Japanese Chardonnay wins gold and a top-10 place at French competition

An international competition judging only Chardonnay

Chardonnay du Monde is an international wine competition that began in Burgundy, France, in 1993. Only wines made from the Chardonnay grape are judged, and it has now run for more than 30 years. In 2026 it was organised by Forum Œnologie, with judging held at the Château des Ravatys in France from 10 to 12 March and the results announced on 19 March. Two wines from Château Mercian, the wine brand of the Japanese wine company Mercian, won gold medals. One of them, Château Mercian Hokushin Ugan Chardonnay Rivalis 2023, also made the top 10 of “Best Chardonnay du Monde”, the top category chosen from the Chardonnays entered from around the world that year.

The right bank of the Chikuma and Niitsuru in Aizu

Nagano Prefecture is an inland prefecture in central Honshu, surrounded by the mountains of the Japan Alps. The grapes for Rivalis were grown on the right bank of the Chikuma River, which flows through the north of the prefecture (the Hokushin region), in vineyards with soil rich in pebbles and gravel. Mercian describes the wine as having rich, complex aromas, minerality and a firm structure. According to Mercian, the name “Rivalis” comes from the Latin word for “river” and was chosen because high-quality wines are being produced on both the right and left banks of the Chikuma. The other gold medal winner, Château Mercian Niitsuru Chardonnay 2023, is made from Chardonnay grown in the Niitsuru district of the Aizu region in Fukushima Prefecture, in the Tohoku region. Both wines are made from grapes harvested in 2023.

Enjoying it in Europe

Hironori Kobayashi, general manager of Château Mercian, said he was proud of the result. He added that, guided by the vision of “making Japan a world-class wine region”, the company will keep making wines that reflect the character of Japan’s terroir at its three wineries. In Europe, there are still not many shops that sell Japanese wine. One option is to ask specialist shops and importers of sake and Japanese food products about Chardonnay from Nagano and Fukushima. If you manage to get hold of a bottle, you could taste it alongside a familiar Burgundy Chardonnay. You may notice differences in the complexity of the aromas and in how the acidity and minerality come through. Serve it not too cold, at a temperature where the aromas open up, and try it with a simple dish of white fish or chicken.