Producer Mai & Kenji Hodgson

FRANCE, LOIRE

Mai & Kenji Hodgson, the first Japanese, the second Canadian, moved in 2009 from Canada, where they met, in Bellevigne-en-Layon, in the heart of the Loire. Kenji, after a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Vancouver, realizes that his true passion is wine. After spending some time in some Canadian companies he moved to Japan, where he met the winemaker Bruce Gutlove, advocate of a natural approach to wines. Back in Canada he meets Mai, who in the meantime had worked in some wineries and, together, the two decide to move to the Loire and officially become part, body and soul, of the world of natural wines. Today they cultivate 4 hectares of vineyards near the village of Faye d'Anjou where the soils are mainly slated and clayey. The varieties planted are the traditional ones of the region: chenin blanc, cabernet franc and grolleau noir.Thanks to the help of local winemakers, such as Mark Angeli and Olivier Cousin, Kenji and Mai have now become a great reference point for all enthusiasts . Their wines are uncompromising with a classic touch of structure, elegance and power.