Kinsen Plum Wine

Kinsen Plum Wine is a sweet Japanese-style plum wine, or umeshu, produced in the United States and bottled in a 750ml format. Made by steeping ume plums with sugar in a neutral wine base, it delivers the honeyed apricot, almond and tart-plum flavor that has made plum wine a staple of Japanese restaurants across America.

Quick Facts: Origin: USA (Japanese style) | Style: Plum Wine (Umeshu), Sweet | Producer: Kinsen

Production & Heritage

Umeshu is one of Japan's oldest household drinks, traditionally made each June by layering green ume plums with rock sugar in a jar of shochu or sake and leaving it to macerate for months. The ume is botanically closer to an apricot than a plum, which explains the drink's signature stone-fruit sweetness and the faint almond bitterness that comes from the pit. Kinsen Plum Wine adapts the tradition for the American market: it is produced domestically in a grape-wine base infused with plum, sweetened to the classic umeshu level and bottled at a moderate, wine-like strength. It has long been one of the best-selling plum wines in the United States, poured by the glass in sushi bars and Japanese steakhouses and sold at retail for home use. The style is deliberately sweet and approachable, intended to be served cold, over ice or as a dessert wine.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Ripe apricot, plum jam and honey, with a hint of marzipan and a floral cherry-blossom note.

Taste: Sweet and smooth, with concentrated stone fruit, honey and a gentle tartness that keeps the sugar in balance. A subtle almond bitterness from the ume pit adds depth.

Finish: Medium length, sweet and fruity, with lingering apricot and a light almond note.

How to Drink Kinsen Plum Wine

Serve Kinsen Plum Wine chilled or over ice in a small glass, the way it is poured in Japanese restaurants. It is a natural dessert wine and aperitif, and it mixes easily: top it with soda water for an Umeshu Soda, add it to sparkling wine for a Plum Mimosa, or shake it with gin and lemon for a Plum Blossom Sour. A splash in hot green tea in winter is a traditional comfort.

Best For

• Sushi night and Japanese steakhouse dinners at home
• Dessert wine for guests who prefer sweet styles
• Light, low-effort cocktails and spritzers
• Gifting a sweet wine drinker something a little different

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Kinsen Plum Wine taste like? It tastes sweet and smooth, with apricot, plum jam, honey and a faint almond note, balanced by gentle tartness. It is similar to a dessert wine with a distinctive stone-fruit flavor.

How does Kinsen Plum Wine compare to Choya Umeshu? Choya is made in Japan with whole ume plums often left in the bottle and tends to be more tart and intense. Kinsen is produced in the United States in a softer, sweeter, more wine-like style and is usually less expensive.

Is Kinsen Plum Wine good for cocktails? Yes. Its sweetness and fruit make it a simple mixer with soda, sparkling wine, gin or vodka, and it can replace simple syrup in many sours.

Where is Kinsen Plum Wine made? Kinsen Plum Wine is produced in the United States in the Japanese umeshu style.

What foods pair well with Kinsen Plum Wine? Sushi and sashimi, tempura, teriyaki chicken, spicy Thai and Korean dishes, blue cheese, and desserts such as almond cookies and cheesecake all pair well with its sweetness.

What sizes does Kinsen Plum Wine come in? This listing is the 750ml bottle. Kinsen Plum Wine is also sold in a 1.5L bottle for restaurants and parties.

Is Kinsen Plum Wine worth the price? It is one of the most affordable plum wines on the market and a reliable choice for the classic sweet style, which makes it a good value for restaurants, parties and home sushi nights.

Why Kinsen Plum Wine?

Kinsen Plum Wine is the plum wine most Americans already know, whether they realize it or not, because it has been poured in Japanese restaurants for decades. It delivers the essential umeshu experience, honeyed apricot sweetness with a tart edge and a whisper of almond, in an easy, inexpensive bottle that works chilled, over ice or in a spritzer. It is a crowd-pleasing dessert wine, a friendly introduction to Japanese drinks and a smart addition to any sushi night at home. For the price, it is hard to find a sweeter deal.