In recent years, New Zealand wine has been rapidly gaining popularity around the world. Wine production in NZ has doubled in the past 10 years, and it is now becoming one of the country's major industries. Its popularity is gradually increasing in Japan, and you can now see it more and more often in the wine sections of stores.
However, compared to famous wine producing regions such as Italy, France and the United States, New Zealand's wine production is still overwhelmingly small, with a world market share of only about 1% . Even in Japan, the number of wines available on the market is very small, so it is difficult to find your favorite bottle from the many varieties available at your usual store.
Even if you decide you want to drink New Zealand wine, it's not easy to get your hands on it because it's not widely available in liquor stores or supermarkets.
In times like these, a mail-order store specializing in New Zealand wines is convenient.
Compared to stores that only sell wine in physical stores, stores that sell wine online can manage wine at a lower cost. In return, they can have a wide variety and a sufficient number of stocks, so you can choose your favorite wine from a wide range.
Also, each specialty store has its own unique style of wine. If you can find a store that suits you, you will be able to enjoy New Zealand wine more easily.
How to choose a New Zealand wine specialist
There are two main types of stores that sell New Zealand wine:
- A specialty store that only sells New Zealand wines
- A store that sells wines from countries other than New Zealand
Stores like No. 1 specialize in New Zealand wines, so they are highly specialized and may stock rare wines. They are recommended for people who are only looking for New Zealand wines or who want to know more about the appeal of New Zealand wines.
On the other hand, specialty stores like number 2 that carry more than just New Zealand wines allow you to order wines from other producing countries at the same time, so this type of store is recommended for those who want to buy wines from various countries at the same time.
It would be a good idea to get to know the unique characteristics of each store and use them appropriately.
Now, let's move on to introducing the shops. First, we will introduce shops that specialize in selling only New Zealand wines.
Bokumo Wine
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 primarily by Iwasu Naoki, who supervises this website and is the manager of the Nagoya wine bar "Bokumo."
↑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 Varies by region and season. Free shipping for purchases of 10,000 yen or more (tax included) |
| Contact Us | Bokumo Wine Inquiry Form |
Southern Cross Wine Club
Image source: Southern Cross Wine Club
Southern Cross is an importer that specializes in New Zealand wines. As a direct store of an importer that specializes in New Zealand wines, it has a wide range of products.
You can enjoy a wide range of wines, including the up-and-coming winery Invivo, Bracken Brook, which is committed to handcrafting its wines, and Vandal, which is renowned for its innovative and free-spirited winemaking.
They also offer great value wine subscriptions and tasting sets, making them perfect for those trying New Zealand wine for the first time. You can even buy wines 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 (excluding Hokkaido, remote islands, and Okinawa) |
| Contact Us | TEL: 03-6869-4011Inquiry link |
Craft Wine Park
Image source: Craft Wine Park
Craft Wine Park is an online shop run by an importer of New Zealand's premier wines, which are not yet well known in Japan.
Perfect for anyone looking for a fine New Zealand wine for an anniversary or gift.
If you are looking for rare New Zealand wines that are not widely available on the market, this is the site for you. The wines carefully selected by our local staff are all not widely available on the market.
| Main brands of New Zealand wines | Man O' War Vineyards, Gibbston Valley Winery, etc. |
|---|---|
| Shipping Fee | Starting from 900 yen, varies by region. Free shipping for purchases over 45,000 yen. |
| Contact Us | Contact page |
SHUNABE
Image source: SHUNABE
SHUNABE is a shop full of love for New Zealand wine, run by Shun Abe, who has lived in New Zealand for 11 years, and his wife Aki. Abe first discovered New Zealand wine after joining a local wine club, and after returning to Japan, he set up a company to import and sell the wine.
We want to deliver wine to customers in a state as close as possible to how it will be drunk at home, so we take the utmost care in delivering wine to our customers, including transporting and managing the wine ourselves after it arrives at the port.
Schnabe specializes in rare New Zealand wines and premium wines with a handcrafted feel that are hard to find elsewhere. If you're looking for a bottle for a special occasion, this might be the perfect place.
| Main brands handled | Alpha Domes, Yurika Estate, etc. |
|---|---|
| Shipping Fee | Free nationwide |
| Contact Us | Contact page |
Osawa Wines Online Shop
Image source: Osawa Wines Online Shop
The Osawa Wines Online Shop is a direct store of the winery owned by Japanese owner Taizo Osawa.
Osawa Wines is a winery located in Hawke's Bay on New Zealand's North Island that produces safe and secure wines while respecting 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 |
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.
Livinus is based in Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture. They hold a New Zealand wine gathering about once a month.
| 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 | livinus.nzwine@gmail.com |
NZ BAR
Image source: NZ BAR
NZ BAR is a wine bar and wine shop located in Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo. The walls of the store are lined with signatures of local wine producers. It is an authentic shop with strong ties to the producers.
Orders can be placed online or via DM on Instagram.
It's convenient because you can easily order products through Instagram.
| Main brands handled | Felton Road, Ata Rangi etc. |
|---|---|
| Shipping Fee | 1,100 yen per package (12 bottles) 1,430 yen for all cool delivery from May 1st to October 15th *Excluding some areas Free shipping for purchases of 21,000 yen or more (tax included) |
| Contact Us | Contact page |
From here on, we will introduce shops that sell products other than NZ wine.
Online Washies
Image source: OnlineWashies
Wassy's is an online wine shop that stocks about 8,000 products at any one time. The main focus is on California wines, but they also have a wide selection of New Zealand wines.
There is a wide variety of wines. It is nice that you can sort the wines by region, such as Marlborough or Hawke's Bay. If you have been to the area, you can search for wines from that region.
| Main brands of New Zealand wines | Cloudy Bay, Rippon 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
Image source: Wine Shop Otagoya
Otagoya is a shop that carries a wide range of New Zealand wines, including wines from Central Otago, a famous Pinot Noir producing region.
You can also email the shop's manager, sommelier Kenny, directly to have him select a wine for you (please check the website for further 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 |
Enoteca Online
Image source: Enoteca Online
Enoteca is a famous wine shop with branches all over Japan. It carries 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
Image source: Pontovinho
Pontovinho imports and sells Villa Maria wine, which Iwasu often recommends on this website.
However, this shop is an online store that mainly sells Portuguese wines from Kinoshita International. Among them, you can find the New Zealand wine "Villa Maria", so be sure to check it out.
Villa Maria has a great balance between quality and price. The red and white set comes with gift wrapping and is 20% off, so it's a great deal!
| 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 |
Wine Country
Image source: Wine Country
Wine Country is a shop run by URACORK, a wine bar that mainly deals in New Zealand wines, and is located about an 8-minute walk from Gifu Station.
They also carry a wide range of wines at casual prices, and their great value wine sets are also attractive.
The owner has lived in New Zealand for a long time, so if you like the wine, why not visit the actual URACORK store and have a lively discussion about New Zealand?
| Main brands of New Zealand wines | Ata Rangi, Milton Vineyards etc. |
|---|---|
| Shipping Fee | Starting from 1,400 yen (excluding some areas) Free shipping for purchases of 20,000 yen or more |
| Contact Us | Contact page |
Wine shop
Image source: Wine Shop
The Wine Shop specializes in wines from the "Oceania" region of Australia and New Zealand.
We handle negotiations with wineries, container arrangements, customs procedures, etc. in-house, reducing overhead costs and enabling us to sell wine at low cost. We do not handle many New Zealand wines, but you can purchase them in combination with Australian wines.
The excellent cost performance that comes from importing ourselves is an attractive feature!
| Main brands of New Zealand wines | Waipara Springs, Forest Estate etc. |
|---|---|
| Shipping Fee | 840 yen Free shipping for purchases over 15,000 yen |
| Contact Us | TEL: (03) 5348-2506 Inquiry page |
summary
In this article, we introduced 13 online stores that specialize in buying New Zealand wine, including "Bokumo Wine." Each store has its own unique characteristics, so please visit them!
Recently, New Zealand wine has gradually become more well-known in Japan, and you can see it more often. However, compared to wines from other countries, there are still fewer stores that carry it, and it can be difficult to find it.
In such cases, be sure to check out this article that lists "NZ wine specialty stores"!
I hope that the appeal of NZ wine will spread widely and become more familiar to everyone!
