The sushi is called Edomae, which means the “style” or “the way” of Edo, the former name of Tokyo). It is a type of sushi that was popular in Tokyo in the 1800s. During this time, there was no refrigeration system to preserve the fish, so chefs marinated and seasoned the fish to preserve it safely. The fish, shellfish and conger eel would be caught and lightly processed with vinegar, salt and soy sauce and then laid on vinegar rice. During this preservation of the fish, the water is extracted, as well as the fishiness. The result is sushi that emphasizes umami flavors, and this is what pairs with wine. Edomae was how fish was eaten for 350 years in Japan. But with modern refrigeration and transportation over the last 50 years, the style has changed now we eat the fish fresh. Today, there are only a few written records abut Edomae and it is a technique handed down from chef to chef. One of these chefs is Chef Kiminari Togawa, owner and chef of Ginza Sushi Karaku, one of Tokyo’s top sushi restaurants. Chef Togawa is also a proponent of pairing wines with his omakase menus and one of the wineries he features in his restaurant in Tokyo is Dierberg Star Lane from Santa Barbara wine country. The Dierberg family purchased property in Happy Canyon AVA in Santa Barbara wine country in 1996. Originally from Missouri, where they own the second-largest winery, they were looking around the world for the perfect place to plant vineyards. Formerly a dude ranch, Star Lane is an anchor point of Happy Canyon, consisting of 40 percent of the total acreage of the AVA. The vineyard, which sits on an elevated ridge, is divided into more than 80 blocks, each with multiple sub-sections that vary in soil structure. Star Lane Vineyard is where winemaker Tyler Thomas produces sauvignon blanc, merlot and cabernet sauvignon, and the chardonnay and pinot noir come from their Dierberg Vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills AVA.