Reference News Network, November 11 report. According to the website of the "Nikkei Shimbun," the attention paid by Japan to Chinese wines is increasing. With the emergence of high-quality wines that have won international awards, Japanese luxury hotels and wine schools have begun to launch Chinese products. The volume of wine imported from China to Japan has increased more than tenfold compared to ten years ago, with some products priced at tens of thousands of yen (100 yen is approximately 4.62 yuan — note from this site) per bottle.

A wine school in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo held a lecture on Chinese wines in early August. Participants tasted several Chinese wines such as "Silver Heights" from the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and "Jiuding Manor" brewed in Qingdao, Shandong, and systematically learned about Chinese wine regions and major brands.

Kako Matsuzawa was one of the attendees, holding the qualification of "Wine Expert" certified by the Japanese Sommelier Association. It is said that she had basically not tasted Chinese wines before, "Initially skeptical about the taste, but after actually tasting it, she found the quality far exceeded her expectations and was very surprised."

According to the report, although China is not traditionally a well-known wine region, since the early 21st century, with a surge in domestic consumption, the wine industry has developed rapidly. Statistical data from the International Organisation of Vine and Wine shows that in 2024, the area of grape cultivation in China was approximately 750,000 hectares, ranking third in the world.

In the 2025 Decanter World Wine Awards organized by the British wine magazine Decanter, red wines from Ningxia and Shandong won the highest honor "Best in Show," placing among the top 50 in the world. This is the first time that Chinese wines have won the Best in Show award.

The report states that due to the vast domestic market, the export volume of Chinese wines is limited. However, the circulation of Chinese wines in the Japanese market is gradually increasing. According to the trade statistics of the Ministry of Finance of Japan, the import volume of bottled wine has increased from about 1,600 liters in 2015 to 23,000 liters in 2023. (Translated by Ma Xiaoyun)

On June 11, during the fifth China (Ningxia) International Wine and Tourism Expo held at the Yinchuan International Convention and Exhibition Center, visitors were tasting and learning about wines. (Xinhua News Agency)

Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7571356632651743771/

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