Nagano, Japan
On a recent flight from Paris to Tokyo, I was seated next to a Japanese lady from the Suntory company. Suntory is a Japanese multinational brewing and distilling company group. Established in 1899, it is one of the oldest companies in the distribution of alcoholic beverages in Japan.
Suntory is well-known for its excellent Japanese whisky. But it is now developing a strong wine business. Suntory acquired the management rights to the distinguished Château Lagrange winery in Bordeaux, France, in 1983, becoming the first non-Western company to operate a Bordeaux Grand Cru Château.
Since 1988, Suntory has also handled the operation of Weingut Robert Weil in Rheingau, Germany. In addition, it jointly operates two French châteaux, Châteaux Beychevelle and Château Beaumont, as well as one négociant.
Suntory is also making great strides in the domestic Japanese wine industry, most notably in Tomi no Oka vineyard, in Yamanashi Prefecture, which I reported on in an earlier article. The wines I tasted there were simply excellent.
But my flight compagnon informed me that Suntory is now shifting its Japan focus to the Nagano prefecture, which is north of Yamanashi, and at a higher altitude — for the simple reason that global warming is adversely affecting the wine industry in Yamanashi.
As I was passing through Nagano today, I took the opportunity to visit the Château Mercian Mariko Winery, a competitor of Suntory. The staff there told a quite different story.
True, Château Mercian is well invested in Nagano, and is expanding its operations. But its Yamanashi operation remains its priority.
The indigenous Japanese grapes of Koshu and Muscat Bailey A, which are so prominent in Yamanashi, do not support the climatic conditions in Nagano. Thus, only French grape varieties like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc are planted in Nagano.
Despite their manifest quality, the staff remarked that Japanese wines, notably from Nagano, are struggling to make an impact in Japan. Consumers still generally prefer French and other international wines. One positive sign, however, is that increasing numbers of sommeliers from Tokyo’s leading restaurants are now visiting Château Mercian to learn of its wines.
The wine that I tasted on the occasion of my visit was very good. So the region’s prospects may be more positive than I was told. Nevertheless, the jury is still out regarding wines from Nagano.