Winemaker
Stéphane Vivier
- Discipline
- Winemaker
- Based in
- Rutherford, California, United States
i. Biography
"Being a lazy winemaker is all about being patient, letting the place talk, and being gentle with the grapes. Making it simple." Stéphane Vivier, founder and winemaker of Vivier, puts that belief at the front of his work: Pinot Noir treated less as an object to control than as a site, a season, and a set of decisions made with restraint.
The Idea
Before the cellar, there was memory. "On my 10th birthday, I had my first real taste of wine. My parents opened a 1974 Domaine Gros Richebourg that they had bought for 7 francs at the estate. I still remember how that wine tasted. It is one of my most vivid memories." That early imprint sits beside formal study at the Université de Bourgogne in Dijon, where the language of Burgundy could meet the discipline of winemaking. Vivier has said, "I grew up in Burgundy on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir," a plain sentence that explains much of the focus that followed. His specialty spans Old World and New World winemaking, with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir central to Vivier Wines in Sonoma, California. In 2009, the work under his name included Pinot Noir and Rosé of Pinot Noir, a narrow lane by design rather than limitation.
The Execution
In 2002, Vivier worked as winemaker at HdV (Hyde de Villaine) in Napa, United States. The role placed him in California wine while keeping close contact with the Burgundian varieties that shaped his palate. He co-founded Vivier Wines on the Sonoma Coast, California. The label’s named bottlings include Gap's Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir and Van Der Kamp Vineyard Pinot Noir, both tied to Sonoma, and both part of a practice built around site-specific Pinot Noir. The Vivier Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir gives a clear view of that work in the glass. Wine Spectator described it as a racy wine blending grapes from coastal locales including Gaps Crown, with rooibos tea, bitter cherry, blood orange notes, and a savory finish. Alongside his own label, he works as Anderson Valley winemaker for Long Meadow Ranch Winery & Farmstead. The title adds another Northern California place to a career that moves between Burgundy-trained instincts and California vineyards.
On the Record
The phrase "lazy winemaker" can sound casual until Vivier defines it. In his usage, laziness is not neglect; it is patience, gentleness, and a refusal to overwork fruit before it has spoken clearly enough. That philosophy also explains the precision of his chosen materials. Pinot Noir and Rosé of Pinot Noir under the Vivier name, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir through the Sonoma project, and Anderson Valley work at Long Meadow Ranch all point toward a winemaker attentive to variety, place, and touch. His own childhood memory of the 1974 Domaine Gros Richebourg matters here because it is not an abstract origin story. It is taste remembered: a bottle opened by his parents, bought for 7 francs, still vivid enough to guide a working life in wine.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Stéphane
What is Stéphane Vivier known for?
Stéphane Vivier is known as founder and winemaker of Vivier, with work centered on Pinot Noir, Rosé of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Old World and New World winemaking.
Where does Stéphane Vivier work?
He works as Anderson Valley winemaker for Long Meadow Ranch Winery & Farmstead and leads Vivier, while also having co-founded Vivier Wines on the Sonoma Coast.
What is Stéphane Vivier's philosophy?
His philosophy is best expressed in his own words: "Being a lazy winemaker is all about being patient, letting the place talk, and being gentle with the grapes. Making it simple."
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