High hopes for Japan's wine in the old world

I'm not a big fan of Yamanashi wine, because, I don't know, it seems to me that it has some unnatural taste...I've yet to try the expensive Yamanashi stuff though. They're as great as French, Italian or Spanish wines, perhaps???

Studied with a lady winemaker and grape grower, in 2006 in Canada, a few years later she returned here and brought back some wine. Made from Koshu (LORIENT Winery) grapes it was delightful. She explained to us here how difficult growing grapes is in Japan due to rain etc. there are a lot of differences between the two regions we grow grapes in a semi-desert climate. (hi Toshi !!! I hope you read this, Tobias)

Koshu from Katsunuma was a nice acquaintance. Some of the wineries there make a Koshu with many similarities to Barossa sauvignon blanc but still diffrerent. My wife and I were pleasently surprised to find a grape of Japan in Katsunuma. If you winelovers are interested in Japans best red we can also recommend a visit to Mercian wine in Katsunuma. They have managed to make a decent merlot.

i expect that eventually japan will make a world class wine. i suspect the problem is that there is not enough domestic consumption to encourage production like with beer and whiskey which are world class. japan is a nation of craftsmen and when they put their minds to it, they can make the best of anything.

I'll stick to Japanese Whisky

we can also recommend a visit to Mercian wine in Katsunuma. They have managed to make a decent merlot.

Mercian and red wine are words I have trouble imagining together. Tokachi has some passable reds. The problem is, anything marginally drinkable is inflated by local labor costs. Why drink a mediocre Japanese red when you could get a superior New World red for a quarter the price or, for that matter, an Old World red for half the price.

@ nessie, here in Canada the same problem with labor cost and add to that prime grape growing land is extremely expensive. The whole area is "retirement " heaven for a lot of people and land that was used for generations as farms are now apartment buildings. There is also a lack of continuation and tradition to keep the land as farm land a lot of the young generation just develop the land and make a lot of money the "easy" way

The whole area is "retirement " heaven for a lot of people and land that was used for generations as farms are now apartment buildings.

What whole area? Canada's the second-largest country in the world.

There is also a lack of continuation and tradition to keep the land as farm land a lot of the young generation just develop the land and make a lot of money the "easy" way

As is their right.

Yeah I cant argue with you Nessie, you are absolutely correct. However the attracting dimension for us was not a global comparison but a local experience, something that we cant find anywhere else. Actually I had similar experiences in Canada and lake Okanagan. None of them can compare to the best in Europe, Australia, South Africa or Napa but still a very nice local experience.

@ Nessie Whole Area is the Okanagan Valley a long (N to S, 160 miles) and narrow valley (3 to 10 miles wide) Between the west coast mountains and the Rockey Mountains, semi desert climate (rain shadow) with on average less than 12 inches of rain I do not disagree with your opinion about the right of people to sell their properties and become wealthy I just wonder where in the future food is going to be grown. With today's tech we can built in areas not suitable for farming but fine for building on IMHO.