“A great wine begins in your head.”

So goes the philosophy of Ernst “Erni” Loosen, owner of the 220-year-old Dr. Loosen wine estate in Germany’s Mosel River Valley. To Erni’s mind, a great wine should be true to its roots, vividly expressing its grape variety, geography, soil and climate. In his 35 years as the estate’s owner, Erni has propelled Dr. Loosen into the upper echelon of world-class producers by adhering to this clear vision—the same vision that guides his diverse winemaking ventures around the globe.

Erni was born into a great tradition of German winemaking. But as a young man, he found the area’s Roman ruins more fascinating than its vineyards and left home to study archaeology. In the midst of his studies, however, his father fell seriously ill, and Erni finally agreed to take on the estate. But he insisted that he be allowed to do things on his own terms. Once committed, Ernst dove into a self-directed exploration of the great wine regions of the world.

He discovered that the greatest winemakers all shared a dedication to producing expressive, concentrated wines that boldly proclaim their heritage. Returning home, he immediately set about overhauling the winery’s viticultural and winemaking practices to drastically raise the estate’s overall wine quality.

Driven by an insatiable curiosity, Erni continues to embark on new projects at home and around the world. These include his Appassionata Estate vineyard and winery in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, the Eroica Riesling collaboration with Chateau Ste. Michelle in Washington state, as well as winemaking collaborations with Jim Barry Wines in Australia and Telmo Rodriguez in Span. And now also Perron de Mypont in Burgundy!