Sakai Winery is one of Japan's oldest wineries - founded already in 1892, which is quite sensational in this context - and is today run by the fifth generation of the same family. The current winemaker, Ippei Sakai, is one of the pioneers of modern Japanese wine culture and has been working according to a nature-oriented philosophy since he took over the property in 2004. The oldest vineyards were planted in the late 19th century and are located on a steep hillside right next to the forest line up to the mountains. The land is called "the slope of the soaring birds" - toriagezaka (鳥上坂) in Japanese - which has also inspired the name Birdup Wine, now used more or less synonymously with Sakai. Ippei Sakai practises a type of forest-garden cultivation with as little human impact as possible and completely without chemical means. To create a living environment that follows and mimics nature's own cycle, a variety of grapes are grown mixed side by side - from Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay to Japanese hybrid varieties like Muscat Bailey A - and alongside a wild flora of flowers, shrubs, grasses and herbs. Because the slopes are too steep for machinery, British mountain sheep graze between the vines instead. Sakai's winery is located in an old house with an earthen cellar in the historic part of Nanyo in Yamagata. The mountainous landscape around here was once created by volcanoes and the mineral-rich soil down in the valley has been used to grow grapes for over 300 years. Aiming to reflect the area's unique history, many of Sakai's wines are made from various obscure, traditional table grapes in collaboration with local farmers - boundary-pushing and playful wines, which can often be a mix of red and white, but in an unconventional and approachable style. To preserve the special farming landscape for future generations, Ippei Sakai is also working to restore and replant nearby vineyards that have been left abandoned in recent decades up on the mountainsides.