Region
Regions
Wine regions and appellations, written from our experiences in the field.
Japan
Hokkaido
Japan’s northernmost wine frontier — cold-climate viticulture on volcanic soil
Hokkaido is Japan’s most exciting emerging wine region. Lower humidity, cooler temperatures, and volcanic soils produce wines of startling freshness — from Austrian-rooted Kerner and Zweigelt to increasingly serious Pinot Noir.
Yamanashi
Japan’s wine heartland — home of Koshu and the oldest continuously producing wineries in the country
Yamanashi Prefecture, centered around the town of Katsunuma at the foot of Mount Fuji, is Japan’s most important wine-producing region. It is home to the Koshu grape, over eighty wineries, and Japan’s first Geographical Indication for wine.
Katsunuma / Kofu Basin