Speaking to Harpers at the fourth annual Koshu tasting last week, Sherriff said that Japanese people by nature were not pushy, and therefore prouder to present well-established wines like Sancerre in Japanese restaurants, rather than something that might not be accepted by westerners. But restaurants that sell Sake have no reason not to sell Koshu either, she said.

At the tasting Koshu organisers paired up 12 wines with dishes from various cuisines including fish pie, smoked eel and lamb with cous cous. "We didn't want to get stuck with the idea  that Koshu wines only go with sushi and sashimi," Sherriff said.

Production of Koshu wine has been stepped up since the 1990s when domestic demand for wine in Japan started to take off. The wines are light in style and naturally lower in alcohol.
Sherriff said that Koshu would never reach the volumes required to become mainstream, but that she wanted it to become well known in the UK. In the off-trade Koshu varieties are sold by specialists including Selfridges, Hedonism Wines and the Sampler.

Koshu of Japan officially launched its first campaign to find a UK brand ambassador last week. The winner will be taken on a trip to Japan.