Date£º
2018-11-02 09:44 Source£º
www.thedrinksbusiness.com Author:
Natalie Wang Translator:
Japan¡¯s Hokkaido, the largest island in the far north of the country, has gained its own geographic indication for its local wine production, making it the second prefecture in the country to gain a GI.
Previously only the country¡¯s main wine producing prefecture Yamanashi had a GI.
The GI Hokkaido label is restricted to wines made entirely on the island from locally grown grapes. They also need to pass quality screening standards for taste and aroma, according to a report from NHK Japan.
Starting from Tuesday 30 October, 98 wines bearing the GI Hokkaido label have been on sale.
The move is seen as helping promote vineyards and wine production in the northern island that now accounts for 15% of the country¡¯s whole production.
Planted mainly with local varieties such as Koshu and Muscat Bailey A, Hokkaido¡¯s cool climate Pinot Noir has increasingly garnered interest at home and abroad despite small export volumes.
It¡¯s reported the introduction of the new appellation is backed by the local government to ensure the origin and quality of Hokkaido wines.
The production of Japanese wine totals around 22 million bottles per year, with more than half from Yamanashi and Nagano.
Only wine made in the country from entirely domestically grown grapes can be labeled as Japanese, thanks to a new law introduced last October which prevented the longtime practice of importing grapes for domestic wine production.
There are around 300 wineries in Japan.
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(https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2018/11/hokkaido-gets-its-own-geographical-indication/)