Usually makes an approachable red wine with sweet strawberry- or candy-like aromas and soft tannins.
A black grape bred in Japan by Zenbei Kawakami at Iwanohara Vineyard in Niigata, crossing the American variety Bailey with the European Muscat Hamburg. It is the most-produced red wine grape in Japan, and in 2013 it became the first Japanese black grape registered as a wine variety by the OIV (International Organisation of Vine and Wine). Its hallmark is a jammy strawberry aroma, and the wines tend to have soft tannins (the source of astringency) and moderate acidity. It is often said to suit sweet-savoury dishes made with soy sauce and mirin, and is sometimes served lightly chilled.
Usually makes a light red or rosé with sweet strawberry-like aromas and very little astringency.
A black grape bred in the United States in the late 19th century from American varieties including Concord, and introduced to Japan in the Meiji period. Long grown as a table grape, it is associated in Japan with Miyazaki and Hokkaido among other areas. Its aroma suggests strawberry and candy, and with low tannin (the source of astringency) and gentle acidity it is usually made into a pale, light red or a rosé. It is sometimes served lightly chilled for drinkers who find heavier reds difficult.
Japan (mountains of Hokkaido and Tohoku)
A wild grape native to Japan's mountains, usually making a deeply coloured red wine with pronounced acidity and a rustic character.
Yamabudo is a wild grape that grows in forests across Japan; it has long been foraged and cultivated for wine in Hokkaido, Tohoku and Shinshu. The berries are small with a high skin-to-juice ratio, so the wines tend to be deeply coloured, with firm acidity and a clear-cut flavour. It is a different species from the European wine grape (Vitis vinifera) and is tolerant of cold and of Japan's wet climate, which is why northern wineries have used it to express local character. Its acidity and colour suit game and richly flavoured meat dishes; because the acidity can be high on its own, it is often blended with other varieties or made in a sweeter style.
A cold-hardy variety descended from wild yamabudo, usually making a deeply coloured red with firm acidity and spicy, savoury notes.
Yamasachi is a black grape bred at the Ikeda Town Grape and Wine Research Institute (Tokachi Wine) in Hokkaido, using wild yamabudo as one parent. It was developed to survive severe winter cold and is grown mainly in the Tokachi region of Hokkaido. In 2020 it became the third Japanese variety registered with the OIV (International Organisation of Vine and Wine), after Koshu and Muscat Bailey A, allowing its name to appear on wines exported abroad. It inherits the strong acidity and deep colour of yamabudo, often showing spicy and earthy notes, and is frequently paired with lamb or slow-cooked dishes.
A red grape that gives pale-coloured, gently tannic wines with aromas of strawberry and cherry.
Among red wines it is on the pale side, with gentle tannin (the drying, astringent sensation) and noticeable acidity. Its thin skins make it disease-prone and difficult to grow, and it is generally considered to suit cool climates. In Japan a growing number of producers work with it in relatively cool areas such as Yoichi and the Sorachi region in Hokkaido, and parts of Nagano. Its light frame suits duck and mushroom dishes, and it also goes well with Japanese cooking based on dashi and soy sauce.
Soft-tannined and generously fruity, it often makes one of the more approachable styles of red wine.
It shows dark berry and plum fruit, and its fine, soft tannins make it easy to approach for people new to red wine. It is bottled on its own and also blended with grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon. In Japan, Kikyogahara in Shiojiri, Nagano is widely known as a Merlot area, and it is also grown in Yamanashi and Hokkaido. It pairs comfortably with hearty home cooking — hamburg steak, simmered meat and potatoes, or miso-based dishes.
Deeply coloured and firmly tannic, this benchmark red grape often rewards long ageing.
Thick skins and plenty of seeds give wines that are dark and firmly tannic. Cassis, cedar and bell-pepper notes are typical; the wine can feel tight when young but usually softens after a few years in bottle. It ripens late, which makes it demanding in Japan's rainy climate and short autumn, but it is grown in Yamanashi and Nagano, bottled on its own or blended with Merlot and others. It suits substantial meat dishes such as beef steak or braised red meat.
France (Bordeaux and the Loire)
Lighter in colour and tannin than Cabernet Sauvignon, with a herbal, green-edged aroma.
A parent of Cabernet Sauvignon, it ripens comparatively early, which helps it in cool regions and places with a short autumn. Red-fruit aromas are often layered with green, herbal, bell-pepper notes, and the tannin is moderate and smooth. In Japan it is planted in Nagano, Yamanashi and elsewhere, bottled on its own or blended with Merlot and others. It works well with tomato-based dishes and herb-seasoned meat.
An Austrian red grape that usually gives light, fruity wines with gentle tannin.
Created in Austria in 1922 by crossing two varieties, it is regarded as relatively cold-hardy. It offers cherry and violet aromas with restrained tannin, and is often made in a light style that can be served slightly chilled. In Japan its main home is Hokkaido, where it is widely planted around Yoichi and the Sorachi region and has become a staple for many local wineries. It pairs easily with everyday food such as pork dishes, sausages and yakitori in tare sauce.
Known for a peppery, spicy character, it tends to make dark, structured wines.
Dark fruit is typically joined by peppery, smoky spice, and the tannin is on the firm side. In Australia the same grape is called Shiraz and tends to give a fruitier style. Plantings in Japan are still limited, but producers in Nagano, Yamanashi and Hokkaido work with it and bottle small volumes as a single variety. It suits peppery meat dishes, lamb, and charcoal-grilled food.
Very dark and firmly tannic, it is most often used in small amounts to add backbone to a blend.
In its Bordeaux homeland it is typically blended into Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot at just a few percent, contributing colour, tannin and spice. It ripens late and may not reach full ripeness in cool years. In Japan it is grown in Yamanashi and elsewhere, mostly for blending, though single-variety bottlings also appear. Its firm tannin is easier to enjoy alongside rich, fatty meat or slow-braised dishes.
As its name suggests, it is exceptionally tannic, giving dark and powerful wines.
Associated with Madiran and other appellations in South-West France, its name is said to derive from tannin, the source of astringency. Taken to Uruguay, it became that country's signature grape and is often made in a somewhat more approachable style there. Plantings in Japan are very limited, but a few areas such as Iwate work with it, sometimes in blends with other varieties. Its strong tannin suits braised fatty meat and dishes with rich sauces.
Usually makes a deeply coloured, firmly structured red wine with pronounced acidity.
Black Queen is a Japanese black grape bred by Zenbei Kawakami at Iwanohara Vineyard in Niigata, the same nursery that produced Muscat Bailey A. As the name suggests, the skins are richly pigmented, giving wines a dark, almost black hue, and the acidity is often marked. It is bottled on its own but is also frequently blended with grapes such as Muscat Bailey A to add colour and acidity, and it is used by wineries in Yamanashi, Nagano and Niigata. Because the acidity and astringency are pronounced, it is often served with meat dishes or tomato-based cooking.
Japan (Yamanashi, University of Yamanashi)
A red-wine grape combining the wild character of yamabudo with Cabernet Sauvignon's polish, usually making a deeply coloured wine with lively acidity and a rounded finish.
Yama Sauvignon is a red-wine grape bred at the University of Yamanashi from a female wild yamabudo vine growing at Misaka Pass and a male Cabernet Sauvignon vine. The cross was made in June 1978, and the seedlings were tested for disease tolerance, colour and wine quality before one vine was selected over 13 years; it was submitted for registration in 1988 and registered in 1990. The grape brings yamabudo's deep colour and wild aroma together with a more polished, fragrant Cabernet-like character. Its wines usually have clear acidity and a rounded sense of astringency. Although it was bred in Yamanashi, it is now grown from Hokkaido to western Japan as a red-wine grape suited to Japanese conditions.
Hokkaido (Ikeda Town Grape and Wine Research Institute)
A cold-hardy cross of Kiyomi and yamabudo, usually making a light-coloured, lively red with firm acidity.
Kiyomai is a red-wine grape bred at the Ikeda Town Grape and Wine Research Institute by crossing Kiyomi with yamabudo. It came from breeding work aimed at producing vines suited to Ikeda's severe winters and reducing the need to bury vines in soil for protection. The variety was registered by Japan's Ministry of Agriculture in 2000. It retains Kiyomi's lighter colour, firm acidity and lively style, making brighter and lighter wines than its companion variety Yamasachi. It remains one of the signature red-wine grapes of Tokachi.
Japan (Yamanashi, Shimura Grape Research Institute)
A red-wine grape that combines yamabudo's deep colour and acidity with Merlot-like fruit, often producing a smooth, approachable wine.
Fuji-no-Yume is a red-wine grape bred by Tomio Shimura of the Shimura Grape Research Institute, crossing the yamabudo line Gyoja-no-Mizu as the female parent with Merlot as the male parent. It was developed by combining a Japanese mountain-grape line with a European wine grape for conditions in Japan. The skins give it deep colour and yamabudo-like acidity, while Merlot contributes a more familiar fruitiness. Wines can be dark purple, with black-fruit or red-bean notes and restrained astringency. The variety is used by small wineries in different parts of Japan.
A taut red with black-pepper aromatics and firm acidity.
The leading red grape of eastern Austria, known as Kékfrankos in Hungary and Lemberger in Germany, with a long history across central Europe; it is also one parent of Zweigelt. Black-fruit aromas carry a peppery spice, and clear acidity keeps the wine taut despite its depth of colour. It is regarded as a variety that shows best in cool climates. In Japan it is grown in Hokkaido, and it suits peppery meat dishes and richer game.
A German cross bred for disease resistance, giving a deeply coloured red.
Bred in 1967 at a German grapevine-breeding institute, it was developed to carry resistance to downy and powdery mildew, two of the vine's most damaging diseases. Varieties of this kind attract interest internationally because they allow reduced spraying and can be grown where rainfall is high. The wine is deeply coloured, with black-fruit aromas and gentle tannin. Its relevance to Japan's wet, humid climate is clear, but plantings recorded here remain very limited — currently a producer in Yoichi, Hokkaido.
One of the three grapes of Champagne, contributing round, approachable fruit.
Used in Champagne alongside Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, it accounts for about 31% of the area under vine there. Its name comes from meunier, French for miller, after the floury white down on the underside of its leaves. Budding later and ripening earlier than Pinot Noir, it is regarded as better able to dodge late spring frost. Its fruit is round and approachable from early on, which is what it lends to a sparkling blend; in Japan it is grown mainly in Hokkaido, with further producers in Nagano and Aichi.
A South African cross giving a dark red with a distinctive smoky, roasted character.
Created in 1925 at Stellenbosch University in South Africa by crossing Pinot Noir with Cinsaut, it takes its name from both parents. It is planted widely at home as the country's signature variety. The wine is dark, with black-fruit aromas joined by a roasted, smoky note reminiscent of coffee — a character that divides opinion as often as it wins admirers. Plantings in Japan are very limited, currently in Ibaraki, Gunma, Nagano and Saga, and the wine suits charcoal-grilled and barbecued food.
Pale in colour yet high in both tannin and acidity, it makes a red that unfolds with long ageing.
The grape behind Barolo and Barbaresco in north-west Italy, its name is said to come from nebbia, the autumn fog of the harvest season. It pours surprisingly pale, yet tastes high in both tannin and acidity and can seem austere when young. Its distinctive aromas of rose, violet and tanned leather are generally held to open up only with extended ageing. Famously particular about where it will ripen, it is grown in Japan only in small amounts, by producers in Aomori, Yamagata, Niigata and Nagano; it suits strongly scented foods such as mushrooms and aged cheese.
Deeply coloured yet light in tannin, it tends to give a juicy red with lively acidity.
Long grown alongside Nebbiolo in Piedmont in north-west Italy, it is deeply purple in the glass but gentle in tannin. That restraint lets its acidity show, and together with juicy fruit it makes a wine that is easy to keep drinking. At home in Italy it has always been an everyday table wine rather than a special-occasion one. Plantings in Japan are very limited, with small amounts grown in Aomori, Niigata, Yamanashi, Hyogo and Kagawa; its light tannin suits both rich dishes and home cooking seasoned with soy sauce or miso.
Central Italy's signature red grape, usually giving a firmly acidic red wine that sits well alongside food.
It underpins famous central Italian wines such as Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino, and is regarded as the most widely planted red grape in Italy. Cherry and dried plum aromas combine with firm acidity and medium tannin, making it a wine that shows better with food than on its own. In Japan it is scattered in small plantings, with Nagano the main centre and further growers in Yamanashi, Hyogo, Kagawa, Fukuoka and Oita. It is well known as a match for tomato-based cooking, from pasta and pizza to slow-braised dishes.
A relatively modern cross of Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache, giving a dark but approachable red.
Created in 1961 at a research station in southern France by crossing Cabernet Sauvignon with Grenache, it is named after the coastal town of Marseillan. Small berries and high pigment give a solidly coloured wine, with black-fruit aromas carrying Cabernet's structure alongside Grenache's roundness. Its footprint has been widening, notably through plantings in China. In Japan it appears in small amounts across Ibaraki, Shizuoka, Yamanashi, Shimane and Kochi, and it suits roasted meat and Chinese dishes built on savoury sauces.
Ripe red-fruit aromas and a sense of sweetness, with gentle tannin.
Believed to originate in north-east Spain, where it is called Garnacha, it later became a mainstay of the southern Rhône in France and spread across the Mediterranean. It ripens fully in hot, dry places, giving strawberry and raspberry aromas with a sweetness that comes from its alcohol, and its tannin is not assertive. It is bottled on its own but just as often blended to add body to other varieties. Plantings in Japan are very limited, currently in Okayama and Nagano, and the wine suits herb-seasoned and lightly spiced meat dishes.
Japan (yamabudo lineage, bred by Haruo Sawanobori)
A small, dark grape of yamabudo lineage, usually making a richly coloured red with fresh acidity and earthy, spicy notes.
Shokoshi is a red-wine crossing bred by Haruo Sawanobori, a Japanese researcher and breeder devoted to yamabudo. Sources confirm that Chinese, Himalayan and Japanese mountain-grape lines were involved, but do not identify a single definitive parent combination. The berries are small and dark purple, and the variety is described as an early one, harvested around mid-August. In wine it commonly shows yamabudo's acidity and colour, with concentrated fruit, earthy notes and a gentle suggestion of spice.
Japan (Yamanashi Prefectural Fruit Tree Experiment Station)
A red-wine grape combining Black Queen's deep colour and acidity with Cabernet Sauvignon-like aromas, usually making a firm, focused wine.
Kai Noir is a red-wine grape bred by the Yamanashi Prefectural Fruit Tree Experiment Station from Black Queen and Cabernet Sauvignon. It was named and registered as Grape Norin No. 5 in 1990, then received formal variety registration in 1992. The skins colour well and the grapes can reach high sugar levels, while retaining marked acidity and a Cabernet-like aroma. The wines are deeply coloured and focused, with astringency that is not usually aggressive. The prefecture identifies warmer areas west of Yamanashi as suitable growing regions.
Japan (Yamanashi Prefectural Fruit Tree Experiment Station)
A red-wine grape with a complex crossing behind it, usually making a deeply coloured, full-flavoured red with rounded acidity.
Bijou Noir is a red-wine grape bred by the Yamanashi Prefectural Fruit Tree Experiment Station by crossing Malbec with Yamanashi No. 27, itself a Koshu Sanjaku–Merlot cross. It was named Grape Norin No. 23 in 2006 and formally registered as a variety in 2008. The grapes can reach high sugar levels, rarely split and ripen in early September at the breeding site. The variety colours well even in warm regions and can mature in cool ones. Yamanashi describes the wines as rounder and lower in acidity than Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon, with pronounced astringency and depth.
Japan (Yamanashi Prefectural Fruit Tree Experiment Station)
A red-wine grape combining Cabernet Sauvignon's aroma with Zweigeltrebe's cold tolerance, usually producing a deeply coloured, structured wine.
Aruno Noir is a red-wine grape bred by the Yamanashi Prefectural Fruit Tree Experiment Station from Cabernet Sauvignon and Zweigeltrebe. It was registered as a variety in 2009 and has been tested for its ability to gain sugar and avoid splitting in cool regions north of Yamanashi. At the breeding site it ripens later than Merlot but earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines are darker and more astringent than Cabernet Sauvignon in the prefectural description. Its cold-region performance makes it relevant to areas including Hokkaido.
Hokkaido (Ikeda Town Grape and Wine Research Institute)
A dark grape selected for cold climates, usually making a light-coloured red with fresh fruit, refreshing acidity and a gentle palate.
Kiyomi is a red-wine grape developed by the Ikeda Town Grape and Wine Research Institute in Hokkaido from Seibel 13053, a variety bred in France, through repeated selection of a branch mutation. Over five seasons the institute selected vines with good cane ripening, tight bunches and reliable yields, and named the grape after the Kiyomi district of Ikeda. It is recorded as a selection from Seibel 13053 rather than as a cross. The wines are known for a balance of fruit and ageing aromas, refreshing acidity and a light yet rounded palate. Kiyomi has been a foundation red grape for Tokachi Wine.
light colourfruit aromarefreshing aciditygentle depth
United States (Massachusetts)
An American dark grape whose sweet, grape-juice aroma makes an unmistakably friendly red.
Selected in 1849 at Concord, Massachusetts, it belongs to a different vine species from the European varieties. Hardy against cold and disease and easy to grow, it spread across North America and became the standard grape for juice and jelly. Introduced to Japan in the Meiji period, it is most closely associated with the Kikyogahara district of Shiojiri in Nagano. It carries exactly the sweet aroma most people picture when they think of grapes, with light tannin, and is often finished slightly sweet. Among the wineries listed here it centres on Nagano, with further producers in Yamagata, Chiba and Kanagawa.
Very dark in colour with supple tannin and generous black-fruit aromas.
Known for the dark wines of Cahors in South-West France, it was also widely planted in Bordeaux in the nineteenth century. After reaching Argentina in the twentieth century it became that country's signature grape, and most Malbec drunk today is South American. The wine is a deep purple-red with pronounced plum and blackberry aromas, while the tannin usually feels rounded rather than sharp. Plantings in Japan are very limited, currently in Nagano, and the wine pairs naturally with grilled beef and other well-charred meat.
The grape of Beaujolais, low in tannin and light enough to serve chilled.
The signature grape of Beaujolais in eastern France, known in Japan above all through Beaujolais Nouveau. Fermented in whole bunches it develops exuberant aromas of strawberry sweets and banana, and its light tannin means it can be served chilled. In the better Beaujolais sites it also makes tauter reds built to age. Plantings in Japan are very limited, currently in Nagano; the wine goes well with cured ham, roast chicken and, in Japanese cooking, grilled fish in a sweet-savoury glaze.
A German cross giving an unusually deep-coloured red with soft, easy tannin.
Bred in 1955 at Weinsberg in Germany, it spread as a way of making genuinely dark red wine in a country better known for white, and is named after the nineteenth-century founder of that breeding institute. The colour is strikingly deep purple, yet the taste is soft in tannin, led by cherry and blackcurrant fruit. Because it ripens in cool conditions it suits northern sites, and in Japan it is grown in Hokkaido. It goes easily with everyday food such as sausages and ham.