Japan’s white wine production outnumbers reds

Japan made more white wines using domestically grown Koshu grape than reds in the fiscal year 2015, according to a survey conducted by the National Tax Agency.

Photo credit: Japan Times

The country’s total wine production made from domestically produced grapes was 18,613 kilolitres in the fiscal year 2015 which ended in March, representing 18% of all wines made in the country, reported Japan Times.

White wines took up 47% of the total wine production while red wines took up 41%. The country’s total wine production including wines made from imported grapes was 100,921 kilolitres.

The survey was part of the the agency’s effort to introduce a rule in October 2018 that would only allow wines made from domestically grown grapes to be labeled as Japanese wines, ruling out wines made from grapes imported from other countries, according to the report.