"You know, Champagne has built itself, at least since the '60s, on blending grapes together. Growers, we play a different card. We try to express wine from a singular place. And when you just think about the experience of tasting the same varietal made from different terroir, that's when I think you understand that wine is truly special."

Champagne Pierre Paillard is one of the most exciting domaines in France thanks to a fortunate marriage of pristine terroir and “bon sens paysan,” with a mix of innovative farming and old-school winemaking.

In this episode, Quentin Paillard credits the introduction of organically farmed and densely planted Pinot Fin massal selections, selective dosage, and vinifiying every cuvée under oak as the main factors behind the Bouzy estate’s rapid rise among the legendary growers in the Montagne de Riems.

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"Working in these vineyards makes me think a lot because you really want to treat them right. You don't want to be the last generation farming the vines that were surviving 4, 5 generations." – Christopher Loewen

Today’s guest is Christopher Loewen, the 33-year-old at the helm of Weingut Carl Loewen, one of the Mosel’s smallest and most impressive estates.

Christopher, along with his father Karl-Josef and just one other employee, farms some of the oldest ungrafted Riesling vines in the world from a fabled parcel planted in 1896 by the Schmitt-Wagner estate. By embracing traditional, low-intervention viticulture and “letting the wine decide” when it finds its balance, Christopher crafts Rieslings of astonishing depth, concentration, and energy. His wines aren’t about chasing numbers or trends—they’re about listening to the vines and responding to their needs like an attentive parent.

In this episode, Christopher sits down with Skurnik’s Austrian & German Portfolio Manager, Michael Lykens, to talk about the Mosel’s evolving climate, the magic of old vines on hard slate soils, and why making great wine is more about patience than intervention.

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“We are working with the same philosophy, the same idea, the same goal. To be in the wine business, it’s very important to have this kind of relationship. Because otherwise it’s just business and it doesn’t make sense.” – Giorgio Rivetti

Giorgio Rivetti is the man behind the estates of La Spinetta and Contratto in Piedmont, Casanova della Spinetta in Tuscany, and his own import company based in the US, Indigenous Selections, which imports cult favorites such as Chiara Boschis and Ciacci Piccolomini.

In this episode, Giorgio reflects on the many lessons he's learned over his long career as a keen businessman and attentive farmer. He shares his insights on the sparkling wine space, the challenges and advantages of farming organically in a changing climate, and how he built brands to support his passionate appreciation for indigenous Italian varieties, like Timorasso.

Above all, Giorgio is fueled by the human relationships that make the fine wine business unlike any other.

What Giorgio and Mark tasted in this episode:

• Contratto Millesimato Pas Dosé
• La Spinetta Barolo ‘Garretti’

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