Approximately 70 wine industry professionals from Japan participated yesterday in the first of the seminars and tastings organized by D.O. Navarra in Japan. The event, which will continue throughout the week in Osaka and Yamaguchi, combines training, promotion, and professional meetings with wineries to strengthen the positioning of D.O. Navarra Wines in one of its strategic Asian markets and foster the development of new commercial relationships for Navarrese wineries.
The Navarra Denomination of Origin celebrated an exclusive international promotion event yesterday, June 22nd, at the Hotel New Otani in Tokyo. The event brought together nearly 70 professionals from the Japanese wine sector, including importers, distributors, managers of specialized stores, HORECA channel professionals, and sommeliers. The day began with a masterclass led by the ambassador for D.O. Navarra Wines in Japan, Koichi Tanabe, one of the most influential figures in the country's wine industry. During the session, attendees were able to deepen their knowledge of the Navarra Denomination of Origin, its different sub-regions, the diversity of its territory, and the characteristics that define the style of its wines. Subsequently, Tanabe led a guided tasting of twelve representative wines from the denomination, offering a comprehensive view of the quality and variety of D.O. Navarra's wine offerings. The meeting was primarily conceived as a training and recommendation initiative, with the objective of reinforcing the knowledge of D.O. Navarra Wines among Japanese professionals. The denomination's strategy in this market is based on generating value and knowledge around its wines, understanding that building strong commercial relationships begins with comprehending the origin, quality, and uniqueness of its productions.
After the seminar and tasting, participants had the opportunity for direct meetings with the wineries present at the professional exhibition: Bodegas Piedemonte, Bodega Inurrieta, Bodegas San Martín, Nekeas, and Señorío de Sarría. Each of them presented different wine labels already on the Japanese market or currently seeking an importer, in addition to sharing their business projects and philosophies. This space fostered the exchange of impressions and the generation of new business opportunities between Japanese producers and buyers.
One of the most rewarding moments of the day was the reunion with Japanese professionals who participated in previous reverse mission actions organized by the D.O. Navarra in recent years. Many of them have now become regular clients and collaborators, actively contributing to the promotion and marketing of Navarra D.O. Wines in different regions of the country, including Tokyo, Osaka, and Yamaguchi.
"Japan is one of the markets where cultivating personal relationships is most important. Professionals who have gotten to know Navarra through our reverse missions greatly value that we also travel here to support them in promoting our wines and to get to know their market up close. That closeness is key to building solid and lasting relationships," highlights Puy Trigueros, manager of the Navarra Denomination of Origin Regulatory Council.
This meeting is part of a roadshow of professional seminars and tastings taking place this week in Tokyo and Osaka, which will culminate in the sister city of Yamaguchi with an institutional and social gathering alongside local authorities and the Pamplona-Yamaguchi Friendship Association.
This initiative reaffirms the commitment of D.O. Navarra to the Japanese market and consolidates the relationships built over the past few years, strengthening a network of professionals who share an interest in the quality, authenticity, and diversity of D.O. Navarra wines.
The international promotional activities developed by the Navarra Denomination of Origin have the collaboration of the Government of Navarra and co-financing from European funds, whose support is fundamental to boost the presence of D.O. Navarra wines in strategic markets and strengthen their international positioning.
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