How often do you get disappointed when drinking Japanese wine? In my experience, it’s often “a handful of tears.” While Japanese wines are gaining recognition on the global stage, the industry is still young—just over 140 years old—so quality varies wildly. “How to find a good-value Japanese wine” is always a challenge. My approach is simple: I gather dozens of Japanese red and white wines, taste them relentlessly, eliminate the weak, and then let friends do the final review. When everyone lit up with joy and finished this bottle in just 20 minutes, I knew I’d finally found it—Hokushin Chardonnay!

This Chardonnay is crafted from grapes grown in the Hokushin district of Nagano Prefecture. According to the winery, the Chikuma River divides Hokushin’s vineyards: the left bank produces grapes with sweetness and fragrance, while the right bank yields grapes rich in minerality and structure. This wine blends fruit from both sides, aiming for a perfectly balanced profile. Let’s taste it!

Pouring a champagne-colored wine, the aroma is strongly mineral-driven, making you expect a crisp, dry white. But the palate is full of surprises: it’s richly flavored, with abundant yellow peach, pronounced minerality, and a soft, ripe fruitiness. The finish is long, blending citrusy sweet-and-sour notes with a hint of salty minerality—a clever touch that adds depth and complexity. The structure is robust, the complexity is high, and it’s the kind of Japanese white you can’t stop refilling.

Hokushin Chardonnay is made by Chateau Mercian in Nagano, Japan’s oldest and one of its most internationally recognized wineries, even ranked among the World’s Best Vineyards Top 50 in 2020.

If you want to try Japanese white wine but don’t know where to start, this Hokushin Chardonnay is a sincere recommendation!