Why Is Japanese Wine So Hot Right Now?
From Japan Eats! by Heritage Radio Network
June 12, 2026 · 54 min · Episode 392
About this episode
Nick Rowan discusses the rapid development of the Japanese wine industry and the unique characteristics of Japanese wine.
Our guest is Nick Rowan, author of Japanese Wine , a fantastic, comprehensive book on Japanese wine. The Japanese wine industry and culture have been developing very rapidly since the 1990s, and Nick’s book, which came out in 2025, is so timely. The book covers 725 producers and 130 grape varieties—over 80 of which are unique to Japan—to showcase the uniqueness and diversity of Japanese wine. It also includes 380 bars, restaurants, and wine stores specializing in Japanese wine, and 125 Japanese wine fairs and festivals. In this episode, we will discuss how Nick got into Japanese wine, the unique terroir of Japan, how Japanese winemakers embrace and overcome its climatic and commercial challenges, the outstanding flavor characteristics of Japanese wine, and much, much more!!! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
People in this episode
Guest: Nick Rowan
Topics covered
- Japanese wine
- wine industry
- terroir
- climatic challenges
- flavor characteristics
Keywords
- Japanese wine
- wine producers
- grape varieties
- wine culture
- terroir
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Heritage Radio Network
Books & works: Japanese Wine
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