Matt Deller MW reports on the opportunity for Australian winemakers in Japan.
I have just spent five days in Tokyo with South Australian Minister Joe Szakacs and a small group of the state’s producers.
We poured our wines, walked stores, sat with importers and listened to what the market was telling us.
Japan is courteous, but it measures everything, and it measures quietly.
Customs figures put 2024 wine imports at 205 million litres, a lift of a little more than two percent.
Money moved in the opposite direction.
Value fell eight percent and the landed price eased to about ¥1020 ($A10.86) a litre.
People are still drinking wine, but they are buying with sharper intent.
A label that cannot justify its price in taste, origin or behaviour disappears without fuss.
Shelves break out by price.
Under ¥1000 ($A10.65) belong to high volume, mainly from Chile, Spain and local blends.
The ¥1500 ($A15.97) to ¥2500 ($A26.62) tier is where Australian wine can work.
Buyers want clean fruit, clear stories and a price that feels fair.
Above ¥3000 (A$31.95) space is tight and reserved for names the trade can already trust.
Several merchants told me Grange and Hill of Grace had been passed in at auction.
At the same time Californian flagships like Screaming Eagle, Opus One and Harlan keep drawing attention.
Their steady presence now helps everyday labels such as Josh and Coppola Claret hold value around ¥2500 ($A26.62).
The message is simple. Reputation is maintained, not inherited.
Our food products travel well.
Southern bluefin tuna from Port Lincoln, Mayura wagyu, Macro Meats kangaroo and Riverland citrus.
They appear on menus, yet few diners connect them to Australia.
That gap is ours to close.
Picture an Adelaide Hills Chardonnay with tuna tataki and ponzu.
A McLaren Vale Grenache beside wagyu yukke.
Shiraz paired with slow cooked buta kakuni.
A Cabernet Sauvignon with wagyu grilled on magnolia leaf and brushed with red miso.
A Cabernet Shiraz blend alongside charcoal grilled kangaroo, pickled daikon and shiso.
These pairings align with local taste and give our wines context.
At a tasting with Morimoto san of the Japan Sommelier Association, the first questions were on irrigation practice, carbon data and supply stability.
Nobody asked about barrels or scores.
A sustainability claim must be supported by paperwork.
Channels each have their own rules.
Supermarkets move most of the wine and are trimming slow lines while training staff.
Convenience stores sell speed and price, not brands like ours.
Department stores need tidy packaging and importer support.
Sommeliers choose wines that clear the palate and that they can introduce with confidence.
Online sales grow every quarter, and Rakuten expects wine revenue to top three billion US dollars in 2025.
Without local language content and credible reviews, a listing is invisible.
Getting traction in Japan takes real understanding of how the market works.
The wines that succeed are those that feel purposeful on shelf and precise at the table.
¥1,800 to ¥2,500 is the sweet spot for quality wines that don’t need hand-selling, but still offer something thoughtful.
That doesn’t mean light, there’s room for serious reds, but they need balance and clarity, not just power.
Sustainability matters and should be backed by certification like SWA.
Packaging needs to be clean and readable, with a Japanese back label and QR code that leads somewhere useful in the local language.
Importers expect responsiveness and marketing support.
They also expect producers to show up, not just once, but regularly.
It’s not enough to be listed, you have to stay relevant.
The producers who are doing well have put in the time, learned the system and built the trust that makes this market open up.
Japan values those who turn up, listen, and stay the course.
If we keep offering wines that fit its culture and earn their place on the table, we’ll build something lasting.
Matt Deller MW is the managing director of Wirra Wirra Vineyards in McLaren Vale.
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