Because Japan has four seasons, it makes you want to choose Japanese wines that match each season.
After enduring the cold winter, the next season to arrive is spring, wrapped in gentle warmth.
Why not choose a spring-like Japanese wine unique to this season that can lift your spirits just a little?
This article introduces three "CRAFT WINE SHOP" recommended "Japanese wines to drink in spring."
All these wines are attractive and enhance the enjoyment of spring. If you are looking for spring-like wines, be sure to check them out.
What are the recommended wines for spring?
Any wine can be enjoyed deliciously year-round, regardless of the situation.
On the other hand, we unconsciously select wines according to the season: crisp, refreshing white wines in hot summer; somewhat rich red wines or medium-bodied white wines in flavorful autumn; and full-bodied wines in winter with hearty meals.
So, what kind of wine do you want to choose in spring?
"CRAFT WINE SHOP" has summarized recommended spring wines as follows.
- For spring-like wines, rosé is the go-to.
- Wines that pair well with spring-like ingredients
- Elegant Medium-Bodied Red Wines
Let's explain each one.
Rosé is the go-to for Japanese spring wines.
If you are to choose a Japanese spring wine, rosé wine is definitely a must.
Usually, rosé wine is recognized as a "wine for hot seasons," and in countries like France, it is associated with summer.
However, when it comes to spring in Japan, it's all about cherry blossoms.
Speaking of cherry blossoms, it's all about cherry blossom color (pink)! Thus, rosé wine has become a standard spring wine in Japan.
Therefore, while rosé wines from various countries dominate wine shelves in spring in Japan, if you want to drink a "spring-like rosé," be sure to choose Japanese rosé wines.
Japanese rosé wines are generally delicate and elegant, with a beauty that evokes the fleeting image of cherry blossom petals falling.
Rather than powerful rosés with overly rich aromas, strong alcohol character, or tannins reminiscent of red wine, many Japanese rosés are characterized by white wine qualities enhanced with the charm, supple strength, and complexity of red wine.
The delicate nature that complements a wide range of dishes is typical of Japanese wine, and rosé wines, which have a wide range of pairings with Japanese, Western, and Chinese cuisines, are especially convenient for enjoying diverse dishes during cherry blossom viewing.
By the way, Japanese rosé wines pair excellently with Japanese dishes like chirashi sushi and clam clear soup, and their vibrant appearance helps brighten the atmosphere.
Japanese rosé wines are often easy to drink even for beginners, making them perfect for spring season parties where people who don't usually drink wine gather.
Wines that pair well with spring-like ingredients
If you want to enjoy Japanese wine throughout the four seasons, it's important to focus on "choosing wines that match seasonal ingredients."
Spring ingredients are fresh, juicy, and rich in nutrients.
Also, spring features many ingredients with sweet and bitter flavors, making it a season with dishes that differ somewhat in character from the rich, hearty, and powerful foods of autumn and winter.
In spring, vegetables like spring cabbage, celery, watercress, bamboo shoots, new onions, new potatoes, garland chrysanthemum, rapeseed blossoms, and broad beans become available.
Furthermore, seafood such as Spanish mackerel, red sea bream, halfbeak, black sea bream, flounder, first bonito, and clams are famously in season during spring.
Fresh, delicate white wines with herbal aromas, fruit sweetness, and refreshing acidity, yet with a subtle bitterness in the finish, are wines that pair well with spring ingredients.
Rather than wines rich in umami, juicy and jammy with abundant tannins, you might also want to choose refreshing Koshu, sweet Delaware, Kerner with elegant fruit sweetness and refreshing acidity, or Sauvignon Blanc with a crisp herbal note.
Elegant Medium-Bodied Red Wines
When it comes to recommended Japanese wines for spring, the focus tends to lean toward rosé and white wines that balance refreshing qualities, fruit sweetness, and acidity.
On the other hand, red wine is typically associated with autumn and winter, and in Japan, spring is often seen as the season for rosé wine to take the spotlight.
However, even in Japanese spring, red wine holds a starring role.
Among these, elegant medium-bodied red wines pair well with the spring ingredients mentioned above and go excellently with roast beef, teriyaki chicken, grilled chicken skewers, and braised pork often enjoyed during cherry blossom viewing.
Also, horse sashimi, loved in Japan and known as "sakura meat," is said to be in season during spring.
Additionally, there is a tradition of eating eel around late April, known as the spring Doyo no Ushi day.
Varieties like Muscat Bailey A, Zweigelt, Black Queen, as well as Japanese Merlot and Pinot Noir, produce elegant medium-bodied red wines that pair well with Japanese cuisine and are highly satisfying on their own.
Rosé and refreshing white wines are attractive for cherry blossom viewing, but if you want something a bit more substantial without the heaviness of a full-bodied wine, this is ideal.
At such times, an elegant medium-bodied red wine is the best choice.
"CRAFT WINE SHOP" Recommended 3 Spring Wines
Here are three spring wines recommended by "CRAFT WINE SHOP" that you definitely want to drink in spring.
Fuji Mountain Winery "SAKUYA"
The Japanese wine recommended for spring is Fuji Mountain Winery's "SAKUYA."
Fuji Mountain Winery owns its own vineyards in Fujinomiya City, Shizuoka Prefecture, and Makioka Town, Yamanashi Prefecture.
Known as the "winery closest to Mount Fuji," this popular winery mainly cultivates Koshu grapes.
 |
 |
 |
One of the features of Fuji Mountain Winery is that grapes are cultivated at high altitudes ranging from 600m to 900m.
Grapes are grown in an ideal cultivation environment suitable for world-class grape growing, with a cool climate and significant temperature differences between day and night.
 |
 |
 |
The "SAKUYA" produced by the Fuji Mountain Winery is a rosé sparkling wine perfect for spring.
"SAKUYA" comes in two types: a bulk blend imported directly from high-quality overseas wines blended at the winery, and the "SAKUYA-Domestic Wine Blend" introduced here, made from Koshu and Muscat Bailey A harvested from their own vineyard.
A simple rosé sparkling wine blended 50% each of Koshu and Muscat Bailey A, offering a balanced expression of both varieties' charms.
A pale rosé color reminiscent of gentle cherry blossoms, charming red fruit aromas from Bailey A, and fresh citrus scents typical of Koshu.
Gentle bubbles and delicate mouthfeel, yet surprisingly sharp acidity that lingers through the finish, making it a refined rosé sparkling wine.
You can feel Japanese citrus, plum, and juicy umami, with an overall elegant profile.
A perfect bottle for early spring, wrapped in soft sunlight and gentle warmth.
By the way, the name "SAKUYA" comes from the goddess of Mount Fuji in Japanese mythology, "Konohana no Sakuya-hime."
Like the wine, its beautiful story is also appealing.
Fuji Mountain Winery "SAKUYA"
2,750 yen including tax
Go to the purchase page here!
Recommended pairing with Fuji Mountain Winery "SAKUYA"
"SAKUYA" is a rosé sparkling wine with a well-balanced blend of the "charm" of Koshu and Muscat Bailey A.
Elegant quality, a soft flavor that doesn't overpower, and fresh acidity make it an excellent match for spring ingredients.
For this recommended pairing, we matched it with "Firefly Squid Spring Salad."
A simple dish of firefly squid, rapeseed blossoms, and young bamboo shoots dressed with lemon, olive oil, and herb salt.
The bitterness of firefly squid, rapeseed blossoms, and young bamboo shoots matches the bitterness derived from Koshu.
The citrus of lemon and the refreshing aroma of rosé sparkling wine harmonize, with soft bubbles and acidity creating a clean finish—a refreshing spring pairing.
Even with distinctive ingredients like firefly squid, Japanese native varieties like Koshu and Muscat Bailey A pair well without clashing, so they are recommended.
You can also enjoy it deliciously by substituting firefly squid with scallops, sea bream, or other seafood.
Kimura Cellars "Marlborough Pinot Noir 2022 & 2023"
As a recommended spring wine, we also introduce Kimura Cellars' "Marlborough Pinot Noir."
As you might guess from the Marlborough name, this wine is from New Zealand, not Japan, but the producer is Japanese.
Kimura Cellars was established in 2009 by Shigehisa Kimura, who comes from a Japanese cuisine restaurant background, and his wife Mieko Kimura. Since 2018, they have owned their own Sauvignon Blanc vineyard and produce wines that reflect the delicate sensibilities of Japanese people.
New Zealand may be strongly associated with Sauvignon Blanc, but Pinot Noir cultivation is also thriving, and in recent years it has gained attention as a region producing high-quality Pinot Noir comparable to Burgundy.
The Pinot Noir grapes used in Kimura Cellars' "Marlborough Pinot Noir" are grown in the high-altitude, cool Awatere Valley, where the well-draining silt loam soil helps produce refined Pinot grapes.
This wine is carefully crafted with fermentation after low-temperature maceration and aged for 11 months in French oak barrels with 20% new oak.
You can enjoy the aromas of red fruits typical of Pinot Noir such as raspberry, cherry, and red plum, along with the characteristic violet scent of the variety, plus complex flavors of sweet spices like clove and cinnamon from the barrel aging.
The tannins are surprisingly silky, and the acidity remains firm, resulting in a pure and elegant quality.
It pairs well with spring foods like first bonito, roast beef, horse sashimi, and game meat, and is also great for bringing to cherry blossom viewing with Western-style bento.
The label also features cute flower petal designs, making it a perfect addition to spring celebrations.
Kimura Cellars "Marlborough Pinot Noir 2022"
6,050 yen including tax
Go to the purchase page here!
Kimura Cellars "Marlborough Pinot Noir 2023"
6,050 yen including tax
Go to the purchase page here!
Soryu Winery "Japan Wine Sakura"
The recommended spring wine for glamorous occasions is Soryu Winery's "Japan Wine Sakura."
Soryu Winery, founded in 1899 in Katsunuma, Yamanashi Prefecture, is a famous winery known to all Japanese wine fans.
The winery's spring-perfect wine is "Japan Wine Sakura."
As the name suggests, the label features delicate cherry blossom petals, and combined with the gentle color of the rosé appearance, it evokes the image of cherry blossoms in full bloom.
Additionally, the wine is lavishly adorned with gold leaf, creating a luxurious bottle inspired by fluttering flower petals.
Besides its visual impact, the stable quality typical of a long-established winery is also attractive.
Made primarily from Koshu grapes and colored with "Muscat Bailey A," a unique Japanese grape blend, it offers a gentle aroma, sweetness, and delicate acidity that even those who don't usually drink wine can enjoy easily.
Since it mainly uses Koshu grapes, it pairs well with slightly bitter spring vegetables, light spring fish, chirashi sushi, tempura, and all kinds of fried foods, making it perfect for cherry blossom viewing bento.
Of course for cherry blossom viewing, but its glamorous presence also makes it highly versatile for spring events like company entrance ceremonies, school admissions, and welcome/farewell parties.
Choosing wine not only for its taste but also for its visual impact is a characteristic of spring, isn't it?
Soryu Winery "Japan Wine Sakura"
1,364 yen including tax
Go to the purchase page here!
Summary
Spring is a season that naturally lifts your spirits, making you want to choose wines different from usual.
Especially for the cherry blossom viewing season, the "cherry blossom color = rosé wine" is definitely a must-have.
Of course, not only rosé but also refreshing white wines and elegant medium-bodied red wines that pair well with spring ingredients are recommended choices.
It's easy to get confused about which wine to choose in spring.
If that's the case, please refer to the "CRAFT WINE SHOP" when choosing your wine.
