19 Best Tried and True Yamanashi Wines in 2022 (Suntory, Grace Wine, and More)

To experience the full flavor of Koshu grapes, try them in a simple white wine. If you are searching for greater depth, try something where the winemaking process was more involved, such as a bottle aged sur lie – that is, aged directly on the lees for lengths of time in order to extract and fill out flavors.

That clean, fruity taste makes Muscat Bailey A wines a perfect companion for Japanese meat and fish dishes. Try them if you find most red wines too astringent.

Cabernet Sauvignon is both sour and tannic, and simply by exposing it to air, you can change its flavor in subtle and wonderful ways. It pairs well with Western foods–in particular, roasts of red meat and steak.

It’s less sour and tannic than Cabernet Sauvignon and it's smooth and has an elegant taste; this, too, would be a good choice for those who don’t like astringent wines.

Merlot goes well with foods that are more mellow and full; think of stewed and braised meat dishes like beef stew or even the Japanese hot pot dish sukiyaki.

Chardonnay is called the Queen of White Wines. Its flavor changes depending on the place and method of production.

In colder climates, Chardonnay takes on an elegant taste that’s sharply acidic, as well as the fragrance of apples or pears. In warmer climates, it takes on a full, mellow flavor similar to ripe pineapples or banana.

Chardonnay wine produced in Yamanashi has the refreshing scent of green apples. It tastes fresh and elegant. It complements not only fish but also pork and poultry dishes.

Vineyards that cultivate Adirondac are extremely rare, earning it the appellation of “phantom grape.” In Japan, most producers are near the Katsunuma region in Yamanashi Prefecture.

Cultivating Adirondac is a painstaking process, which is why there are few dedicated vineyards. Not only must you harvest the grapes with care, cradling each cluster in both hands, but they’re also particularly susceptible to pests like birds and insects–producers know not to expect bountiful harvests.

Adirondac has the sweet scent of raspberries and feels clean and elegant on the tongue. It also tastes of fruit, both round and delicate.

Delaware, Niagara, and Kyoho grapes are varieties you can often find in supermarkets. They smell fruity and taste sweet, which is why they’re so often snacked on, but in wines, these characteristics come off too strong and often overpower the taste of other foods. Even when fermented, the grapes taste more like juice than wine.

Actually, most wines made from grapes that are normally eaten turn out sweet. Therefore, they’re best had after dinner as a dessert wine; you would also like them if you aren’t a big fan of alcohol and are looking for a sweet wine that’s easy to swallow.

Grace Wine adds no extra sweet or sour elements to their products; their principle is to make wine in as natural a way as possible. They produce Koshu wines that have umami and are both clean and elegant.

The woman in charge of cultivation over at Misawa Vineyards and the current chief winemaker at Grace Wines, Ayana Misawa, studied abroad in both France and South Africa, where she learned about the art of winemaking. Upon her return to Japan, she worked on the Cuvée Misawa Akeno Koshu 2013, which won gold at the prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Grace Wine is at the forefront of Japanese winemaking and is the winery that made the world aware of the limitless potential of Koshu grapes.

As per their French-derived name, L’Orient seeks to craft high-quality wines that won't lose to those produced by well-established makers in Europe. L’Orient’s winery is also a must-see for anyone interested in Yamanashi wine tours, as it offers visitors a chance to tread on grapes, bottle wines, and design their own labels.

As for its performance at the Decanter World Wine Awards, L’Orient brought home the gold medal with its first entry ever: the Cellar Master Koshu 2016.