The grape varieties grown by the most producers in Japan
Data ／ Published 2026-08-27
We count the grape varieties that Japanese producers publicly say they grow. This is a view of cultivation, not awards, and it covers only producers whose varieties could be verified, so the table is a lower bound.
- シャルドネ213
- メルロー204
- マスカット・ベーリーA147
- ピノ・ノワール124
- 甲州108
- カベルネ・ソーヴィニヨン98
- ソーヴィニヨン・ブラン94
- デラウェア88
- ナイアガラ56
- シラー48
- カベルネ・フラン47
- ピノ・グリ44
Count cultivation, not awards
This table does not ask how many times a wine received an award. It gathers varieties that each producer’s page or official information confirms as being grown, then counts how many producers grow each variety. Even if some of the names resemble those in an awards table, this is a view of vineyards and cultivation.
The denominator for the shares is also not every producer listed. It is the set of producers whose cultivated varieties could be verified. Producers who do not publish their varieties, whose official information could not be found, or whose variety name could not be matched with confidence are not counted. The producer totals are therefore lower bounds on how many producers may actually grow each grape.
Native varieties, European grapes, and table grapes
The table includes native Japanese varieties such as Koshu and Muscat Bailey A, as well as European varieties such as Chardonnay, Merlot, and Pinot Noir. Hybrids selected for Japanese conditions and grapes long grown as table grapes, including Niagara, Delaware, and Kyoho, are also used for wine by some producers. A variety’s origin and where it is currently grown are separate facts.
| Variety | English | Producers growing it | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| シャルドネ | Chardonnay | 213 | 47% |
| メルロー | Merlot | 204 | 45% |
| マスカット・ベーリーA | Muscat Bailey A | 147 | 33% |
| ピノ・ノワール | Pinot Noir | 124 | 28% |
| 甲州 | Koshu | 108 | 24% |
| カベルネ・ソーヴィニヨン | Cabernet Sauvignon | 98 | 22% |
| ソーヴィニヨン・ブラン | Sauvignon Blanc | 94 | 21% |
| デラウェア | Delaware | 88 | 20% |
| ナイアガラ | Niagara | 56 | 12% |
| シラー | Syrah | 48 | 11% |
| カベルネ・フラン | Cabernet Franc | 47 | 10% |
| ピノ・グリ | Pinot Gris | 44 | 10% |
| ヤマ・ソーヴィニヨン | Yama Sauvignon | 38 | 8% |
| その他交配品種 | Other hybrids | 37 | 8% |
| 山ぶどう | Yamabudo (wild grape) | 35 | 8% |
| アルバリーニョ | Albariño | 32 | 7% |
| キャンベル・アーリー | Campbell Early | 31 | 7% |
| ケルナー | Kerner | 31 | 7% |
| リースリング | Riesling | 30 | 7% |
| 巨峰 | Kyoho | 28 | 6% |
| ツヴァイゲルト | Zweigelt | 28 | 6% |
| ゲヴュルツトラミネール | Gewürztraminer | 23 | 5% |
| シャインマスカット | Shine Muscat | 18 | 4% |
| プティ・ヴェルド | Petit Verdot | 17 | 4% |
| プティ・マンサン | Petit Manseng | 15 | 3% |
| ピオーネ | Pione | 14 | 3% |
| スチューベン | Steuben | 13 | 3% |
| タナ | Tannat | 12 | 3% |
| ブラック・クイーン | Black Queen | 12 | 3% |
| セイベル | Seibel | 11 | 2% |
The variety appearing first in this view is not necessarily the variety appearing most often in award records. Award counts depend on whether the grape name appears in a wine’s product name, while cultivation counts depend on whether the producer publishes the variety. The tables answer different questions.
Keep “many” separate from “popular”
Our reading: A variety grown by many producers may also be a variety that can be adapted to Japan’s climate and growing conditions. That does not mean it is popular with consumers or that its wines are of higher quality. Ease of cultivation, contract growing, producer experience, and local history can all affect the decision to plant a variety.
For a variety that interests you, use its variety page to keep confirmed growers and award records separate. This makes room for varieties absent from the table and producers who do not publish their plantings, while keeping the boundary between confirmed and unknown visible.
Sources for this page
- nihon-wine.vercel.app 2026-08-27各造り手が公表する栽培品種と、その出典・最終確認日
- nihon-wine.vercel.app 2026-08-27本サイトの品種一覧と品種名の対応
- www.nta.go.jp 2026-08-27甲州、マスカット・ベーリーA、欧州系品種、ラブラスカ系品種などの位置づけ
- www.maff.go.jp 2026-08-27日本で栽培されるワイン用ぶどうと、マスカット・ベーリーAの紹介