Naoki Iwasu, CEO of Bokumo Wine (certified sommelier of the Japan Sommelier Association)

Greetings

Hello.

My name is Iwasu Naoki, a sommelier who loves New Zealand wine.

Thank you for choosing Bokumo Wine from among the many wine shops available.

Bokumo Wine is a small wine shop that just started in 2021.

I have been introducing New Zealand wines at my restaurant, Bokumo , since around 2013. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the restaurant was unable to operate, I saw the New Zealand wines piled up in the warehouse and thought, "What's wrong with that?"

What should I do with this inventory? At the same time, I thought to myself that the importer who delivered it and the producers must be in the same predicament.

Then the face of someone I met while touring wineries in New Zealand came to mind.

Most of them make wine on a family-run scale, known as boutique wineries. When I visited, they were very happy that their wines were being enjoyed in faraway Japan.

I realized that there are people who make great wine, people who transport it, and me who pours it. I am involved in the process closest to the customer, from the moment the wine is born until it is drunk.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult to serve wine to customers, but I want to continue to deliver great New Zealand wines somehow. When I thought about it, it seemed a natural choice for me to choose to run an online wine shop.

Then, together with my staff member Sato, I opened a shop and now we deliver New Zealand wine somewhere in Japan every day.

Unlike a restaurant, I can't see my customers' faces when they drink, but it makes me very happy when I hear them say things like, "It was delicious," "I'll order the same wine last time," or "Please suggest a different one next time."

I think I've been able to play a role in delivering some great New Zealand wines and adding some elegance to people's dinner tables. I also want to add more high-quality wines to my lineup and spread the word about New Zealand wines, which are not yet well known in Japan.

Nothing would make me happier than if Boxmo Wine could convey even a little of the appeal of New Zealand wine to everyone.

profile

Born in Aichi Prefecture in 1976.

He started working part-time at a radio station while attending university, and after graduating he joined the production staff and worked as a director.

At the age of 33, he opened a restaurant called Bokumo , which specializes in wine.

After visiting a winery in New Zealand and being impressed by the wine-making process in the midst of nature, he decided to make New Zealand wine the main item for Bokumo.

The store also hosts music and talk events, as well as wine parties featuring New Zealand wine producers.

Click here for the introduction page of the restaurant "Bokumo".
▶ "Bokumo" wine bar in Sakae, Nagoya, where you can enjoy New Zealand wine

Currently, in addition to running Bokumo, he also runs Bokumo Wine, a specialty New Zealand wine store.

He also works as a radio program writer.

Biography

1998	Graduated from the Faculty of Letters, Nagoya University
1998-2009	He works as a program director at a radio station and also produces events and commercials.
2009	Opened a restaurant called " Bokumo " in Sakae, Naka-ku, Nagoya.
2011	Opened the wine bar "Rockmo" in Sakae, Naka-ku, Nagoya.
2013	Obtained sommelier qualification from the Japan Sommelier Association.
2019	Launched the web media "New Zealand Wine Lovers (now integrated into Boxmo Wine)."
2020	The "Rockmo" business is transferred.
2021	Opened "Bokumo Wine", a shop specializing in New Zealand wines.