Because Japan has four seasons, it makes you want to choose Japanese wines according to the season.
After enduring the cold winter, the next season to come 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, please check them out.
What are the recommended wines for spring?
Any wine can be enjoyed deliciously all year round, regardless of the situation.
On the other hand, we unconsciously choose wines according to the season: crisp, chilled white wine for hot summers; somewhat rich red wine or medium-bodied white wine for autumn when food tastes better; and full-bodied wine for winter with hearty meals.
Among them, what kind of wine do you want to choose in spring?
"CRAFT WINE SHOP" has summarized recommended wines for spring as follows.
- Rosé is a sure bet for spring-like wine.
- Wines that pair well with spring-like ingredients
- Elegant medium-bodied red wine
Each will be explained.
Rosé is a sure bet for Japanese spring wine.
If you are told 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 a wine that evokes summer.
However, when it comes to spring in Japan, it's cherry blossoms.
Speaking of cherry blossoms, it's cherry blossom color (pink)! Thus, rosé wine has become a standard spring wine in Japan.
Therefore, in Japan, rosé wines from various countries dominate the wine shelves in spring, but if you want to drink a "spring-like rosé," please try choosing Japanese rosé wines.
Japanese rosé wines are generally delicate and elegant, with a beauty that evokes the fleetingness of cherry blossom petals gently falling.
Rather than being powerful rosés with overly rich aromas, strong alcohol quality, or tannins reminiscent of red wine, many are types where the charm, supple strength, and complexity of red wine are exquisitely added to white wine.
The delicate nature that complements a wide range of dishes is characteristic 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 many 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 is important to focus on "choosing wines that match seasonal ingredients."
Ingredients that come into season in spring are fresh, juicy, and rich in nutrients.
Also, spring has many ingredients that offer sweetness and bitterness, making it a season with dishes that differ somewhat in character from the rich, hearty, and powerful autumn and winter foods.
In the spring season, 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 aftertaste, can be said to pair well with spring ingredients.
Rather than wines rich in umami, juicy and jammy with abundant tannins, you might 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 wine
When it comes to recommended Japanese wines for spring, there tends to be a preference for rosé and white wines that balance freshness, fruit sweetness, and acidity.
On the other hand, red wine is the star of autumn and winter, and in Japan, spring is an image where the leading role is handed over to rosé wine.
However, even in Japanese spring, red wine holds a leading role.
Among them, elegant medium-bodied red wines pair well with the spring ingredients mentioned above and go excellently with roast beef, teriyaki chicken, yakitori, and simmered pork often enjoyed during cherry blossom viewing.
Also, horse sashimi, loved in Japan, is said to be in season in spring and is famously called "sakura meat."
Additionally, there is a custom of eating eel around late April, known as the spring Doyo no Ushi no Hi.
Muscat Bailey A, Zweigelt, Black Queen, as well as Japanese Merlot and Pinot Noir, are varieties that 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 a bit more substance without the heaviness of full-bodied wines.
At such times, an elegant medium-bodied red wine can be said to be the best choice.
Three spring wines recommended by "CRAFT WINE SHOP"
Here are three spring wines recommended by "CRAFT WINE SHOP" that you want to drink in spring and definitely want to try.
Mt. Fuji Winery "SAKUYA"
The Japanese wine recommended for spring is Mt. Fuji Winery's "SAKUYA."
Mt. Fuji Winery owns its own vineyards in Fujinomiya City, Shizuoka Prefecture, and Makioka Town, Yamanashi Prefecture.
A popular winery known as the "winery closest to Mt. Fuji," mainly cultivating Koshu.
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One of the features of Mt. Fuji 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 large temperature differences between day and night.
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The "SAKUYA" produced by such Mt. Fuji Winery is a rosé sparkling wine perfect for spring.
"SAKUYA" is offered in two types: a bulk blend imported directly from high-quality wines overseas and blended at the winery, and the "SAKUYA-Domestic Wine Blend" introduced here, blended from Koshu and Muscat Bailey harvested from our own vineyards.
A simple rosé sparkling wine blended with 50% Koshu and Muscat Bailey A, finished to balance the charms of both grape varieties.
A pale rosé color reminiscent of gentle cherry blossoms, charming red fruit aroma derived from Bailey A, and fresh citrus aroma typical of Koshu.
A refined rosé sparkling wine with gentle bubbles and delicate mouthfeel, yet surprisingly sharp acidity that lingers through the finish.
While feeling Japanese citrus, plum, and juicy umami, the overall impression is elegant.
A perfect bottle for early spring, wrapped in soft sunlight and gentle warmth.
By the way, the name "SAKUYA" is said to come from the goddess of Mt. Fuji appearing in Japanese mythology, "Konohananosakuyahime".
Like wine, beautiful stories are also attractive.
Mt. Fuji Winery "SAKUYA"
Including tax 2,750 yen
Click here to purchase!
Mt. Fuji Winery 'SAKUYA' Recommended Pairing
'SAKUYA' is a rosé sparkling wine with a well-balanced blend of the 'charm' of Koshu and Muscat Bailey A.
Elegant quality, a soft taste that does not assert itself too much, and fresh acidity make it an excellent match with spring ingredients.
For this recommended pairing, we matched it with 'Firefly Squid Spring Salad.'
A simple dish of firefly squid, rapeseed blossoms, and thin bamboo shoots dressed with lemon, olive oil, and herb salt.
The bitterness of firefly squid, rapeseed blossoms, and thin bamboo shoots matches the bitterness derived from Koshu.
The citrus of lemon and the refreshing aroma of rosé sparkling harmonize, with soft bubbles and acidity creating a clean aftertaste, completing a refreshing spring pairing.
Even with ingredients that might have strong flavors like firefly squid, it is recommended to pair with Japanese indigenous varieties like Koshu or Muscat Bailey A, as they blend without clashing.
You can also deliciously pair it by substituting firefly squid with scallops, sea bream, and others.
Kimura Cellars 'Marlborough Pinot Noir 2022・2023'
As a wine recommended for spring, we also introduce Kimura Cellars' 'Marlborough Pinot Noir.'
As you may have noticed from the Marlborough name, this is a New Zealand wine, not Japanese, but the producer is actually Japanese.
Kimura Cellars is a winery 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 utilize the delicate sensibility 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 attracted attention as a region producing high-quality Pinot Noir comparable to Burgundy.
The Pinot Noir vineyards used for Kimura Cellars' 'Marlborough Pinot Noir' are cultivated in a high-altitude, cool area called Awatere Valley, and combined with well-draining soil called silt loam, refined Pinot can be harvested.
This is a bottle filled with dedication, including fermentation after low-temperature maceration and 11 months of aging in French oak with a 20% new barrel ratio.
You can enjoy the aroma of red fruits typical of Pinot Noir such as raspberry, cherry, and red plum, as well as the characteristic violet scent of the variety, along with complex flavors added by barrel-derived sweet spices like clove and cinnamon.
The tannins are surprisingly silky, and the acidity remains firm, resulting in a pure and elegant quality.
It pairs well with ingredients like first bonito of spring, roast beef, horse sashimi, and game meat, and is also great when bringing Western-style bento to a cherry blossom viewing.
The label is also designed with cute petals, making it a presence that seems to liven up the spring feast.
Kimura Cellars "Marlborough Pinot Noir 2022"
Including tax, 6,050 yen
Click here to purchase!
Kimura Cellars "Marlborough Pinot Noir 2023"
Including tax, 6,050 yen
Click here to purchase!
Soryu Winery "Japan Wine Sakura"
The recommended spring wine to use for glamorous scenes 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 perfect spring wine is "Japan Wine Sakura."
As the name suggests, the label features delicate cherry blossom petals, and combined with the gentle-colored rosé appearance, it evokes the image of cherry blossoms in full bloom.
Furthermore, the wine is lavishly decorated with gold leaf, creating an extremely luxurious bottle inspired by petals dancing gorgeously.
Besides its visual impact, the stable quality typical of a long-established winery is also attractive.
Primarily made from Koshu grapes and colored with "Muscat Bailey A," this blend of Japan's native varieties offers a gentle aroma, sweetness, and delicate acidity, making it easy to drink even for those who don't usually drink wine.
Since it mainly uses Koshu grapes, it pairs well with slightly bitter spring vegetables, refreshing 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 also its glamorous presence makes it highly versatile for spring events like company entrance ceremonies, school admissions, and welcome/farewell parties.
Besides deliciousness, the desire to choose wine for its visual impact is also a characteristic of spring.
Soryu Winery "Japan Wine Sakura"
Including tax, 1,364 yen
Click here to purchase!
Summary
Spring is a season that naturally makes you feel positive, and you tend to want to choose different wines than usual.
Especially for the cherry blossom viewing season, "cherry blossom color = rosé wine" is definitely a must-have choice.
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.
In spring, it's hard to decide which wine to choose.
If that's the case, please try choosing wine with reference to "CRAFT WINE SHOP."
