Photo/Illutration Heart-shaped red and white wine candies (Katsumi Mitsugi)

KOFU, Yamanashi Prefecture--Newlon Confectionery Co. has developed candies made using locally produced wines in support of the local wine industry hit hard by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Takaki Yazawa, the third-generation president of the confectionery founded in 1949, said he wanted to help the local wine industry and promote Yamanashi wines, which have become internationally famous in recent years.

"We hope we can offer a series (of wine candies) to motivate people to learn about Yamanashi Prefecture and its wineries," Yazawa said.

The hard candies are available in red and white--each of which is made from a single wine from the same winery.

"You can enjoy the wine flavors, and they're available in cute heart shapes, making them a perfect gift," said Akane Mishina, who oversees public relations at the Okajima Hyakkaten department store in Kofu.

For the red candies, Newlon Confectionery uses Koshu-based Morita Koshu Winery Co.'s wine made from Muscat Bailey A, a representative grape variety for producing red wines in the prefecture.

To make the white candies, the company opted for a white wine produced using a major Koshu grape variety grown in the prefecture by Marufuji Winery Co., which is also based in Koshu.

The confectionery uses Isomalt, a less sweet-tasting sweetener, to fully reflect the wine flavors.

An abundant amount of wine is added during the boiling process, but most of the alcohol is boiled away. 

The Newlon Wine Candy is also available at retailers.

A single bag of wine candies, red or white, goes for 680 yen ($5), including tax.

For more information, visit the official website at (https://the-newlon.jp/wine-candy).

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