Japan's Fast-Growing Wine Market Embraces Natural Wine

Forbes

3 days ago

Carefully grown Japanese wine grapes.
Japanese wine is gaining momentum. As of 2024, there were 493 wineries in Japan, jumping from 238 in 2008—more than doubled in 16 years, according to the Japanese government. The wineries are now in 46 prefectures out of the total 47, indicating that each prefecture has potential for wine production.
Some American importers have already noticed the rapid development of Japanese wine. One of them is Direct Import Vines (D-I Wine) https://www.d-i.wine/, a natural wine importer in New York,
'What we love about Japan's wine is how it reflects the country's deep dedication to craft, precision and subtlety. The same meticulous attention to detail that defines Japanese cuisine and design shows up in the vineyards and cellars, with winemakers carefully coaxing out dedicated, expressive flavors from native grapes like Koshu and Muscat Bailey A," says D-I Wine's founder Bretton Taylor.
The company started to import Japanese wine in 2021 and now has a portfolio of 8 wineries in 5 different regions.
A variety of wine that reflects Japanese terroir.
One of them is Coco Farm & Winery https://cocowine.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/cocofaw-pr-eng.pdf. It was founded in 1958 by educator Noboru Kawada to provide meaningful work for individuals with learning disabilities. All wines are made with grapes grown in Japan and no chemical fertilizers or herbicides are used in its vineyards; natural wild yeast is the main fermentation method in the winery. Coco Farm's wine has been highly acclaimed. It has been served at G7 summits and on Japan Airlines' first and business classes, for example.
'We started to have increasingly more export inquiries from overseas in the past few years. They seem to be interested in Japanese wine's clear, delicate expression of the grapes, often with gentle umami, which goes well with Japanese food as well as other various types of cuisine,' says Shoko Ochi, director of communication at Coco Farm.
'Within Japan, there is a wide range of micro-terroir. The farms we work with beautifully express it,' she says. To showcase the diversity and the character of each micro-terroir, Coco Farm procures grapes from reliable natural grape growers nationwide, in addition to its own vineyards in Tochigi, Yamagata and Hokkaido Prefectures. As a result, the company makes wine with around 30 different varieties, such as Japanese native Muscat Bailey A, Southern French grape Tannat and global grapes like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
For instance, Coco Farm's 2019 Zweigelt has distinctive characters. Made with the Austrian grape variety grown in the cool climate of Hokkaido, it has notes of cassis, black cherry and cinnamon with some peppery spiciness. There is subtle earthiness in the finish, which makes the wine uniquely Japanese.
Coco Farm & Winery makes wine with grapes from its vineyards painstakingly cared for by hand.
Reasons Behind The Rapid Growth Of The Wine Industry
Why has Japanese wine production seen such a dramatic surge?
One of the reasons is the creation of the special wine districts by the Japanese government in 2002. Within the wine districts, the minimum production volumes of 6,000 kiloliters for wineries are lowered to 2,000 kiloliters, as long as the products are made with grapes grown in the region. The new law made it much easier to start a winery at a lower cost.
Also, in 2003, the Japan Wine Competition began, where wine made with 100% grapes grown and vinified in Japan is evaluated and ranked by a committee of wine professionals and academics.
It is organized by major wine-producing prefectures and the Japanese government to recognize the quality of Japanese wine. The annual competition has shown a wide range of high-quality products and inspired wineries nationwide to aim for higher goals.
Also, Japanese wine started to receive top awards at the world's biggest wine competitions, such as the IWSC International Wine & Spirit Competition, the Decanter World Wine Awards and the International Wine Challenge. The success in the global market has also stimulated new entries into wine production in Japan.
Dynamic Natural Wine Market
If you like natural wine, Japanese wine is something you should keep your eye on.
'In Tokyo, one of the world's most dynamic wine markets, sommeliers, chefs and wine lovers not just enjoy natural wine. They celebrate it,' says Taylor of D-I Wine.
'As a natural wine importer, our biggest competition is Japan. We find some very small vineyards in France that say they won't export, with the exception of their Japanese importers—because they are very important customers for French winemakers. Whenever we tour or try to discover new wineries in France, the Japanese importers have already been there. Sometimes they are discovering French wines that the Parisians haven't discovered yet.'
To reflect Japanese importers' enthusiasm and hard work, consumers are interested in natural wine. A 2024 survey of 1,500 individuals between 20 and 70 years old, 50% male and female respectively, 23.1% of the respondents were interested in drinking natural wine. Interestingly, only 15.7% of the respondents said they wanted to drink organic/biodynamic wine, suggesting consumers are attracted to natural wine's diverse styles and genuine expression of terroir.
There are no data on how many natural wine producers like Coco Farm exist in Japan, but an online natural wine shop lists 350 natural wine labels made in Japan, for example. The number is small, but it suggests that the natural wine segment has established its own place in the domestic market.
Japanese natural wine seems to have the potential to stand out in the global market as well.
'Japanese wine is still relatively new on the international stage, but it's already carving out a unique identity—one that feels deeply tied to place, tradition, and innovation all at once. What excites us most is the way Japanese winemakers are blending native varieties like Muscat Bailey A and Koshu with modern, low-intervention techniques and a cultural approach rooted in precision and humility,' he says.
The results are wines that are subtle but expressive, often with lower alcohol, clear umami, and a real sense of atmosphere.
'They are the wines that whisper, not shout. It's a category that rewards attention and curiosity, and we think it's only just getting started,' says Taylor.
Diverse terrain makes Japanese wine unique.