The first shipments of Beaujolais Nouveau arrived Friday at Japanese airports, with a record amount of imports expected this year.
This year's imports of the French wine, released to consumers worldwide on the third Thursday in November, are projected to increase by about 10,000 cases, each containing a dozen 750-ml bottles, according to Asahi Breweries Ltd.
Japan imported a record of roughly 1 million cases last year.
A spokesman for Asahi Breweries said this year's Beaujolais Nouveau, a red wine made in the Beaujolais region, tastes good and well-balanced as the weather in the region was good throughout the summer. The fruity wine is made from grapes that were harvested at the end of summer.
The wine arrived for the first time at Central Japan International Airport near Nagoya, which opened in February.
