There are probably a surprising number of people who want to try New Zealand wine at home but are unsure where they can buy it.
Although New Zealand wine is becoming increasingly popular around the world, unfortunately in Japan there are still very few supermarkets and liquor stores that carry New Zealand wine, making it difficult to obtain.
One of the reasons for this is the amount of wine produced. France and Italy account for around 20% of the world's total wine production, although this varies from year to year, whereas New Zealand's wine production is around 1%. Compared to wines from major European wine-producing countries, New Zealand's wine is still a rare find.
However, I think it is an undeniable fact that New Zealand wine is gaining attention in Japan .
For example, the amount of New Zealand wine imported by Japan has increased 1.6 times in the last 10 years. In terms of import volume by country, Japan ranks 11th , and in terms of import value by country, it ranks 7th (2021).
Among these New Zealand wines, the most popular are the refreshing Sauvignon Blanc and the fruity Pinot Noir . Many people say that they are "high quality and cheaper than European wines," and looking at the trends in imports to Japan, it seems that the number of New Zealand wine fans is gradually increasing.
New Zealand wines are now popular around the world and in Japan. If possible, you'd like to find your favorite New Zealand wine from the wide variety available.
In times like these, online shopping sites for New Zealand wines are convenient. Online shopping sites allow you to carefully choose the brand you want, and the added bonus is that they can deliver heavy wines to your home.
NZ wine is easy to get into, even for beginners. It's perfect for those who like fruity, dry wines.
No prior knowledge is necessary. First, choose and try a New Zealand wine from the lineup of the online shopping sites introduced in this article.
I'm sure you'll find some delicious wine!
Benefits of purchasing NZ wine online
As mentioned at the beginning, New Zealand wine is still hard to find in stores, and it is difficult to buy wine outside of big cities where there are many wine specialty stores. This is where online shopping sites (online shops) come in handy.
There are some advantages to buying New Zealand wine from an online shopping site, including:
- You can find your favorite wine from a wide range of brands
- You can choose your wine at your leisure
- You can find rare wines and valuable wines that are in limited quantities.
- You can buy in bulk
The biggest advantage of ordering wine from an online store is the wide variety of wines available. Wine is a very delicate drink, so the types and quantities that can be stored and sold in stores are limited. However, online stores can store most of their wines in warehouses, making it possible to have a large inventory.
And, while this isn't limited to New Zealand wines, another great thing about online shopping sites is that you can take your time to compare and consider products, rather than buying them in a store.
Also, compared to other alcoholic drinks such as beer, wine is a type of alcohol that is difficult to mass-produce. In particular, there are many small-scale producers of New Zealand wine, so rare or popular wines may sell out quickly. When looking for the wine you want, it may be more efficient to use an online shopping site.
Furthermore, when you want to buy wine in bulk, online shopping sites are often more convenient because they have more inventory. Many shops offer discounts or free shipping when you buy in bulk, so it feels like a good deal.
How to choose a mail order site (online shop)
So, what should you pay attention to when choosing an online shopping site? There are two points to keep in mind.
- Understand the difference between a direct sales store and a liquor store
- Know the "personality" of each online shopping site and use them appropriately
There are two main types of online shopping sites that mainly sell wine.
In the case of imported wine, a "direct sales store" refers to a store that handles everything from importing to selling wine. Such importers are also called "importers."
The good thing about direct sales stores is that they keep wine transportation to a minimum. Wine is a delicate drink whose quality can change due to temperature changes and vibrations. Naturally, direct sales stores, which have shorter transportation distances, can maintain quality more easily. However, direct sales stores generally only handle wines that they import themselves, so their lineups tend to be narrower.
On the other hand, a "liquor store" is a store that buys wine from importers at wholesale prices and sells it. In terms of transportation costs, they are inferior to direct sales stores, but since they handle wines ordered from various importers, they are characterized by being able to handle a wide lineup.
It is difficult to say which is better, but if you have a wine you want to buy, it may make sense to choose a direct sales store , whereas if you want to choose from a wide variety of options, it may make sense to choose a liquor store .
However, not all importers sell directly (in fact, there are not that many direct sales websites for wine), and the current situation is that, basically, "wine is often only sold through liquor stores."
However, when it comes to NZ wines, direct sales stores are also doing their best. You might be lucky if you find your favorite at a direct sales store. For those who want to explore NZ wines, the unique lineup by liquor stores seems to be useful.
Now, let us introduce some recommended online shopping sites!
Bokumo Wine [Liquor store]
I was wondering if it was appropriate to tell you about the shop we run first (lol), but I would definitely like to let anyone who likes NZ wine know about it, so I thought I'd introduce it to you!
"Bokumo Wine" is an online shop specializing in New Zealand wines, created by Naoki Iwasu, who supervises this website and is also the owner of the wine bar "Bokumo" in Nagoya.
↑Items included with purchase of wine from Bokumo Wine
At Bokumo Wine, we include a "wine card" with every wine we carry. This wine card describes the characteristics of the wine, such as its aroma and flavor, as well as suggestions for foods that go well with it, so we hope you will find it useful. On the back, you can write notes about when you drank it, what it tasted like, etc.
In addition, we will include an original booklet, "NZ Wine Guide," with first-time purchasers. We hope that this will help convey the appeal of NZ wine, which is friendly yet profound.
| Main brands handled | Greywacke, Mahi, Kimura Cellars, Gibbston Valley, etc. |
|---|---|
| Shipping Fee |
From 680 yen |
| Contact Us | Bokumo Wine Inquiry Form |
Southern Cross Wine Club [Direct Sales Store]
Image source: Southern Cross Wine Club
Southern Cross is an importer that specializes in New Zealand wines. They carry a wide range of popular brands, including "Invivo" and "Green Songs", the winery of Japanese wine producer Kohei Koyama.
They also offer great value wine subscriptions and tasting sets, making it perfect for those trying New Zealand wine for the first time. You can also buy Green Songs by Japanese winemaker Kohei Koyama.
| Main brands handled | Invivo, Green Songs, etc. |
|---|---|
| Shipping Fee | Starting at 880 yen (varies by region) Free shipping for purchases of 10,000 yen (tax included) or more |
| Contact Us | TEL: 03-6869-4011Inquiry link |
Enoteca Online [Direct Sales Store]
Image source: Enoteca Online
This is a well-known wine shop with locations all over Japan. It stocks New Zealand wines such as "Sileni" and "Haka", which are well-known for their excellent value for money and are popular in Japan.
Sileni is often one of the brands on sale at Enoteca, so it's a good idea to buy in bulk when it's on sale!
| Main brands of New Zealand wines | Sileny, Haka, etc. |
|---|---|
| Shipping Fee | 660 yen per package (726 yen including tax) Free shipping is available under certain conditions, such as for first-time users and total purchases over 10,000 yen. |
| Contact Us | TEL: 0120-81-3634 Inquiry page |
Pontovinho (Kinoshita International) [Direct Sales Store]
Image source: Pontovinho
"Pontovinho" is an online shop operated by Kinoshita International Co., Ltd., and sells wines from around the world, with a focus on Portuguese wines.
NZ has two wineries.
I think "Villa Maria", which this company imports, is a winery that produces wines with a very good balance between quality and price, from affordable wines to premium wines.
| Main brands of New Zealand wines | Villa Maria, Eskvalley |
|---|---|
| Shipping Fee | 880 yen (excluding Hokkaido and Okinawa) Free shipping for purchases of 10,000 yen or more (excluding tax) |
| Contact Us | TEL: 03-3553-0721 Inquiry page |
Osawa Wines Online Shop [Direct Sales Store]
Image source: Osawa Wines Online Shop
This is a direct-operated shop of a winery owned by Japanese owner Taizo Osawa. Osawa Wines is a winery located in Hawke's Bay on New Zealand's North Island, and produces safe and secure wines with consideration for the natural environment. They also sell New Zealand specialties such as manuka honey and organic tea.
Located in the English Garden Rose Berry Tawada in Tawada, Maibara City, Shiga Prefecture, there is a shop of Osawa Wines that recreates a cellar door. If you are in the area, please be sure to stop by the shop.
| Main brands handled | Osawa Wines |
|---|---|
| Shipping Fee | Starting at 680 yen (varies by region) Free shipping for purchases of 15,000 yen (tax included) or more |
| Contact Us | TEL: 0749-54-2344 Inquiry page |
Craft Wine Park [Direct Sales Store]
Image source: Craft Wine Park
This is the online shop of an importer that handles New Zealand's premier wines, which are not yet well known in Japan. It is perfect for those looking for high-quality New Zealand wines for anniversaries or gifts.
If you are looking for rare New Zealand wines that are not widely available on the market, this is the site for you. We only carry high-quality, small-batch wines that have been found by our local staff.
| Main brands of New Zealand wines | Man O' War Vineyards, Gibbston Valley Winery, etc. |
|---|---|
| Shipping Fee | Starting from 810 yen, varies by region. Free shipping for purchases over 45,000 yen. |
| Contact Us | Contact page |
Schnabe [Direct Sales Store]
Image source: SHUNABE
Schnabe is a micro-importer run by Shun Abe, who spent 11 years in New Zealand and started importing New Zealand wines to Japan. They introduce unique brands that are hard to find anywhere else.
They specialize in rare varieties of wine in New Zealand and premium wines with a handcrafted feel. If you're looking for a bottle for a special occasion, this might be the place for you.
| Main brands handled | Alpha Domes, Yurika Estate, etc. |
|---|---|
| Shipping Fee | Free nationwide |
| Contact Us | Contact page |
Livinas [Direct Sales Store]
Image source: livinus
Livinus is a direct sales store headed by Takezawa Yuto, who spent eight years in New Zealand until 2021.
Takezawa has visited many wineries in New Zealand and has worked at local wineries, making use of his experience to import carefully selected wines.
In Japan, we carry a wide variety of rare wines, including wines from wineries that can only be purchased at Livinus.
In Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture, where they are based, they hold New Zealand wine tasting events about once a month, so if you live nearby you can actually try the wine before purchasing.
| Main brands of New Zealand wines | Te Motu, Coopers Creek |
|---|---|
| Shipping Fee | Free shipping for purchases starting from 830 yen and over 10,000 yen |
| Contact Us | Contact: livinus.nzwine@gmail.com |
Online WASHI'S [Liquor Store]
Image source: OnlineWashies
An online wine shop that carries around 8,000 products at any one time. The focus is on California wines, but they also have a wide selection of New Zealand wines.
The selection is very wide. It's also a convenient site when you want to buy wines from other countries. For NZ wine fans, it's nice to be able to sort the wines by region, such as Marlborough or Hawke's Bay.
| Main brands of New Zealand wines | Cloudy Bay, Rippon, Cambridge Road etc. |
|---|---|
| Shipping Fee | Starting at 590 yen, varies by region. Free shipping for one package for purchases of 50,000 yen or more |
| Contact Us | Contact page |
Wine Shop Otagoya [Liquor store]
Image source: Wine Shop Otagoya
This shop carries a wide range of New Zealand wines, including wines from Central Otago, a famous region for Pinot Noir. You can also have the shop manager, sommelier Kenny, select a wine for you by email (please check the website for details).
They have a wide range of wines, from affordable to authentic. They also have a blog that describes their visits to local wineries, so you can really feel the love for New Zealand wine in this shop.
| Main brands of New Zealand wines | Felton Road, Peregrine, etc. |
|---|---|
| Shipping Fee | Nationwide flat rate of 1,000 yen (excluding Okinawa and remote islands) Free shipping for purchases of 10,000 yen or more |
| Contact Us | Contact page |
summary
New Zealand wines are rich in fruitiness and have an easy-to-follow flavor, making them recommended for both beginners who don't drink much wine and wine lovers.
However, it is still hard to find in stores in Japan and difficult to come by, so we recommend making good use of the online shopping sites introduced in this article.
We hope that NZ wine will become more familiar to everyone and become a gateway for future wine lovers!
