About
Kaori Ishiguro

Representative:
Kaori ISHIGURO

As a member of an international cabin crew for Japan Airlines Co., Ltd., I have travelled around the globe approximatively 250 times in domestic and overseas flights for a period of about 15 years. During my tenure, I felt the need to know more about wine from my experience of wine service on board, so I applied in-house for the opportunity to study at the Department of Oenology, Bordeaux University.

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Since 2003, I became part of a family of wine-makers in Burgundy and became more intimate with the wine-making process from grape to bottle. During the busy season, the whole family needed to go out to the vines, and I also learned the farming work related to grapes. In my experience of living as a viticulture wine farmer in Burgundy, France, I have become more familiar with the need to review the global environmental problems on a daily basis. I had the opportunity to see and think about the wine-making process from various angles.

 

Responsibilities:
Burgundy winery management and sales strategy
Customer response and tasting event
Planning and tasting at Burgundy wineries with professional buyers around the world.
Participation in and sales of tastings held in France, Europe and in the world
Preparation for shipment of wine, export and design (labels, wine products and advertising related business)
Participation in world-famous wine auctions such as "La vente aux enchères des vins des Hospices de Beaune"
 

In 2018, I decided to participate in the Hokkaido Wine Project leaded by Mr. Etienne de Montille, a viticulture wine farmer and a local celebrity in the village of Puligny-Montrachet in Burgundy. This is an international project with a grand purpose to further develop Japanese viticulture and wine agriculture in the future.

Responsibilities:
Coordination and negotiation with accounting, personnel and management of international wine project startup participation projects in Japan, subsidy-related organizations (Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hokkaido Government, Hakodate City, French Embassy in Japan, Banks of Japan and France)
Branding of wine
Sales strategy

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In 2021, the WINE no Kaori project started.
 

Skills:
Obtained the Japan Sommelier Association Sommelier Qualification (1997) and Senior Sommelier Qualification (2001). lived at Bordeaux, France while studying abroad send by Japan Air Lines, and studied winemaking and tasting at Bordeaux University in 2000. In 2006, I obtained a diploma from the University of Burgundy license professionnelle de commerce, option «distribution et commercialisation des produits vinicoles».
2009 Investiture of "the Chevaliers du Tastevin" in Burgundy.

Philosophy:
Trust ourselves.
Always keep a global perspective and strive for mental and financial independence.
Don't forget to smile.
Difficulties of life feed us. Do not forget to enjoy life.
Keep a sense of beauty and protect earth's beauty.
Work hard as a wine professional.
Continue to challenge my potential.