Early in her career, winemaker Atsuko Radcliffe aspired to brew sake. Fate, however, had other plans for her.
"Thirty years ago, the sake industry was completely closed (to women)," Radcliffe, who was born and raised in Ibaraki Prefecture, recalls. "I knew that I could continue to enjoy sake, so I gave up on becoming a brewer."
Having earned a degree in microbiology and biochemistry, she was working at a large chemical company when a friend approached her about a job at Coco Farm Winery in Tochigi Prefecture. Although she had no experience making — or even drinking — wine, Radcliffe was a quick study and dove into all the aspects of production, tending to the grapes in the vineyard and operating machinery in the cellar.