Shine Muscat

Shine Muscat is a grape cultivar. Its Nomenclature registration number is "Grape Agriculture and Forestry No. 21" (ぶどう農林21号). Japan's Institute of Fruit Tree and Tea Science (NIFTS) registered Shine Muscat as a plant variety domestically in 2006, but its international protection lapsed because the variety was not registered for global protection within the six-year UPOV deadline. By 2012, the variety was effectively treated as unprotected outside Japan, allowing growers in countries such as China and South Korea to propagate it legally without paying royalties. In response, Japan passed legislation in 2021 restricting the overseas sale of seeds and seedlings, enabling developers to designate export destinations to protect their intellectual property. In Japan, Shine Muscat is considered a high-end grape, reportedly selling for up to US$100 per bunch, while production in China and South Korea, with larger cultivation areas, has allowed for more affordable prices and a substantial increase in global market share.