TOKYO – French Beaujolais Nouveau wine went on sale on Thursday, with the fall tradition in Japan remaining popular despite the market continuing to shrink due in part to diversifying consumer tastes and high prices caused by the weaker yen.
Suntory Holdings Ltd. kept its Beaujolais imports just below last year’s level and maintained prices, while Mercian Corp., which left the market, is promoting affordable domestic nouveau wines as retailers develop alternative products.
At a wine bar and store in Tokyo’s Ginza district, about 30 people gathered for a release event and toasted. Keishi Suzuki, a 25-year-old office worker said with a smile, “The season has arrived again,” while appreciating the young red wine’s freshness.
Suntory plans to import around 37,000 cases — 2 percent fewer than last year — with each case equivalent to nine liters, while describing this year’s Beaujolais as having a “rich, concentrated sweetness” thanks to sunny weather during the growing season.
The firm is seeking to broaden its customer base by expanding sales of a convenient 375-milliliter bottle size. Suntory expects the wine to retain a certain market presence, saying it aligns with the desire of Japanese consumers to enjoy seasonal products.
Mercian, which no longer imports Beaujolais, is highlighting new wines made with domestically grown grapes, aiming to double last year’s volume. The company said it hopes to capitalize on Japan’s tradition of enjoying “first-of-the-season” products.
Beaujolais became popular in Japan from the 1980s to the early 2000s, but its novelty factor faded as wine drinking became more common. According to Suntory, Japan’s imports last year were about one-seventh of the peak in 2004.
Higher transportation costs and the yen’s depreciation have also weighed on the market, leading two other major Japanese alcoholic beverage operators to halt Beaujolais sales in 2024.
AloJapan.com