On December 14th, the Japan Society of Northern California hosted our “Rising Stars of the Vine: Unveiling the Pioneering Spirit of Japan’s Next Generation Winemakers” event with Noria, Kazumi Wines, and UC Berkley. Wine is a universal drink loved by many people worldwide, and some of the best wine is made here in Northern California, which is the home of Napa Valley. Here, you will find rich soil and the perfect amount of sun to grow some of the best grapes in the world. It is the job of winemakers to produce these grapes and use them to make the drinks you know and love, but becoming a winemaker takes a lot of work.

To become a winemaker in Napa Valley, you must undergo rigorous hands-on training and classes to become certified. The space is competitive, and getting your foot in the door can be challenging. This is even harder for Japanese and Japanese Americans who want to enter the winemaking industry. This is even harder for Japanese and Japanese Americans who want to enter the winemaking industry. To help bring attention to this issue, the Japan Society wanted to bring together Japanese winemakers for an event that would bring our members together for learning and fun in the East Bay. To teach our attendees what the next generation of wine artisans is doing to challenge these long-held perceptions, we had Michelle Kazumi Sakazaki of Kazumi Wines and Nori Nakamura of Noria Wines tell their stories.

The event started with Michelle Kazumi Sakazaki giving the audience an overview of how she went from fashion designing in Milan, Italy, to becoming the general manager of 90 Plus Wines Club and creating Kazumi Wines. Nori Nakamura, winemaker, and co-owner of Noria, followed by telling his story of moving from Japan to America and entering the wine industry. Nori worked his way up, creating his personal blend of wine to pair with Japanese cuisine and eventually becoming co-owner of his own winery. After Michelle and Nori gave their presentations, the audience was treated to a moderation and Q&A session hosted by Raj Dev, a Managing Partner at EleveneX. To close the event, attendees were given the opportunity to network with Michelle and Nori. Throughout the event, attendees could partake in wine tastings that included wines from Kazumi and Noria and food catered by Onigilly.

The atmosphere was lively, with music, wine, and great conversations! We want to extend a special thanks to Noria for providing the venue for our event, and Hiro Sogi Media for taking the photos. We’d also like to thank our guests for making this event possible and sharing it on social media! We hope to see you at more Japan Society of Northern California events in the future!

If you would like to learn more about our speakers or try their wine for yourself, please visit them on their websites.

Michelle- Kazumi Wines

Nori- Noria