The best wines of Japan

Discover the best wines of Japan as well as the best winemakers of Japan and estates of Japan to visit. Explore the popular grape varieties in Japan and the best vintages to taste in this region.

Top wines by regions > Japan

Top wines of Japan by region

Looking for a good wine of Japan among the top wines in the region? Check out our tops of the best red, white or effervescent wines of Japan. Also find some food and wine pairings that may be appropriate with these exceptional wines. Learn more about the region and the wines of Japan with technical and enological descriptions.

Great red wines of Japan

See the top 100 best red wines of Japan

Want to buy a red wine of Japan cheap or sell a red wine of Japan at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a red wine of Japan

Red wines from the region of Japan go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, game (deer, venison) or lamb such as recipes of roast beef in a salt crust, duck breast with peaches and spices or stuffed tomatoes with lamb confit.

Organoleptic analysis of red wine of Japan

On the nose the red wine of the region of Japan. often reveals types of flavors of strawberries, plum or raspberry and sometimes also flavors of red cherry, non oak or earth.

The best vintages in red wine of Japan

  • 1985 With an average score of 4.60/5
  • 1993 With an average score of 4.40/5
  • 2018 With an average score of 3.92/5
  • 2010 With an average score of 3.92/5
  • 2017 With an average score of 3.91/5
  • 2015 With an average score of 3.90/5

The most used grape varieties in red wine of Japan

  • Merlot
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Pinot Noir
  • Cabernet Franc
  • Zweigelt
  • Petit Verdot

The best wineries and winemakers for red wine of Japan

A wine route planned in the region of Japan? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best red wine of Japan.

Discovering the wine region of Japan

Japan is famous for its sake, a rice wine, but Grape wine has been made in Japan for hundreds of years or more. Beer and whisky have also gained a place in the consciousness of modern Japanese, and have even become important contributors to the national economy. Winemaking has a Long history in Japan, and there are several stories surrounding its origins. The most common is that in 718 AD, a Buddhist monk named Gyoki planted the first vineyards at Daizenji Temple, near Katsunuma (southwest of Tokyo).

Traditionally, the vast majority of grapes in Japan were grown only for eating, and little or no wine was produced. European wine was imported for the Japanese elite for much of the 16th century, but was banned for much of the 17th and 18th centuries under the Sakoku policy of Imperial isolationism. But things have changed rapidly in recent decades. In the 1970s, Japanese interest in the West (and tourism) increased sharply.

Naturally, many Western fashions and traditions made their way into Japan, especially in the areas of food and drink. Wine consumption exploded and, although the focus was on imported wines, domestic wine production naturally increased accordingly. Today, Japanese viticulture has yet to take hold in the world, as the majority of the country's grapes are grown for the table rather than for the bottle. There are only a handful of grape varieties used for Japanese wine making, the most notable of which are the "native" Koshu, the European Muscat of Alexandria and the Japanese Hybrid Muscat Bailey A.

Great white wines of Japan

See the top 100 best white wines of Japan

Want to buy a white wine of Japan cheap or sell a white wine of Japan at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a white wine of Japan

White wines from the region of Japan go well with generally quite well with dishes of pork, rich fish (salmon, tuna etc) or vegetarian such as recipes of roast pork orloff, irish tartiflette or quiche with leeks and fresh salmon from flo.

Organoleptic analysis of white wine of Japan

On the nose the white wine of the region of Japan. often reveals types of flavors of grapefruit, citrus fruit or tropical fruit and sometimes also flavors of non oak, white peach or pear. In the mouth the white wine of the region of Japan. is a .

The best vintages in white wine of Japan

  • 1998 With an average score of 4.40/5
  • 2007 With an average score of 4.00/5
  • 2020 With an average score of 3.92/5
  • 2014 With an average score of 3.82/5
  • 2015 With an average score of 3.77/5
  • 2009 With an average score of 3.76/5

The most used grape varieties in white wine of Japan

  • Chardonnay
  • Koshu
  • Kerner
  • Niagara
  • Bacchus
  • Chenin Blanc

The best wineries and winemakers for white wine of Japan

A wine route planned in the region of Japan? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best white wine of Japan.

Discover the grape variety: Zweigelt

Intraspecific crossing between the saint laurent and the limberger realized in 1922 and in Austria by Fritz Zweigelt (1888/1964) who named it rotburger. Very well known in Austria, it can be found in most Eastern countries, Japan, Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Canada, the United States, etc. In France, it is not very well known and yet this variety has interesting qualities when vinified as a single variety for both red and rosé wines. - Synonyms: rotburger, klosterneuburger, zweigelt blau, blauer-zweigelt in Germany, zweigeltrebe in Austria, Great Britain and the Czech Republic, blauer zwelgetrabe in Hungary, etc. (for all the synonyms of the grape varieties, click here !)

Great sparkling wines of Japan

See the top 100 best sparkling wines of Japan

Want to buy a sparkling wine of Japan cheap or sell a sparkling wine of Japan at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a sparkling wine of Japan

Sparkling wines from the region of Japan go well with generally quite well with dishes of pork, rich fish (salmon, tuna etc) or vegetarian such as recipes of cocotte chicken roulades, tuna bruschetta or tuna, pepper and tomato quiche.

Organoleptic analysis of sparkling wine of Japan

On the nose the sparkling wine of the region of Japan. often reveals types of flavors of microbio, tree fruit or citrus fruit and sometimes also flavors of earth, vegetal or non oak.

The best vintages in sparkling wine of Japan

  • 2011 With an average score of 3.94/5
  • 2012 With an average score of 3.84/5
  • 2013 With an average score of 3.84/5
  • 2020 With an average score of 3.71/5
  • 2014 With an average score of 3.63/5
  • 2006 With an average score of 3.60/5

The most used grape varieties in sparkling wine of Japan

  • Koshu
  • Delaware
  • Chardonnay
  • Muscat Blanc
  • Kerner
  • Niagara

The best wineries and winemakers for sparkling wine of Japan

A wine route planned in the region of Japan? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best sparkling wine of Japan.

The word of the wine: Ploussard

See poulsard.

Great pink wines of Japan

See the top 100 best pink wines of Japan

Want to buy a pink wine of Japan cheap or sell a pink wine of Japan at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a pink wine of Japan

Pink wines from the region of Japan go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or game (deer, venison) such as recipes of beef turtle like in reunion island, quick marinated lamb chops or duck with orange.

Organoleptic analysis of pink wine of Japan

On the nose the pink wine of the region of Japan. often reveals types of flavors of earth, tree fruit or red fruit and sometimes also flavors of floral, citrus fruit.

The best vintages in pink wine of Japan

  • 2015 With an average score of 3.69/5
  • 2019 With an average score of 3.53/5
  • 2016 With an average score of 3.51/5
  • 2018 With an average score of 3.47/5
  • 2017 With an average score of 3.41/5
  • 2013 With an average score of 3.40/5

The most used grape varieties in pink wine of Japan

  • Muscat Bailey A
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Merlot
  • Delaware
  • Alicante Bouschet
  • Cabernet Franc

The best wineries and winemakers for pink wine of Japan

A wine route planned in the region of Japan? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best pink wine of Japan.

Discover the grape variety: Petit Verdot

Petit Verdot noir is a grape variety that originated in France (southwest). It produces a variety of grape specially used for wine making. It is rare to find this grape to eat on our tables. This variety of grape is characterized by small bunches and small grapes. Petit Verdot noir can be found in several vineyards: South-West, Languedoc & Roussillon, Cognac, Bordeaux, Rhone valley, Provence & Corsica, Loire valley, Savoie & Bugey, Beaujolais, Armagnac.

Great sweet wines of Japan

See the top 100 best sweet wines of Japan

Want to buy a sweet wine of Japan cheap or sell a sweet wine of Japan at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a sweet wine of Japan

Sweet wines from the region of Japan go well with generally quite well with dishes of pork, rich fish (salmon, tuna etc) or vegetarian such as recipes of kig ha farz (breton stew), raw salmon marinade with vinegars or quiche with bacon and gruyère cheese.

Organoleptic analysis of sweet wine of Japan

On the nose the sweet wine of the region of Japan. often reveals types of flavors of earth, oak or tree fruit and sometimes also flavors of dried fruit, non oak or microbio.

The best vintages in sweet wine of Japan

  • 2020 With an average score of 4.30/5
  • 2019 With an average score of 4.30/5
  • 2017 With an average score of 4.13/5
  • 2018 With an average score of 4.01/5
  • 2016 With an average score of 3.87/5
  • 2013 With an average score of 3.80/5

The most used grape varieties in sweet wine of Japan

  • Niagara
  • Merlot
  • Chardonnay
  • Riesling
  • Concord
  • Cabernet Sauvignon

The best wineries and winemakers for sweet wine of Japan

A wine route planned in the region of Japan? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best sweet wine of Japan.

The word of the wine: Bitter (flavor)

A flavour generally provided in wines by polyphenols and accompanied by a sensation of pungency. In small quantities, bitterness makes you salivate, gives relief to the wine and reinforces its sapidity.

News from the vineyard of Japan

Ten years on: Chinese wine’s breakthrough moment at DWWA

The prestige attached to winning at the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) means that being awarded a Bronze medal for some wineries will mean huge celebrations in China, Japan, India, or Thailand. Since the competition began in 2004, I have often reminded judges on my panel about this – whether they are journalists, sommeliers, educators, Masters of Wine or Master Sommeliers. Scroll down for new tasting notes and scores on Jia Bei Lan vintages: from the Chinese wine label that won big at DWWA 20 ...

Christmas 2021: Wine & Spirits Advent calendars

With the festive season upon us, the countdown to all things merry has begun. The daily surprise from behind each door on an Advent calendar is one the most exciting rituals in the build up to Christmas day. No longer the remit of chocolate and children only, spirits and wine Advent calendars are increasing in popularity and are now much-anticipated Christmas staples in their own right (for adults, that is!). Below, you will find our selection of the best wine and spirits Advent calendars. They ...

DO Penedès: new rules and aiming for Spanish wine’s top-tier

On 16 November 2021, the Denomination of Origin Penedès in Catalunya (DO Penedès) announced an extensive roadmap up to 2030, taking into account sustainability and establishing the region as a high-quality wine producer in Spain. Most immediately, all grapes for DO Penedès wines must be from fully-certified organic vineyards by 2025. While it’s an aggressive timeline, DO Penedès president Joan Huguet told Decanter, ‘Currently around 60% of the vineyards are already certified and our ...

Discover other regions and appellation of Japan