Nagano

Many Nagano vineyards sit above 500 metres. The region has about 1,000 mm of rain annually, long daylight during the growing season and large temperature changes between day and night. Merlot, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are widely planted, alongside the American grapes Niagara and Concord. Merlot wines range from light to full-bodied, often with relatively soft tannins. Chardonnay is usually dry, while Sauvignon Blanc is generally crisp and made without oak. Concord commonly makes sweet or semi-sweet, strongly aromatic wines with light to medium body. Nagano was divided into four wine valleys in 2013: Kikyogahara, Chikumagawa, Japan Alps and Tenryugawa. Kikyogahara has gently sloping terraces and volcanic-ash soils and is known for Merlot. In Chikumagawa, the grapes grown change with altitude. The Nagano geographical indication, or GI, requires grapes harvested within Nagano and wine produced there through bottling.