Published by Jeremy.
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One thing we love about winemaking is that it is not constrained to just the regions you are familiar with. Every now and again, you may be surprised to find a new country or region that you never would've thought produces wine like, say, Japan.
A few years ago, we visited Japan and were fortunate enough to try some Japanese wines made from well-known European grapes. We knew that the country had their own native grapes, many of which are hybrids, but unfortunately had no suitcase room to bring any bottles home.
When we returned in 2026, we fixed that mistake, and picked up several highly rated bottles of wines made with local grapes- like Grace's Koshu! We have to say, while a reserved wine in many respects, we quite liked this one.
Grace Koshu is A Delicate Wine All Around
Grace's Koshu was pale lemon in color with medium(-) aromas of lemon, lime, nectarine, wet stone, white blossom, grapefruit, pear, pineapple, peach skin, jasmine, and a slightly reductive note that was not overpowering.
On the palate, ti was dry with high acidity, medium alcohol, body, and flavor intensity, and a long finish. We had notes of lemon, lime, chamomile, peach, wet stone, white blossom, acacia, and beeswax.
In a way, this wine felt a bit like a premium sake. The lighter aromatic intensity and medium flavor intensity was a bit of a surprise, but was quite enjoyable when we stopped to really appreciate its delicacy. The long finish, with a hint of phenolic texture, really kept the flavors hanging on even if the intensity itself was somewhat mild.
Japanese Koshu Food Pairing – Ponzu Sablefish
When we bought this Japanese Koshu, the sommelier at the bottle shop recommended pairing it with sashimi. We did the next best thing and paired it with a cooked sablefish topped with a ponzo sauce to lean into the Japanese flavors (plus a baked sweet potato on the side).
The fish was a great pairing and helped have a bit of peach, grapefruit, and pear notes spike in the wine which was a decent match for the meal. The reserved intensity of the wine also was a nice complement without being overpowering, which we appreciated.
Score 3.5 / 5
We'd buy a glass of this one and a bottle for the right pairing.
Overall, we quite enjoyed this wine, perhaps even moreso than we thought we would when buying it. Despite being a bit lighter in aroma and flavor intensity, the wine was quite enjoyable and reminded us a bit of perhaps a milder Arneis or Gruner Veltliner if we were to try and equate it to grapes you may be familiar with. In either event, we'd gladly have a glass of this one or a bottle with a great food pairing.
Grace Wine is made in Katsunuma, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. We purchased this bottle in Japan and enjoyed it in 2026.
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