Yame Aims to Expand Overseas Sales For its Wine-like Ultra-premium Green Tea

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:00 JST, April 25, 2023

YAME, Fukuoka — A council promoting Yame green tea has developed premium tea in wine bottles made with the local tea in Yame, Fukuoka Prefecture.

The special bottled green tea named Yame was developed by the Council of Yame Dentou Hon Gyokuro, consisting of producers of the premium green tea, and related organizations. Yame green tea, one of Japan’s famous tea brands, marks the 600th anniversary since its introduction in Japan this year.

The council hopes to promote the special tea to high-end restaurants overseas and raise the consumption of the tea abroad.

Yame Dentou Hon Gyokuro, a premium brand of Yame green tea, is grown in the village of Hoshino in Yame and other areas in the prefecture. Four different kinds of Yame Dento Hon Gyokuro leaves were blended and brewed with water at a temperature close to that of ice. The result is a mild taste with the sweetness and flavor of the tea that is said to go well with gourmet meals, such as French cuisine.

Taking advice from Francois Chartier, 58, a world-renowned Canadian sommelier, the council plans to market the product to high-end restaurants in countries like France, Italy and the United States.

Only 100 bottles of the special tea were produced for this spring, priced at ¥25,000 per 500-milliliter bottle. The council aims to sell 5,000 to 10,000 bottles a year worldwide.