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TOP GRAPE VARIETIES  IN JAPAN

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KOSHU

White wine grape variety grown primarily in Yamanashi Prefecture. The grape is a hybrid variety indigenous to Japan, and benefits from a relatively thick skin able to withstand the damp of the Japanese summer. The name “Koshu” is a former name for Yamanashi. The Koshu grape is said to have travelled via the Silk Road from the Caucasus, across Central Asia, to China and finally to Japan.

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MUSCAT BAILEY A

Red wine grape hybrid developed by Zenbei Kawakami. Kawakami's goal was to develop a grape for wine adapted to Japan's climate. He did this by mixing the "Bailey" type grape with "Muscat Hamburg" type grape to give birth to a red wine grape that is widely used in Japan.

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NIAGARA

White wine hybrid grape variety crossed 

between Concord and Cassadye. The commercial introduction of the Niagara took place from the year 1882, whereby the complete distribution right lay with the specially founded "Niagara Grape Company". . After World War II, it eventually became the most widely planted hybrid in the United States. 

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​CONCORD

A labrusca-dominant red wine grape variety. Concord is also thought to have inherited many of its genes from native grapes. True to its heritage, Concord displays many labrusca-like characteristics, such as cold-resistance, distinctive foxy and nail-varnish aromas and candied strawberry flavors.

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DELAWARE

The red grape variety is an American hybrid,

dark pink skin, Delaware has the outward appearance of a red wine grape, but it is typically used in the production of white wine and rosé. It is s slipskin variety, meaning that its skin detaches from its flesh very easily. Therefore minimal color is imparted to the juice during pressing.

Delaware can be made into a wide range of wine styles, most famously sparkling and ice wine. In the vineyard, Delaware ripens earlier than Concord, the variety to which it is often compared.

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MERLOT

Merlot is an early maturing grape variety and can ripen fully even in slightly cooler climates. This reliable ripening is a main factor behind its increased presence over recent decades in the Médoc and (mostly replacing white varieties) Entre-Deux-Mers areas of Bordeaux. Its key drawback is that the early-developing flowers are more susceptible to frost damage in spring

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CHARDONNAY

Climate plays a major role in dictating which fruit flavors a Chardonnay will have. Broadly speaking, warm regions such as California, Chile and much of Australia tend to give more tropical styles. Temperate zones such as southern Burgundy or northern New Zealand create wines marked out by stonefruit notes. The very coolest Chardonnay vineyards (those in Chablis, Champagne and Germany) lean towards green-apple aromas.

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​CAMPBELL EARLY

An early-ripening, seeded, Concord-type grape, also known as 'Island Belle'. It ripens and has been grown for many years in much of the Pacific Northwest where Concord doesn't get the heat to ripen. Originated in Arkansas in 1892, it is a large, purple, slipskin grape. Enjoy the rich, sweet and strong Concord-style flavor for use in jelly, juice and wine. 

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KYOHO

The red grape variety is an interspecific new variety between Centennial x Ishihara Wase. The hybrid was crossed in Japan in 1935 by the breeder Yasushi Ohinoue. She was a crossing partner in the new breeds Jifeng and Pione. The vine is sensitive to frost (max. minus 10 °Celsius) and is therefore only suitable for greenhouses or conservatories. The berries have a foxtone. The variety is mainly used as a table grape. It is cultivated in Japan (62 ha), South Korea (2,700 ha) and Taiwan. In 2016, a total of 2,762 hectares of vineyards were designated (Kym Anderson).

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BLACK QUEEN

Black queen grape is a dark black skin variant having a deep colour and one of the exclusive grapes of Japan which is used in the process of makeing excellent quality light wines, having an almost light body,for red wine making in the state of Japan.

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