January 2026 seminar with Mathieu Deiss of Domaine Marcel Deiss and Vignoble du Reveur, Sacha Geoffroy of Champagne Geoffroy, and Cyprien Arlaud of Domaine Arlaud.
For the first time ever, Mathieu Deiss, Sacha Geoffroy, and Cyprien Arlaud convened in the same room in New York to discuss their advances in farming. In this comprehensive seminar, they discuss everything from terroir and climate to co-planting and trellising in their distinct regions of Alsace, Champagne, and Burgundy.
Opening remarks from French Portfolio Director David Hinkle:
“For close to 40 years, I’ve watched a remarkable return to nature and simplicity in winemaking in France. Unfortunately, I also witnessed, early in my career, far too much conventional, scorched-earth farming. Scenes truly resembling outer space. I saw growers on tractors in hazmat suits. Concrete-like dirt freeways between vineyard rows. And systematically hedge-trimmed vines. This was the norm.
“Thankfully, today, we see less and less of this. At Skurnik, we are so lucky to work with so many small domaines and talented winegrowing families across France and the world. We have witnessed, over the last 40 years, so much beautiful and thoughtful progress toward organic and biodynamic farming and so much more. Some of that positive movement is id due to and fully represented in the efforts of the three young growers and families we have with us today. Changes in viticulture did not happen overnight; it took real mindfulness and teamwork within the family that is both exhausting and costly.
“I think about these important developments in terms of the generations within families that is oftentimes messy. Sometimes egos and personalities don’t blend, and it’s both sad and tragic when things don’t work out. We are so lucky to have three truly talented pioneers to lead our discussion today. Each were part of a positive transition of generations. Not only that, but also has the older generation working side-by-side with the younger—fathers, mothers, wives, siblings—all part of the extraordinary efforts that you’re going to hear about in part today.”
