Koshu of Japan

What It Is

Koshu of Japan (KOJ) is a joint promotional and policy organization founded in 2009 by a coalition of Yamanashi wine producers, the Yamanashi Prefectural Government, and the Yamanashi Wineries Association. Its mission was to internationalize the Koshu grape — to move it from "domestic Japanese curiosity" to "internationally recognized fine-wine variety" within roughly a decade.

What It Has Achieved

Looking back from 2026, the KOJ initiative has been remarkably successful:

Institutional Wins

• 2010 OIV registration of Koshu — first Japanese variety to achieve this, opening EU labeling
• 2013 GI Yamanashi designation — first Japanese wine GI; KOJ’s policy work was central
• 2024 GI Yamanashi Koshu — variety-specific GI within Yamanashi prefecture

Market Wins

• London distribution — KOJ’s annual London tasting (since 2010) made Koshu visible at Master of Wine and somm-buyer level
• Decanter recognition — 2017 Gold for Grace Wine’s Cuvée Misawa Akeno (98 pts)
• International press coverage — Decanter, World of Fine Wine, Jancis Robinson, Vinous

Producer Wins

• Multiple Yamanashi producers now export to UK, EU, US, and Asian markets
• Koshu has become a recognized variety category internationally, with its own tasting vocabulary and pairing tradition
• Younger Koshu producers can credibly position themselves as fine-wine producers rather than regional specialty producers

How It Works

KOJ operates through:

• Annual member-producer tastings — London (since 2010), New York, Hong Kong, Tokyo
• Translated marketing materials — Koshu wine technical information in English, French, Chinese
• Collective importer relationships — coordinating UK, EU, US, and Asian distribution
• Policy advocacy — working with NTA on GI standards, OIV liaison

The organization is a paradigmatic example of "national variety promotion" — comparable to Sherry Wines (Spain), Albariño (Galicia), Furmint (Hungary), or Argentine Malbec (Wines of Argentina).

Why It Matters

Without KOJ, Koshu’s international position would be radically weaker. The OIV registration, the GI designations, the international press coverage, and the multi-producer London distribution would all be much harder or impossible. KOJ is the institutional infrastructure that made Koshu’s 2010s breakthrough sustainable.

Details

• Founded: 2009
• Members: Yamanashi wine producers + prefectural government + Wineries Association
• Headquarters: Yamanashi
• Major events: Annual London tasting (since 2010), New York, Hong Kong, Tokyo
• Key wins: OIV 2010, GI Yamanashi 2013, GI Yamanashi Koshu 2024