Prefecture.
It is because of its place of cultivation that it is also known as Zenkoji grapes. It has a light fruitiness in its taste along with notes of citrus. This wine can be turned into dry wine and it goes really well with Japanese cuisine.
Muscat Bailey (Niigate)
The Muscat Bailey variety of grape was first cultivated by Zenbei Kawakami, the founder of Iwanohara Vineyard. Kawakami is known as the father of Japanese wine. This variety of grape is a hybrid between an American berry and a European grape variety called the Muscat Hamburg.
This is one of the most heavily produced red wine grapes in Japan. This variety of grapes give you a wide range of flavors, which is why it is easy to experiment with them. You can make both light and juicy wine as well as an oak-barrel-aged wine with this grape variety.
Yama Sauvignon (Yamagata)
This is one of the most notable varieties of grapes that are used to make red wine. This is a hybrid between mountain grapes and Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a deep red color to it and also has some earthiness from the mountain grapes.
Yamasachi (Hokkaido)
These are red wine grapes that are resistant to the cold and frost. This variety of grapes is quite easy to cultivate and does not require you to put in a lot of work. The wine has flavors of rustic woodiness as well as a sharp acidity.
Best Wine In Japan: FAQs
Is Japanese wine any good?
Although Japan is known for its sake, which is something that is enjoyed by every Japanese in the evening, you will also be surprised to hear that the Japanese wine industry is expanding.
The domestic wines of Japan are truly a treat for your taste buds. These wines are so good, it has brought the wine industry of Japan into the limelight.
Thanks to these wines, Japan has won various medals at the Decanter World Wine Award. The wines have the finest quality and you are sure to enjoy your meals with them.
What is Japanese plum wine?
Japanese plum wine is known as Umeshu in Japan. It is a liquor that is very rich in flavor. It is made by steeping fresh Japanese plum in shochu (white liquor) and sugar. It has a distinct flavor that hints at both sweetness and sourness. It also has a very tantalizing fruity aroma. Using Japanese plum wine, you can make various kinds of drinks.
Why is Umeshu (Japanese plum wine) good for you?
Japanese plum wine or Umeshu is said to be very good for you. It is known to relieve you from exhaustion.
Apart from taking care of your energy levels, it also helps with constipation. It also helps to prevent diarrhea and stimulate appetite. Umeshu contains a lot of minerals and calcium that are very good for your health.
With the Japanese plum wine, you can get tipsy but without compromising on your health.
Do Japanese people drink wine?
According to a recent study, 29% of people in Japan drink wine regularly. So, it’s not exactly like wine drinking is uncommon in the country. In fact, many Japanese people enjoy trying different types of wines from all over the world.
What is a wine called in Japanese?
Wine is called kajitsu noaji (果実の酒) in Japanese. This translates to “fruit wine”. Some common types of fruit wine include plum wine (ume-shu, 梅酒), grape wine (budō-shu, ぶどう酒), and apple wine (ringo no moe, りんごの酛). Fruit wines are typically sweeter than regular wines because of the natural sugars in the fruit.
Drink Away!
These were some of the best Japanese wines that you can try out. These best Japanese wines are going to make sure you have a wonderful time in the evening.
While many of us associate the liquor scene in Japan with sake, we often forget about the existence of these wonderful and delicious domestic wines.
So, try out these best Japanese wines. I am sure you will be asking for more with every sip of the best Japanese wine. Happy drinking!
Also Read:
Erika is the main author of the website. She is obsessed with Japanese products and always looks for an opportunity to share her love for Japanese products with everybody around her! She combined her love for writing, research and testing products to create Best Japanese Products. When she’s not reviewing latest Japanese products, you’ll find her pampering her cats. Erika is the definition of ‘The Crazy Cat Lady’.
Suntory Red Wine
Check out Best Japanese Wine, a curated list of top wines from Japan with the best taste and top quality. Do check out Suntory Red Wine which is the best in the list of Japanese wine. Read further to know more.
Product SKU: THFV309903055
Product Brand: Suntory
Product Currency: Japanese Yen
Product Price: 5,598
Price Valid Until: 2022
Product In-Stock: InStock
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