In recent years, Japanese wine has been highly praised by wine lovers overseas as its delicate flavor goes well with Japanese food. Over the past ten years, many high-quality products have been created through the selection of varieties suited to Japan’s climate, cultivation, and improvements in brewing techniques. However, on the other hand, compared to overseas products, the number of copies in circulation is overwhelmingly small, and it can be seen as expensive. Where and what kind of drinks should beginners buy for daily drinking? We asked Higuchi-kun, a member of the comedy duo Hige Danshaku who has acquired wine expert qualifications and is currently working to popularize Japanese wine through events and online salons, to teach us tips for beginners to enjoy Japanese wine, including key points on how to choose wine. Ta.
■The changing image of Japanese wine: “The quality is high, and there are many wines that people don’t know about that are available cheaply.”
What impression do you have of Japanese wine? I think there are still many people who have bought foreign wine but have never bought Japanese wine because of the impression that it is “expensive” or “not delicious.” To those people, Higuchi asserts, “Nowadays, Japanese wine is of high quality, and many of them are available cheaply, even if you don’t know about it.”
“In recent years, the number of wineries in Japan has increased rapidly, and it is said that there are now more than 500 wineries.Prices range from the 1,000 yen range to over 10,000 yen, but wineries such as Romanée-Conti, which sell for millions of wineries, There is no wine that costs more than 100,000 yen.As land in Japan is limited, the production volume is lower than that of overseas wines, but there are Japanese wines from major wineries with high cost performance available at convenience stores and supermarkets.Family-run wines The winery’s wines are not produced in large numbers, but you can sometimes buy them on-site, at liquor stores, department stores, and online shops.They are so popular that they sell out within 2-3 minutes after being released. Japanese wine fans know about it, but other people don’t know the release date or how to buy it.”
So, where should beginners buy Japanese wine?
“First, try buying Koshu and Muscat Bailey A wines that are available at your local supermarket or convenience store.Koshu wines are characterized by the nuances of Japanese citrus fruits such as kabosu, sudachi, and yuzu. It’s perfect for salt-grilled swordfish, salt-grilled fish, etc.Muscat Bailey A goes well with dishes using soy sauce, such as meat and potatoes and sukiyaki.It also goes well with mitarashi dango, so give it a try.There are sommeliers at liquor stores and department stores. For example, if you ask them, “I’d like to eat 〇〇 today,” they will tell you what kind of Japanese wine would go well with them.At supermarkets and convenience stores, you can ask them to refer to POP advertisements and labels. I think it’s good. The good thing about Japanese wine is that the labels are written in Japanese.”
When purchasing, Higuchi advises that you pay close attention to the production area and variety.
“First of all, the variety. The most commonly seen Japanese white wines are Koshu, Niagara, Delaware, and Chardonnay. Red wines include Muscat Bailey A, Merlot, Campbell Early, and Pinot Noir. The rest is the region of origin. Wine. It is said that the flavor of the area, such as the soil and climate of the field where the grapes were grown, tends to come out, so please consider the region of production.So, first of all, have them choose the grapes keeping in mind the region and variety.For example, If you think you like Koshu from Yamanashi, then try another winery’s Koshu.On the other hand, if you think this winery’s wine is delicious, try a different variety from that winery. please”
■Red, white, rosé, orange… which one should you choose?
Which one should you choose: red, white, rosé, or orange? For absolute beginners who are unsure, Higuchi recommends “rosé or orange wine.”
“This wine is somewhere between red and white wine, so it goes well with any kind of food, and you can go from appetizers to main dishes to desserts with just one bottle.”
We also recommend using the Internet to gather information.
“For example, if you search for a wine name with a hashtag, you can get a lot of information online, such as comments about the taste.If you want to know more about that wine, you can use social media. Of course, the book “Hige Baron Higuchi Talks about Japanese Wine Salon” introduces recommended Japanese wines in an easy-to-understand manner (lol).”
There are many unique and abundant words to describe wine, such as “glamourous taste,” “refreshing attack,” and “mellow and full-bodied.” Some people may find this too expensive, but Higuchi says, “You don’t have to think about difficult things, just choose whether it’s delicious or not, and whether it suits you or not.”
Higuchi himself had zero knowledge of wine before he started attending school to obtain his wine expert qualification, and he was not the type of person who was a big drinker.
Still, “As I compared various wines, I learned that the aromas and flavors differ depending on the characteristics of the varieties, the region of origin, and the vintage, and I became more and more interested in wine.In my nearly 50 years of life, I’ve never been so hooked on wine.” says.
■Recommended “Japanese wine” that can be purchased for 1000 yen, 3000 yen, and 5000 yen
We will introduce the wines that Higuchi recommends by price range, so why not try them out during the year-end and New Year holidays?
●1000 yen level
Kaminoyama City, Yamagata Prefecture/Takeda Winery
Takeda Winery Blanc 2023
“A white wine made from 75% Delaware and 25% Muscat Bailey A from Yamagata Prefecture. It has a gorgeous aroma and a refreshing acidity. It has a grapefruit-like bitterness, and goes well with all kinds of Japanese cuisine, such as salads, wild vegetable tempura, and fish dishes. it matchs”
Nirasaki City, Yamanashi Prefecture/Honbo Sake Brewery Mars Hosaka Winery
Koshu Orange Gris 2022
“We use Koshu grapes from Yamanashi Prefecture. The sweetness of the kumquat has a nice honey-like sweetness, and the astringency and flavor of the peel is well-balanced. Recommended for seasonal dishes. A cost-effective orange wine priced in the 1,000 yen range.”
●3000 yen level
Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture/Coco Farm Winery
Cocoto Aru Series Pinorose 2020
“Pinot Noir from “Kimura Farm,” Yoichi-cho, Hokkaido, is fermented with wild yeast. Scents of raspberries and roses, crisply fresh acidity, and a lovely fruit flavor. A rosé that everyone will love to bring to camp.”
●5000 yen level
Miyoshi City, Hiroshima Prefecture/Hiroshima Miyoshi Winery
TOMOE Pinot Noir Byakuya 2022
“A white wine made from Pinot Noir, a black grape from our own farm.It has a captivating aroma of peach and apricot, and a smooth, rich texture.It would go well with spiny lobster or wagyu fillet steak. This is a wine recommended for this day.”
