About Kerner Dry
- Style
- White
- Grape Varieties
- Kerner
- Price Range
- ¥1,200
- 375ml, excl. tax, 2017 release price
Kerner Dry is Ina Wine Workshop's first vintage made from Kerner, a cool-climate German white variety just beginning to gain a foothold in Japan (notably in Hokkaido). Released as the winery's op.19 lot from grapes grown in the southern part of Omachi City in Nagano Prefecture — an area mild enough to avoid the acid loss of hotter sites but cool enough to develop the variety's aromatic character — this 2015-vintage wine was fermented from disease-free fruit with crisp, cutting acidity. Rather than softening that acidity with residual sugar, winemaker Jun Murata chose a fully dry style and gave the wine a full year of bottle aging to build depth before release, aiming for something closer to a mature dry German Kerner than a simple, fruity entry-level white.
One of the few Japanese Kerners made in a deliberately austere, dry, bottle-aged style rather than an easy off-dry crowd-pleaser — worth seeking out if you want to see the variety's serious side.
New to wine?
A crisp, no-nonsense dry white with real acid backbone — a good choice if you want to taste what a cool-climate German-style Japanese white can do.
Food Pairings
The wine's bright, cutting acidity makes it a natural match for grilled or pan-seared white fish and shellfish, especially dishes finished with a squeeze of lemon — the producer's own recommended pairing. It also works well with fried foods and dishes that need a sharp, palate-cleansing counterpoint.
When to drink it
Casual dinners featuring grilled fish or shellfish; a good pick for those who prefer dry, high-acid whites over fruit-forward styles.
Terroir & Winemaking
100% Kerner grown in the southern part of Omachi City, Nagano Prefecture, harvested disease-free in 2015. Fermented and vinified fully dry (no residual sugar) to preserve the variety's naturally high acidity, then aged one year in bottle before release as the winery's op.19 lot — the producer's first vintage of this variety.
About the producer
Ina Wine WorkshopA husband-and-wife 'wine workshop' crafting Ina Valley's small-lot, contract-made wines.伊那市, 長野県 · Founded 2014Visit the producer page →More wines from Ina Wine Workshop
- Chardonnay BarrelWhite · Chardonnay
- Fuji no ShizukuRed · Fuji no Shizuku (Yamabudou × Cabernet Sauvignon hybrid)
- Hinoki MerlotRed · Merlot
- Mountain Grape WineSweet · Yamabudou (Vitis coignetiae, cultivated)
- Niagara DryWhite · Niagara
- Yamamurasaki PremiumRed · Shindai W-3 (Yamabudou / Vitis coignetiae, wine-specific cultivar)
Frequently Asked Questions
- What grape is Kerner Dry made from?
- 100% Kerner, a German cross suited to cool climates, grown in the southern part of Omachi City, Nagano Prefecture.
- Is this wine sweet or dry?
- It's fully dry — the winemaker deliberately avoided balancing the grape's natural acidity with residual sugar, instead aging the wine a year in bottle to build depth.
- What food pairs well with Kerner Dry?
- Grilled or pan-seared white fish and shellfish, especially dishes served with lemon, are the producer's own recommended pairing.
- Is Kerner Dry still available to buy?
- This 2015-vintage op.19 lot was a small-batch release now considered sold out; Ina Wine Workshop has continued making dry-style Kerner in subsequent vintages.
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