From Vine to Victory: Small scale winery secures distributor and wine award in Japan

In this episode of the Jandals in Japan podcast, hosts Jayne and Catherine discuss various topics from the current rice shortage in Japan to the unique process of wine distribution with guest Stephanie Henderson-Grant, Managing Director of Ataahua Wines Limited in New Zealand. Stephanie shares her journey from working in the wool industry to establishing her own vineyard, winning the Double Gold Sakura Award at the Sakura Japan Women's Wine Awards, and overcoming the challenges of entering the Japanese market as a small-scale winemaker. The episode highlights the importance of patience, effective communication, and adaptability when navigating international markets.

In this episode you’ll hear:
How a small scale New Zealand winemaker was able to export to Japan
Winning an award in Japan and what that means in the Japanese market
How to work successfully with your Japan distributor
The importance of communication and patience when it comes to working with distributors from other countries, in this case, Japan

About Stephanie
Stephanie Henderson-Grant is owner and managing director for Ataahua Wines Ltd.
Stephanie’s love of wine and the NZ wine industry began almost 30 years ago when she started selling wine in NZ for a local wine producer. For the last 15 years, they have been producing wine under their own brand Ataahua Wine.
Ataahua Waipara Sauvignon Blanc 2022 was recently awarded the “Double Gold Sakura Award” in the Sakura Japan Women's Wine Awards 2024 in Japan. Double Gold Wines have an average score at 93-100 points across all categories and just 6% of the total entries receive this award.

Connect with Stephanie
Website: www.ataahuawine.co.nz
Instagram:   / ataahuawinesnz  

Links
Ataahua Wines for purchase in Japan: https://item.rakuten.co.jp/ohshu/hnz2...
Jandals in Japan is brought to you by Catherine O’Connell Law and PodLaunch with Jayne

Connect with Jayne and Catherine
Linked In:   / jandals-in-japan-podcast  
Instagram:   / jandalsinjapan  
Facebook:   / jandalsinjapan  
Youtube:    / @jandalsinjapan  

YouTube Timestamps
00:00 Introduction and Greetings
00:16 Discussing the Weather and Rice Shortage in Japan
05:35 Introducing Stephanie Henderson Grant
07:29 Stephanie's Journey in Winemaking
15:04 Challenges and Achievements in Wine Export
17:41 Sakura Women's Wine Awards
18:23 Winning the Double Gold Award
19:19 Labeling and Marketing Strategies