Kazumi Wines – NAPA GALA

KAZUMI WINES

Kazumi Wines embodies California’s spirit of innovation with its groundbreaking Napa Valley Koshu wine. Founder Michelle Kazumi Sakazaki describes Napa Valley Koshu as “a bright and delicate white wine that goes well with all types of cuisines but is especially suited for Japanese dishes and seafood.”

The ancient Koshu grape first arrived in Japan over a thousand years ago via the Silk Road and is almost exclusively grown in the Koshu Valley in Japan’s Yamanashi Prefecture. Very little Koshu wine is exported, which is why even wine connoisseurs may not be familiar with it.

Kazumi Wines is the first and only winery to grow and produce Koshu in the United States. A Japanese friend in the wine industry introduced Michelle and her father Jack Sakazaki to the Koshu varietal. They were inspired by the grape’s potential and partnered with Kazumi winemaker Kale Anderson to pursue the daring venture of growing and producing Koshu in the Napa Valley. They purchased Koshu canes from Foundation Plant Services at UC Davis and planted Koshu vines in several appellations across Napa Valley.

The vines are thriving in Napa Valley’s warm days and cool nights, maturing slowly to produce more concentrated grapes than those grown in Japan. Napa Valley Koshu is crafted from grapes grown at Bayview Vineyards in South Napa and the Karabian Vineyard in Oak Knoll, with Koshu blocks planted in 2019, 2020, and 2022. The Napa terroir is becoming more pronounced with each vintage, and the result is an ancient grape with modern California flair.

Kazumi’s Napa Valley Koshu has achieved success in Japan, California, and New York, earning placements in Michelin-rated restaurants.

Michelle invites wine lovers to discover Koshu. “Our Napa Valley Koshu is a must-try for those who appreciate delicate white wines like Pinot Gris or crisp whites with vibrant acidity. With a refined alcohol level of just 12%, it offers a refreshingly light and elegant experience.”

WWW.KAZUMIWINES.COM

MICHELLE Kazumi SAKAZAKI
Founder

Michelle is the Japanese-American founder of Kazumi Wines. With her background in both fashion design and the wine industry, Michelle crafts wines that are a seamless fusion of timeless elegance and artful innovation.
Michelle was born in California, raised in Tokyo, and worked as a fashion designer in Milan and New York before coming full-circle back to California. For the past 12 years she has worked in Napa as General Manager for 90 Plus Wine Club, building partnerships with Napa Valley wineries and promoting premium wines in Asia.
While living in Italy, Michelle developed a passion for wine. She discovered how a nice bottle enhances a meal and turns even ordinary moments with family and friends into cherished memories. In 2009, just as she was contemplating a leap from the fashion industry to culinary school or the wine industry, her father started 90 Plus Wine Club and recruited her to help build and manage the business. Since then, Michelle has earned the Wine & Spirit Education Trust Diploma and an MBA, and has visited hundreds of wineries and tasted countless wines from around the world.
Living and working in Napa, Michelle found herself dreaming of making her own wine, as an outlet for the creative expression she once channeled through fashion design. In 2015, her good friends the Perrets offered her a half-ton of Sauvignon Blanc grapes from their Rutherford vineyard. Michelle jumped at the opportunity and created Kazumi Wines, named after her middle name and signifying harmony and beauty. She painted the watercolor label herself, inspired by a photograph she took while visiting her sister in Honolulu. In 2016, Michelle added a single-vineyard Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon to the Kazumi portfolio.
In 2021, Michelle made an innovative leap that expanded the Napa Valley wine landscape while honoring her heritage. Kazumi became the first brand in the United States to plant, harvest and bottle an ancient Japanese grape called Koshu. This project, in collaboration with her father, Jack Sakazaki, and winemaker Kale Anderson, began with a test plot after Jack’s hobby vineyard was destroyed by wildfire. The vines flourished, and Kazumi’s mouthwatering Napa Valley Koshu is now in its third vintage, embraced in both the US and Japan.
Michelle is thrilled to share her novel Napa Valley Koshu alongside her quintessential Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon wines, all crafted to create unforgettable moments with family and friends.