Winemaker
Eric Germain
Winemaker, Domaine Vincent Girardin
- Discipline
- Winemaker
- Based in
- Meursault, France
i. Biography
The work in Burgundy is learned through repetition: vines observed across seasons, cellar decisions made without disguise, and the separate demands of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir treated as daily practice rather than slogan. Eric Germain's record runs from seasonal work in Meursault in 1981 to his current roles in the Côte de Beaune, where he has been winemaker at Vincent Girardin since 2003, continuing after the 2012 sale of the winery, and serves as CEO at Maison Vincent Girardin. The through-line is family vines, traditional Burgundian viticulture and winemaking, and practical fluency built in vineyard and cellar.
The Route
Burgundian formation often starts before title and cellar responsibility. From 1981–1999, Eric Germain worked as a seasonal worker at Domaine Henri Germain et Fils in Meursault, Burgundy, France, where vineyard work supplied the base: pruning, watching, waiting, and reading how small choices carry into a vintage. In Meursault, discipline is physical before it is technical. Cellar technique became the next stage of that formation. As oenologist at Kyriakos Kynigopoulos in Burgundy, France (1999–2002), Germain added winemaking precision to the vineyard habits already formed. In 2003, the work moved into broader production responsibility when he became winemaker at Vincent Girardin's estate, within a Burgundy house tied to the Côte de Beaune. Continuity, rather than rupture, defines the later phase. Since 2012, Eric has held leadership responsibility there, working from Meursault discipline, Burgundian precision, and decades of direct winemaking experience. The line of work has narrowed toward clarity of place: patient handling, exact selection, and wines that carry site rather than cellar weight.
The Current Work
Côte de Beaune Chardonnay and Pinot Noir set the frame for the current work. Since 2012, Germain has served as CEO in the Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France, with winemaking responsibility continuing from 2003. The emphasis is on revealing vines in the grand terroirs of the Côte de Beaune rather than covering them with technique. The method has been expressed through concrete vineyard and cellar choices. At the estate, Germain's practices included discontinuing winemaking additives, herbicides, and insecticides; reducing new-barrel use; using natural composts; adopting high trellising; and hand harvesting with sorting in the vineyard and vat room. The pattern is legible to any cellar: fewer additions, tighter fruit selection, less oak pressure, and more reliance on observation. The winemaking is framed around precision, site expression, and the evolution of the wines. In practice, the work is to keep Burgundy's distinctions visible: slopes, exposures, vines, and vintages, without flattening them into house style. "Today, we are proud to have succeeded in the first step: the reconstruction of a 33-hectare estate, which is no easy feat in Burgundy." He has also said, "I'm refocusing my range on Grand Cru white Burgundies and building a winery where I can work entirely by gravity."
Signature
Old-vine Pinot Noir sits inside the stated frame of careful Burgundy handling. The named signature bottling is 2022 Volnay Vieilles Vignes, positioned within Eric Germain's broader work with Burgundy's classic grapes and with the expressive possibilities of old vines.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Eric
What does Eric Germain currently do?
Eric Germain is winemaker at Vincent Girardin since 2003, continuing after the 2012 sale of the winery, and CEO at Maison Vincent Girardin since 2012.
Where did Eric Germain work before?
Earlier in their career, Eric Germain worked at Domaine Henri Germain et Fils and Kyriakos Kynigopoulos.
What is Eric Germain known for?
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Burgundy.
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