▻ Richard Geoffroy
Elin McCoy in conversation with Richard Geoffroy
Episode Summary:-
For three decades, Richard Geoffroy was at the helm of one of the world’s most iconic champagnes, Dom Pérignon, but he gave it up to pursue a new dream, making Sake in Japan. Elin McCoy talks to one of the wine world’s great names about his time as Chef de Cave at Dom Pérignon, his creative collaboration with Lady Gaga and Jeff Koons, and why he left to launch a develop a new Sake, IWA 5.
Richard grew up in the heart of the Champagne region, the youngest of three sons in a winemaking family. Though he was destined to take over the family estate, he tells Elin, “I wanted to be a citizen of the world.” His “act of rebellion” was to become a medical doctor, which he says “allowed me to have a view on the world.” Gradually, though, he decided medicine was not for him, and he returned to his roots. His compulsion to travel was satisfied when he worked with Moët Chandon in their properties in the Napa Valley and Australia, which gave him a broad perspective before he became Chef de Cave of Dom Pérignon in 1990, a post he held for 28 years. He tells Elin, “one has to keep pushing the envelope to progress” and “you cannot change things through quick turnover”.
He is proud of his work in launching Pléinitude, the re-releasing of vintages at certain points in their life. “I do philosophically believe that maturation makes you better, magnified Dom Pérignon, more Dom Pérignon.” His dream, he reveals, is more of Dom Pérignon’s production as Pléintude. He explains: “ageing is passive, maturation is active, it’s all about energy.”
Dom Pérignon has famously collaborated with artists, including Lady Gaga and Jeff Koons. Elin is curious on how that image fits with one of a fine wine. “The whole idea about collaboration was not about name-dropping, the idea with Dom Pérignon was the creative to the creative, set up a correspondence and dialogue… there is a universal language of creation designer to designer.” Richard admits there is an element of risk, but believes that risk-taking is necessary.
“My philosophy is the energy you put in what you make is reflected in the drinking.””
While Chef de Cave of Dom Pérignon, Richard visited Japan frequently. He explains to Elin what propelled him to leave Dom Pérignon to launch his own venture. “Since I had so much passion for Japan I had to move from the status of a visitor to one of a contributor. When you love, you contribute.” Sake, he believes, is the DNA of Japan, though his own discovery of it was a gradual process. Sake is not a booming industry, with production cut by two-thirds over the past 50 years. Richard reminds Elin that the wine industry wasn’t always successful, and Burgundy nearly hit the wall, and so he doesn’t see why Sake shouldn’t see a revival. He tells how he met Ryuichiro Masuda, owner of a family-owned Sake company, who facilitated the project. His skills as a blender in Champagne transferred over to making Sake, as IWA 5 is not a single brew, but an assemblage. His aim is to make rich but weightless balanced Sake. Each edition of IWA 5 is a different assemblage, and currently Richard has released his third edition, which is now being released in the US. Richard explains how IWA 5 matures and improves over time, and that the different assemblages means that there is continual experimentation and pushing of boundaries.
As part of his vision of changing people’s perception of Sake, he commissioned the designer Marc Newson to create a dramatic bespoke bottle--IWA in black with Japanese brush-strokes. He views it as a privilege to be an outsider seeing things clearly. His ambition for the future? “To raise Sake’s image to the highest of everything, to compare with the great wines on the planet.” If that can be done, surely it’s Richard Geoffroy who will do it.
Running Order:-
-
0.00 – 21.30
“I think that Dom Pérignon in Champagne could well be the most committed to the character of the vintage.”
– Richard Geoffroy talks about growing up as a child in the Champagne region.
– The act of rebellion – becoming a doctor.
– Going back to wine and travelling with Moët Hennessy.
– Becoming Chef de Cave at Dom Pérignon.
– Pléinitude – the philosophy behind the launch.
– The importance of putting Dom Pérignon in a wider creative context. -
21.31 – 30.11
“My philosophy is, the energy you feel in what you make is reflected in the drinking.”
– Working with celebrities Lady Gaga and Jeff Koons.
– The balance between fine-wine image and celebrity brand.
– Risk-taking with brands. -
30.12 – 54.00
“Since I had so much passion for Japan, I had to move from the status of a visitor to the one of a contributor. When you love, you contribute.”
– First impressions of Japan and Sake.
– How Richard saw the Sake business and the opportunities for its future.
– Starting the project with a clean slate.
– The importance of assemblage.
– Finding a partner to facilitate the project.
– IWA 5 three editions with different assemblages. -
54.01 – 1.01
“Failure feeds future success.”
– The philosophy of balance.
– The design of the IWA 5 bottle by Mark Newson.
– His ambition to raise the image of Sake.
– What Richard would like to be remembered for.
RELATED POSTS
Keep up with our adventures in wine
Philippe Guigal is the third generation of the illustrious Guigal wine family from the Rhône. A fascinating interview with one of France’s most dynamic producers, whose family is at the heart of everything.