Japan Winery Map

Know the grapes

Ryugan (Zenkoji)竜眼（善光寺）

Wineries growing it
10
Awards
21
Years with awards
2005–2026

Usually makes a soft, gently flavoured white wine with restrained aromas and mild acidity.

Ryugan is a white wine grape long grown around Zenkoji temple in Nagano City, where it is also known as Zenkoji grape. It is said to have come originally from China, and cultivation is almost entirely limited to Nagano Prefecture, so volumes are small. The berries are fairly large, the aromatics are not assertive and the acidity is mild, so it is often made into a soft, understated dry white. It is generally said to suit delicately flavoured food — dashi-based Japanese dishes or mild white fish — rather than strongly seasoned cooking.

Japan (Nagano, around Zenkoji)restrained aromamild aciditysoft texture

Notes on aroma and taste describe general tendencies for this grape, not claims about any particular wine — the actual character depends on the producer and how it is made.

Statements of fact — origin, crossing, plant-variety registration and growing regions — have been checked against public bodies, research institutes, or the breeder (2 sources).

Ryugan (Zenkoji) at the Japan Wine Competition

21 awards in the published results carry “Ryugan (Zenkoji)” in the entry name, across 8 wineries and 13 years. These are read from the entry names, not from declared grape composition, so wines whose names do not mention the grape are not included.

  • Silver 2
  • Bronze 14
  • Encouragement 2

Wineries with the most awards

Ordered by how many awards we list. Producers differ in how many wines they entered and in how many years they entered, so this is not a ranking of quality.

By year

Wineries growing Ryugan (Zenkoji)

10 listed wineries are recorded by their sources as growing this grape.