Japan Flashcards
What region is referred to as “The Napa Valley of Japan”? What are some of their renowned vineyards?
a. Yamanashi
b. Chateau Mercian, Katsunuma Winery, and Sadoya Winery
The prefecture of Nagano is influenced by what mountains? Yamanishi is influenced by what?
a. The Kita Alps
b. Mount Fiji
Nestled in the Japanese Alps, this region benefits from high altitude, larger diurnal range, and long hours of sunshine:
Nagano
What indigenous variety is most common in Yamanashi?
a. Koshu
b. a hybrid indigenous to Japan with a thick-skin that helps it survive damp summers
c. High acid, soft and fruity wine
d. The grape travelled along the Silk Route and found it’s home in Yamanashi, within the foothills of Mount Fuji.
What region west of Tokyo is known for its volcanic soils and is the epicenter of Japanese wine-making?
Yamanashi
Komoro in Nagano has a cool, sunny climate and grows these French varieties:
Chardonnay, Merlot
What viticultural hazards does Japan encounter?
a. Monsoon season
b. Humidity, breeding disease and insects
Where can the largest concentration of wineries be found? What regions follow?
a. Yamanashi
b. Nagano, Hokkaidō and Yamagata
In what general manner do the Japanese public like to pair their wines with their food?
They prefer regional pairings with indigenous grapes
What is “Tanajitate”?
an elevated horizontal hedging technique
used to keep the fruit about 1.5–2 meters above the ground to allow ventilation.
Muscat Bailey A
is a red wine grape hybrid developed by Zenbei Kawakami (1868–1944) at the Iwanohara Winery in Niigata Prefecture.
“Mark of Origin”
(Gensanchi Hyōji) is a system of legal designation for wine produced in Japan, much like France’s Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) laws and the United States’ American Viticultural Area (AVA) designations.
But…..
In Japan there is no nationwide organization of legal designation, regardless of domain of origin or types of grape, anything that is fermented domestically can be labeled as “Japanese wine”. Because of this, there are some products labeled as Japanese that are produced using imported grape juice.
So….However, independent self-governing municipal bodies have begun systems of regional appellation.
Nagano Prefecture’s “Appellation Control System” (Nagano-ken Gensan-chi Koshō Kanri Seido)
Kōshū’s “Wine Domain of Origin Certification Regulation” (Wain Gensan-chi Ninshō Jōrei).
What was the first international joint venture in Japan?
De Montille & Hokkaido, planted in 2016 first vintage in 2019
