Japan Winery Map

Know the grapes

Yama Sauvignonヤマ・ソーヴィニヨン

Wineries growing it
38
Awards
33
Years with awards
2006–2026

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.

Japan (Yamanashi, University of Yamanashi)deep purple colourwild berry characterlively acidityrounded astringency

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.

For this grape we have not yet confirmed a primary source for its origin or growing regions. (Winery entries always carry a source and the date it was checked.)

Yama Sauvignon at the Japan Wine Competition

33 awards in the published results carry “Yama Sauvignon” in the entry name, across 11 wineries and 17 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.

  • Gold 5
  • Silver 6
  • Bronze 15
  • Encouragement 6

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.

Wines that have won more than once

Grouped by producer and wine, showing those with three or more awards. Names come from the published entry names, with the vintage removed because each row spans several vintages.

By year

Wineries growing Yama Sauvignon

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