“A great wine begins in your head.”
With those words, Erni Loosen, one of Germany’s most celebrated winemakers and Decanter Man of the Year 2005, sets the tone for this deep, inspiring, and at times surprising conversation.

In this special English-language episode of Wijn en Wijsheid – The Podcast, we visit the heart of the Mosel Valley, where Erni shares the remarkable story of how he transformed a struggling family-owned winery into an internationally acclaimed name for world-class Riesling.

Originally trained as an archaeologist, Erni never planned to take over the family business. But when his father fell ill, he returned home — only to discover a wine estate on the brink of collapse. What followed was a radical journey full of risk, vision, and reinvention.

💬 In this episode, Erni talks about:

• His early years of struggle and resistance from employees and customers
• How a 200-year-old family legacy inspired bold choices
• Encounters with iconic winemakers like Olivier Humbrecht that shaped his approach
• Why ancient, ungrafted vines on Mosel’s steep slopes still hold unmatched potential
• The influence of blue slate, red slate, and vulkanischer Sandstein on flavor
• How he revived forgotten winemaking techniques from an 1817 manual
• His experiment with wines aged 27 years in cask — that turned fresher, not older
• The philosophy that drives him: respect for terroir, curiosity for the unknown, and patience over profit

Erni doesn’t just make wine — he challenges conventions, blends tradition with experimentation, and breathes new life into German wine culture. From terroir-driven GG wines to long-aging cuvées like the Ürziger Würzgarten Reserve and the 1981 Heritage Edition, his wines are as complex and charismatic as the man himself.

🎙️ This is part 1 of 2 episodes with Erni. In the next episode, we’ll dive into his global wine ventures: Villa Wolf (Germany), Eroica (USA), and his latest dream projects in Oregon — J. Christopher and Appassionata — where he crafts exceptional Pinot Noir, as well as his ambitions in Burgundy: Perron de Mypont.

🇳🇱 Deze aflevering is in het Engels omdat onze gast uit Duitsland komt – daarna hoor je ons weer in het Nederlands.

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📧 Email: info@wijnenwijsheid.nl

✨ If you're passionate about great wine, daring ideas, and stories that move beyond the glass – this episode is a must-listen.