Finding shared vision & passion w/ Erni Loosen, Loosen Bros — XChateau Wine Podcast

Driven by passion, Erni Loosen, Managing Director of Loosen Bros, has spun up countless joint ventures in his career. All with no business plan or goal of making money, but a greater purpose of driving a Renaissance for Riesling and out of passion for Riesling and Pinot Noir. Erni goes into the qualities that make for good partnerships and some pitfalls to avoid.

Detailed Show Notes:

Erni’s background: Managing Director Loosen Bros, Dr Loosen Estate in Mosel; took over in 1987

Loosen Bros overview & history

~200 years in the family
Only Riesling in the Mosel (Dr Loosen)
1996 bought Villa Wolf in Pfalz
1999 JV w/ Chateau Ste Michelle (Eroica), largest Riesling producer in US
2003 founded Loosen Bros USA in Portland OR as an import company for Loosen wines, then imported other people’s wines; desired to have more flexibility (e.g. - deciding on lower margins due to tariffs)
2005 Appassionata (OR Pinot Noir)
2009 purchased 40 acres in Willamette Valley, planted vineyards, and built winery
2015 JV w/ Telmo Rodriguez (a big Riesling fan) in Rioja w/ Lanzaga
2017 1st vintage of JV w/ Peter Barry in Clare Valley Australia to see if Oz Rieslings were always limey; tried 3,000L barrels - Wolta Wolta
2019 took full ownership of J Christopher in OR
Burgundy purchased part of Vieux Chateau de Puligny-Montrachet to start Perron de Mypont and started a negoce
2023 founded Dr Loosen Int’l China

A great wine starts w/ an idea in your head

For successful JVs, need the right partners with real passion and the same vision

Need to see the spirit from the beginning
Has never had a business plan

JVs are not one way, but learnings on both sides (e.g. - Erni learned how to delay ripening in WA)

Erni’s goal for JV’s was not making money, but trying to create a Renaissance for Riesling, which used to be the most expensive wine in the world ~1900, but got a low quality image w/ Blue Nun and Liebfraumilch

Most partnerships structured as 50/50 and handshake deals (except Eroica is 40% Loosen, 60% Chateau Ste Michelle, which is also the only contract)

Key challenge of JVs are when two visions don’t fit, had one that went bankrupt

Would love to do an Alsatian Riesling at some point

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