Natural winemakers set up their vineyard on Mt Pisa

Yoshiaki and Kyoko Sato, of Cromwell, are looking forward to their first vintage from their Sato Vineyard, on the slopes of Mt Pisa, next year. Photo: Yvonne O'Hara

Making natural wines that sell to Europe and Asia is a long way from working in a bank in Tokyo, but Yoshiaki and Kyoko Sato are following their dream.

''Next year, 2019, we will have our first vintage from our own vineyard,'' Mr Sato said.

''It will be a memorable year for us.

''We didn't think we would get this far.''

The couple were investment bankers in Tokyo and London, but they knew they wanted to make their own wine, which is why they chose New Zealand as the place to do it.

''We wanted to have something more real,'' Mr Sato said.

''We wanted to make something, rather than just moving money.

''We decided to come here because New Zealand already had established a reputation for pinot noir.''

Following their arrival in 2005, they went to Lincoln University to learn winemaking and viticulture in 2006.

They had heard about Blair Walter and Felton Road Wines and by November that year arrived in Central Otago to begin working for him to gain experience.

Mr Sato remained there until he moved to Mt Edward Winery in 2009.

''Kyoko still works for Felton Road on a part-time basis,'' he said.

That same year, while at Mt Edward Winery, he made their first vintage, buying in organic grapes, and producing 250 cases of pinot noir.

''That is when we started Sato Wines,'' he said.

''It was very exciting but I was exhausted and I needed to put everything from me into making the wine.

''It was pretty heart-moving and a really nice memory''.

He said they were pleased when their first wine attracted the favourable attention of an international wine critic.

They also spent time in Italy and France to gain further experience.

Later they began exporting vintages to Australia, Singapore, Japan, Norway, France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Thailand, Taiwan, mainland China and Hong Kong.

Now they are producing about 1700 cases of natural wines using biodynamic principles.

The next move was to buy their vineyard and in 2016 they bought the east-facing, chemical-free, sloped 5ha site (3.2ha effective) on Mt Pisa, near Cromwell.

They moved about 800 tonnes of rock before planting six blocks according to soil types and the angle of the sun, added an irrigation pond and acquired several tonnes of cow manure to make their biodynamic compost.

They planted about a third in pinot noir and the rest in cabernet franc, chardonnay, chenin blanc, and gamay noir.

He said one of the reasons they chose that site was it had been in pasture previously and when they tested the soil, it was chemical-free, which was ideal for their plans to make natural, organic wines.

Mr Sato said they intended to build their own winery and eventually a house on the site, although in the meantime they are renting space at another winery to make their wine.

Southern Rural Life