At home in Tuscany

It's an ordinary, gray morning in November 1960 when Hideyuki Miyakawa sets off for Turin to report on the Salone dell'Automobile. What he doesn't suspect is that this is the day that he'll meet not only the people who will shape his professional career, but also the love of his life. Maria Luisa Bassano is working at the auto show as a translator in order to finance an exchange year in Japan. Sparks begin to fly the moment the Japanese reporter and Italian university student set eyes on each other. In the months that follow, they meet up frequently and Hideyuki gets up close and personal with Italian culture: «I remember the first time I ate risotto. It was strange. For us Japanese, rice is sacred, and must always be pure. But within a short time, I learned to appreciate this wonderful Italian dish.» This constant readiness to embrace the unknown and broaden his horizons has been a defining feature of Hideyuki's life. This is ultimately how the Bulichella winery came to be. Hideyuki and his wife Mari Luisa decided in the early 80s to leave the city with their seven children and move to the countryside. They longed for a slower-paced life closer to nature. From the beginning they focused on organic farming, and were the very first ones in the area to do so. Today the Miyakawas feel deeply rooted in Tuscany. A quick look at the label on their Rubino says it all: Wild boars are the most emblematic animal of Tuscany, and of course it's no coincidence that the bottle shows a pair of them with seven offspring. Witty, amiable, and unique – three cheers to this unusual family of winemakers!