Japan Archives -

Musee du Vin Ryugan 2024 Review – Delicate Japanese Wine

When we visited Japan in early 2026, I made sure to reserve some luggage room to bring home some unique Japanese varietals. One such grape was Ryugan, often called Zenkoji-shu due to its cultivation near the Zenoji Temple in Nagano. While distinctly different from a similar Japanese white grape, Koshu, which we also tried, they share many similarities.

So if you're wanting a delicate Japanese wine that had subtle hints of sake, don't overlook Musee du Vin's Ryugan- but just be sure to pair it with an equally delicate meal!

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.