Lockdown WIne #3 - Sinano Grand Deluxe, Japan

My Daughter got me this from her recent trip to Japan (late January) as a gift. Its a half bottle, bought from a gift shop. You will not find it for sale anywhere in the UK, as far as I can see.
Sinano Winery is in Nagano, the kikyogahara valley.

http://www.nagano-wine.jp/english/visit/kikyogahara/shinanowine.php

Red Wine
12%
Grapes: Merlot and Muscat Bailey A.

It is "unusual" It has considerable residual sugar, although not sweet as such - a bit like those cheaper californian wines. It gets an online rating of 2.5/5.0 so not that great. Without the sweetness it might be OK, but I'd really give it a miss. I mean, its drinkable, but....

The interesting thing about it is the Muscat Bailey A grape variety
Muscat Bailey A is a deep pink-skinned grape variety used to make light red wines in Japan. It was bred in the 1920s by Kawakami Zenbei, the "grandfather" of Japanese wine.
Muscat Bailey A is a hybrid with a complex genetic heritage. It was created by crossing Muscat of Hamburg with Bailey, itself a little-known crossing whose family tree includes Triomphe and two interestingly named American hybrids, "Big Berry" and "Extra". Muscat of Hamburg (also known as Black Muscat) is a dark-skinned variety used more commonly for table grapes than wine production.
Today, Muscat Bailey A is one of Japan’s most popular wine grapes. It is most often used to make light-styled, fruity reds, low in both tannins and acidity. It is planted in roughly 370 acres (150ha) of vineyard, mostly in the Yamanashi Prefecture, immediately west of Tokyo. Very little is to be found in Niigata Prefecture, the variety’s homeland.

This, of course, explains the sweetness.

S