KOFU, Yamanashi Pref. (Kyodo) Dry white wine made from Koshu grapes, which have been cultivated since the Heian Period (794-185), is gaining popularity on the back of high overseas ratings and starting to show signs of a boom.
Koshu wine used to be exclusively sweet and drunk as a dessert wine, but now wine lovers are finding it increasingly suitable as a dry white wine because it matches well with Japanese dishes, according to industry analysts.
"Wineries have challenged various production methods, enabling them to repeatedly make high-level wine," said Shinya Tasaki, who was named the world's best sommelier in 1995. "High-priced wine is selling fast, creating a good cycle of spending more and producing better wines."