Japanese Sparkling Wine
1st June 2021
Sparkling Wines will for many be those which are produced in France or Italy, maybe our experience and knowledge of wine will stretch out to other European countries and also the likes of those from the USA and South Africa. When we delve in to things much deeper we suddenly realise that sparkling wine producers are global and many times a surprising country name will present itself to us and we get quite excited to explore for how long and how comes they produce sparkling wines – Once such country which intrigues and pleasantly surprises people with its fizz fame is Japan.
Asia, where Japan is located, is practically all based in the northern hemisphere. Japan is famous for being made up of islands, a total of 6,852 of them, there are four main islands – Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu.
Japanese Wine
There is said to now be over 300 wineries in Japan, the main grape growing regions are Yamanashi, Hokkaido, Nagano and Yamagata.
Japan is a wine growing country that is recognised for its preference of natural wine. The Koshu grape (pink-skinned) is one of the most popular in Japan and its presence dates back to over 1,000 years.
Lumiere Winery Japan
“Surrounded by mountains and rivers, Yamanashi is the most spectacular vineyard region in Japan.”
World famous for its quality Japanese wines, Lumiere is a winery located some 110 km from Tokyo to the west. All grapes are picked by hand and their sparkling wines are of the traditional method style. The winery is open to the public for a tour of the winery (upon booking prior) and boasts a tasting room and restaurant.
“Established in 1885, Lumiere is a family-owned winery continuously operating for 130 years in Yamanashi prefecture where is the most famous and historical region for Japan’s wine production.”
Château Lumière – Delaware 2017: “Gold Medal winner at the 2020 Glass of Bubbly Awards in the category of ‘Forget Me Not’. Banana cake, over ripe yellow pear, honeysuckle on the nose. Flavours are initial a soft lime and lemon zest that relaxes to show what the aromas displayed… Nose is ever so memorable and appealing.”
Château Lumière – Rosé Sparkling: “Red berries, peach slices dried, pink blossom, touch of creaminess on the nose. Delicate and elegant. Silky presentation of red berry fruits with pink floral notes. A Gold Medal Winner at the 2020 Glass of Bubbly Awards in the category of ‘Gastronomic’.”
Christopher Walkey
Co-founder of Glass of Bubbly. Journalist and author focused on Champagne & Sparkling Wines and pairing them with foods.