"Golden Knights" take over from Sunshine Rose, launching a new path for high-end grapes in Japan

Published Dec 18, 2025

Original content

Following the Sunshine Rose, Japan has welcomed a new grape variety, the "Golden Knight" (金の骑士). This variety was jointly developed by the Nagano Fruit Tree Experiment Station in Japan and the Agricultural Genomics Research Center in Spain, through crossbreeding the Sunshine Rose with an ancient European grape variety. The cultivation of Golden Knight began in 2010, and after 14 years of careful selection, it was finally brought to market. Golden Knight grape berries are oval-shaped, weighing 12-15 grams per berry, slightly larger than the Sunshine Rose; the skin is a translucent light yellow-green color, covered with a natural layer of wax powder when ripe, giving it a glossy appearance, and it can maintain its excellent appearance without needing to be bagged after picking. The sugar content reaches 18-22 degrees, 2-3 degrees higher than ordinary Sunshine Rose, with an acidity of only 0.3%-0.5%. Most notably, its complex aroma includes rose fragrance, as well as musk and honey ...
Source: Guojiguoshu

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