Sabatora Shuhan is a unique establishment in the Yoshidamachi neighborhood, tucked away on the second floor of a building on a narrow backstreet. The single-room standing bar operates as both a bottle shop and a tasting room for natural wines and craft beer.
The shop opened about five years ago as a sister store of Sabatora Kajitsu-shu Shoten (currently closed), a bar in Ishikawa-cho. The concept for the new location was to provide a place where customers could casually try new natural wines at a reasonable price and then purchase bottles of those they fancied, as opposed to buying an entire bottle of something unfamiliar. The staff can guide customers through sample tastings allowing them to experience many things likely new to them.
Bottles and cans of craft beer, particularly Belgian brews, were added a few years ago to complement the wine. If you are searching for an alternative to the craze of hazy IPAs, Sabatora provides much in that realm. Sabatora boasts an impressive selection of saisons, lambics, blond ales, various farmhouse brews, and more. In addition to a multitude of Belgian beer, Sabatora also offers domestic and other international craft beer in cans or bottles. If you plan to do multiple tastings, buy the tasting pass (¥1000) that allows you half-price tastings of about ten varieties of wine and a few beers recorded daily on the whiteboard. Note there is a corkage fee for other items consumed in the bar (¥250 for beer ~500ml, ¥500 for wine/ beer over 500ml).
Sabatora is run by Koichi Fujita, a veteran of the alcohol industry and a decade-plus Yokohama resident. From a young age he developed an interest in studying different cultures. He decided to leave university to work at a restaurant in Shinjuku called Rose de Sahara (now defunct), which specialized in African cuisine. That restaurant was in a collection of six that served various international fare. There he was able to interact with staff and customers from multiple countries, and in addition, developed a joy for working in the restaurant business.
One day, a coworker invited him to go to Cafe Hoegaarden, where he became enamored with the tradition and cultural aspects of Belgian beer–not to mention the taste. He immersed himself more deeply into that beer scene leading to a position as manager of a new Belgian beer bar called Brussels in Kamiyacho, Tokyo. In his six years there he also got involved in importing, working with breweries to produce original beers for the Japanese market, and assisting in the opening of Brussels Beer Project’s Shinjuku location (incidentally, it replaced Cafe Hoegaarden). In recognition of his outstanding work the Belgian Brewers Guild inducted him as a member of La Chevalerie du Fourquet Brasseurs (The Knighthood of the Brewers’ Paddle). The award ceremony at Brussels’ Grand-Place is a memory he says he cherishes dearly.
While working in Kamiyacho, Fujita encountered natural wine at a nearby bar, which significantly altered his conception of the beverage. He had developed a liking for lambics and sour beers and felt these wines were like brethren. As he truly enjoyed living in Yokohama, he decided working locally made more sense. He searched for a place closer to home and found the aforementioned Sabatora Kajitsu-shu Shoten. Proprietor Ryuji Kunii became Fujita’s natural wine sensei. Shared interests led to friendship and then a job opportunity.
“Alcohol, as well as bars and restaurants, are part of a culture,” Fujita professes. “I believe it’s a great positive in life if you can find places close to home that you take pleasure in patronizing. It’s my hope to provide customers just such an experience with natural wine and craft beer.” He adds welcomingly, “We are planning a variety of future events, such as collaborations with other bars and restaurants, and visits from producers, so I would be overjoyed if you could stop by.” As a satisfied Sabatora regular, this writer encourages you to do just that.