Italian Magazine “Intravino” recently ran an interview with Ernie Loosen. If you speak Italian, you can read the article here. Or, enjoy Ernie’s responses in English, below.

What is your first  memory of being in a winery? 

I grew up at the winery, as the winery was our home!

Which wine not yours would you take to a romantic dinner? 

Red Burgundy

Who would you invite to a dream dinner party?

Frederick the Great, John Cleese and Neil Young.

Which living winemaker/producer do you most admire and why? 

Elio Altare, he is a great guy and very humble with a lot of fantastic winemaking ideas.

If you could take part in a winemaking of the past, which vintage & country would you choose?

I would love to have seen how they produced the great Rieslings at the turn of the century, maybe the 1893 or 1911 vintage in Germany.

What is your greatest fear for the wine world of the future? That we lose focus on traditions and go after trends and that major grape varieties are planted everywhere so that consumers forget where the grapes originated and how they should really taste.

What do you consider your greatest achievement as a wine producer?

Having started in the wine business at a time when the entire German wine industry was dead, and believing in a grape variety that was even more dead, it’s enormously gratifying now, after 25 years, to see Riesling gain back the reputation it deserves, and to know that I played some part in that.

Which unusual food & wine pairing have you discovered lately?

The rising sun in the morning with a bottle of Auslese, was just recommended to me by my nephew who is studying at University. We call this “lifestyle wine pairing.”

Which grape varieties do you consider the most underrated? 

Riesling and Chenin Blanc

If you had a super power to use in your job ,which would be? 

Turning water into wine.

Who’d play you in a film of your life? 

Hugh Grant.

What is your favourite smell in a wine? 

A wine that expresses the typical aroma structure that fits to the grape variety I am drinking.

How do you relax?

With a lot of friends, good food and great bottles of wine.

Tell us a joke about wine. 

Mr. Meier’s doctor said to him “If you keep drinking like this you won’t see old age.”

To which Mr. Meier replied “Great! I always say that wine keeps you young!”