Yasuyuki Kinoshita – Sakai Winery (Osaka Prefecture)

Yasuyuki Kinoshita operates Sakai Winery in Osaka Prefecture, continuing a family tradition that dates back several generations. Working in one of Japan’s oldest grape-growing regions, he focuses on producing natural wines from native and hybrid grape varieties like Delaware and Muscat Bailey A.
The vineyards are farmed without herbicides, and the winery employs wild fermentations and minimal sulfur use. Kinoshita’s approach is pragmatic yet soulful, balancing the realities of Japan’s humid climate with a deep respect for traditional craftsmanship.
His wines—sometimes bottled under labels such as Bird Up—are light, juicy, and expressive, capturing the nostalgic essence of Osaka’s historic vineyards and the renewed energy of Japan’s natural wine revival.

Winemaking Philosophy: Traditional, Natural, and "Akayu Unique"

Ippei Sakai follows a low-intervention, natural philosophy that he adopted around 2004, striving to make wine that is unique to the Akayu region by returning to the methods of 100 years ago.

  • Natural Farming (Permaculture): The winery practices organic methods, including no herbicides or pesticides.They use sheep to graze and control weeds in the vineyards, creating a small, natural ecosystem.

  • Unfiltered Tradition: Since its founding in 1892, Sakai Winery has maintained the traditional method of non-filter bottling (unfiltered).

  • Wild Yeast Fermentation: They use natural yeast and local microorganisms for fermentation, adding no lab-cultured yeast.

  • Minimal SO2​: Sulfur dioxide is used sparingly, and some wines are produced with zero added SO2​.

  • Blending as Philosophy (Mazekoze): Sakai Winery is known for its "Mazekoze" (meaning "mixed") wines, which often blend multiple varieties and even vintages. This blending technique is viewed as a way to enhance quality and bring out complex flavors that reflect the local character.

Key Grape Varieties and Styles

Sakai Winery works primarily with traditional Japanese hybrid and table grapes, utilizing the local terroir to produce a wide range of styles, often named after local birds or places.

  • Grape Varieties: They grow both Vitis vinifera and hybrid grapes, including Delaware, Koshu, Muscat Bailey A, Chardonnay, Merlot, and various table grapes like Kyoho and Shine Muscat.

  • Key Products:

    • Birdup: A flagship series (White, Red, Orange Wine) named after the steep slope where the founder planted grapes, Toriagezaka ("the hill of the soaring birds").

    • Mazekoze Wine: A unique, affordable blend of different varieties and vintages, often made by collecting the lees (sediment) remaining after bottling their other unfiltered wines and re-bottling it.

    • Sparkling Wine: Produced using the traditional méthode ancestrale (Pét-Nat) with grapes like Delaware.