It won the top Grand Gold Award at the Japan Wine Competition 2025. This is the first time in the competition's history that a European red wine has won this award.
"Izu Symphony Red 2022 Premium" wins Grand Gold Award at Japan Wine Competition 2025
Both "Izu Petit Verdot 2021 " and "Izu Petit Manseng 2024" won gold medals.
At the Japan Wine Competition 2025, which was held in Yamanashi Prefecture in July 2025,
"Izu Symphony Red 2022 Premium" produced by Shida Nakaizu Winery won the "European Variety" Red Wine category.
It won the Grand Gold Award, the highest award at the Japan Wine Competition .
This is the first time in the history of the competition that a European red wine has won this award.
In addition, the "Izu Petit Verdot 2021" and "Izu Petit Manseng 2024", which were also entered at the same time, also won gold awards.
The Grand Gold Award was established in 2024 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the competition.
Only one was selected from the 860 submitted this time.
This is the first time in the history of the competition that a European red wine has won this award.
Izu Symphony Red Premium won the gold medal for the 2021 vintage last year, making it the second consecutive year that it has received high praise.
Nakaizu Winery Chateau TS has been operating in Izu City, Shizuoka Prefecture (formerly Nakaizu Town, Tagata County) since 1993.
We started growing grapes and opened in January 2000.
The Izu Peninsula is surrounded by the sea on three sides and is a warm and rainy region.
From there, the winery aims to produce wines that can be enjoyed worldwide.
Rather than fighting the rain, they accepted it as a fact of life and repeatedly applied creative and innovative approaches to each variety in that environment.
Our cultivation team has been thoroughly implementing cultivation methods that are close to the grapes,
This wine is the culmination of the efforts of the brewing staff, who have continued to express the essence of Izu using techniques that maximize the potential of the grapes.
<Grand Gold Award Winner>
Izu Shonphony Red 2022 Premium
Vintage: 2022 Award Category: European Red
Sales price: 7,800 yen (excluding tax) Sales period: Scheduled for September 2025
We use Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot grapes harvested from our own vineyards located at an altitude of 290m.
To select the darker-colored grapes, each vine is color-coded, and then they are ripened indoors under a constant light level.
We separate dark and light colored bunches, and also carry out more advanced sorting.
This is Nakaizu Winery's flagship wine, a blend of carefully selected wines from barrels.
You can enjoy the complex and harmonious flavor that only a blend can offer, with a pleasant acidity and astringency.
<Gold Award Winner>
Vintage: 2021 Award Category: European Red
Sales price: 5,500 yen (excluding tax) Sales period: Now on sale
We use Petit Verdot grapes harvested from our own vineyards. The fruity aromas of cassis and plums are harmoniously combined with the rich aroma of oak barrels.
You can enjoy the rounded astringency, rich fruit flavor, and pleasant acidity.
<Gold Award Winner>
Izu Petit Manseng 2024
Vintage: 2024 Award Category: European White
Sales price: 4,000 yen (excluding tax) Sales period: Saturday, August 9 , 2025
This wine is made from Petit Manseng grapes, which have high sugar and acidity levels even in the warm climate of Izu.
The result is a wine with a strong fruity flavor, rich aromas of Japanese citrus fruits and honey, a gentle mouthfeel and refreshing acidity.
The lingering aroma of quince lingers, making this a wine you can enjoy until the very end.
Here are the other wines that won the competition:
<Silver Award Winner>
Izu Sauvignon Blanc 2024
<Bronze Award Winner>
Izu Shinano Riesling Sweet 2024
Izu Chardonnay 2023 Premium
