Denis Dubourdieu

Denis Dubourdieu
Nationality	French
Occupation	Winemaker, Professor of Oenology

Denis Dubourdieu is a French winemaker and Professor of Oenology at the University of Bordeaux. He is manager or co-manager at several properties in Bordeaux (Château Reynon, Château Doisy Daëne, Château Cantegril, Château Haura & Clos Floridène). He also consults at Château Cheval Blanc.

As part of his academic responsibilities, Dubourdieu is the director of l'Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin de l'Université de Bordeaux (English: Institute of Vine and Wine Sciences of the University of Bordeaux). The Institute is a multi-disciplinary research center where experts from the University of Bordeaux, l’Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (English: The National Institute of Agronomic Research) and l’Ecole Nationale des Ingénieurs des travaux agricoles (English: The National School of Engineers of Agricultural Work) work together to assist wine producers with the state of the art in technology, technique, and economic modeling.

File:White Bordeaux from Graves.jpg

White wine from Clos Floridene owned by Denis Dubourdieu and his wife, Florence.

Dubourdieu specializes in winemaking processes for white wines, and has been called "wine’s most famous scientist". He played a leading role in the improvement of white Bordeaux wines, which as late as the 1960s were sweet and of low quality, to become "serious, potentially profound dry whites". Innovations proposed by Dubourdieu include organic farming, oak barrel fermentation with extended skin contact, and improved bottling techniques.

Personal

Denis is married to Florence Dubourdieu, and his sons Jean-Jacques and Fabrice both help to run the family domaines.

His father and grandfather were winemakers, specializing in white wines.