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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