2022 Beaujolais Nouveau Sales Start in Japan

Tokyo, Nov. 17 (Jiji Press)--Sales of this year's Beaujolais Nouveau wine began in Japan on Thursday.

Prices of the wine, produced in the Beaujolais area in eastern France's Bourgogne region, have more than doubled from the previous year due to soaring air freight costs and the weakening yen.

Suntory Holdings Ltd. has narrowed down its lineup of Beaujolais Nouveau wine from 15 products spanning eight types to just three products among two types.

"The wine has a natural fruity sweetness, a light acidity and mellow tannins" thanks to warm and sunny weather around July, a Suntory official said.

Mercian Corp., a unit of Kirin Holdings Co. <2503>, released two products in plastic bottles instead of glass bottles, in order to reduce transportation costs. It is seeing robust orders for its 375-milliliter bottle product, available from this year.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]