A native of Kagoshima, on the island of Kyushu at the southern tip of Japan, Mito Inoué is a fine arts graduate. She discovered wine while working at Taillevent in Tokyo. After tasting a natural wine produced by Pierre Beauger, an Auvergne-based winemaker, she had a revelation and decided to train in viticulture. She met him in 2008 and requested an internship with him. This was followed by a dozen or so experiences alongside wine producers throughout France and trips back and forth to Japan. In 2011, when she settled in France, she went back to her first love and chose Auvergne, more specifically Montaigut-les-Blancs, where, with the support of Pierre Beauger, she cultivates two plots in Ludesse and Courgoul, covering a total of 86 acres. She uses natural, input-free practices and produces almost impossible-to-find wines, limited to just 600 bottles. Enjoying a natural Auvergne wine produced by a Japanese winemaker is no easy feat, but quite the treat!