About Honjyo Iwai Rosé
- Style
- Rosé
- Grape Varieties
- Koshu, Kai Noir
- Price Range
- ¥1,760
- 720ml
- Alcohol
- 12.5%
Honjyo Iwai Rosé is a Katsunuma specialty blend from Iwasaki Jozo (Honjyo), combining 97% Koshu with 3% Kai Noir, a black grape bred by the Yamanashi Prefectural Fruit Tree Experiment Station and normally vinified on its own as a red. The unusual pairing yields an off-dry, light-bodied rosé with Koshu's citrus lift and a faint red-pepper spice note from the Kai Noir skins, all wrapped in restrained sweetness and soft acidity.
The Koshu-Kai Noir pairing is a fun idea — Kai Noir is normally kept for red wine — and here its skins lend just enough pepper-spice lift to keep Koshu's citrus character from feeling one-dimensional, all carried by a soft, easy-drinking sweetness.
New to wine?
A gentle, low-key rosé with just enough sweetness to feel approachable — a comfortable entry point for anyone new to rosé or to Japanese wine in general.
Food Pairings
Casual and versatile — enjoy simply on ice, or pair with a peach-and-prosciutto salad, a strawberry tart, or chirashi sushi topped with sakura denbu (pink flaked fish) and sweet shrimp. Its faint spice and gentle sweetness also suit other fruit-forward starters and lightly sweetened Japanese dishes.
When to drink it
Casual get-togethers, an aperitif over ice on a warm evening, or alongside a light Japanese meal built around sushi or salads.
Terroir & Winemaking
Blend of 97% Koshu and 3% Kai Noir, both grown in Katsunuma, Yamanashi. Off-dry (semi-dry), light-bodied rosé. ABV 12.5%. Bottled in 720ml with a cork closure (model no. IWAWR0101G2NV).
About the producer
Iwasaki JozoKatsunuma's cooperative 'Honjo' winery, aging Koshu in a 70-year-old barrel.甲州市, 山梨県 · Founded 1941Visit the producer page →More wines from Iwasaki Jozo
- Honjyo Adiron AkariRed · Adirondack
- Honjyo Collaboration Velvet FunkSparkling · Hokuto no Shizuku
- Honjyo Dry Koshu Foudre AgedWhite · Koshu
- Honjyo Field BlendRed · Merlot · Petit Verdot · Marselan
- Honjyo Iwai Rouge Muscat Bailey A Barrel AgedRed · Muscat Bailey A
- Honjyo Iwai Sparkling Muscat Bailey ASparkling · Muscat Bailey A
Frequently Asked Questions
- What grapes are used in Honjyo Iwai Rosé?
- A blend of 97% Koshu and 3% Kai Noir, both grown in Katsunuma, Yamanashi — an unusual combination since Kai Noir is normally vinified on its own as a red wine.
- How sweet is this wine?
- It's off-dry (semi-dry) with a light body — a restrained sweetness that balances the wine's citrus and spice notes rather than dominating them.
- What food pairs well with it?
- The winery recommends a peach-and-prosciutto salad, strawberry tart, and chirashi sushi with sakura denbu and sweet shrimp. It's also easy to enjoy simply over ice.
- What is the alcohol content and bottle size?
- 12.5% ABV, bottled in 720ml with a cork closure.
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