Nicolas Quillé was born in Lyon, France, into a family with three generations working in the wine business. Nicolas holds a master’s in oenology (Diplôme National d’Oenologie) from the University of Dijon in Burgundy, a postgraduate degree in sparkling winery management from the University of Reims in Champagne and an MBA from the University of Washington in Seattle. Nicolas has worked for wineries in Burgundy, Provence, Champagne, the Rhône valley, the Douro valley, Oregon, Washington and California.

Nicolas has more than 30 years of experience in the wine industry with an emphasis on winemaking, quality control, winery management, wine portfolio management and merger and acquisitions. Nicolas judges at wine competitions, he speaks at wine conferences, he lectures for WSET and Spanish Scholar classes. Currently Nicolas is the Chief Winemaking and Operations Officer for the Crimson Wine Group based in Napa, California. At Crimson, Nicolas is responsible for the operations and the quality of six wineries and estate vineyards located in California, Oregon and Washington.

Nicolas has a keen interest in transforming wine into the most natural and carbon free beverage. Therefore, he spends much time on worrying about saving our planet in relation to how grapes are grown and how wines are made. Nicolas shares his thoughts on LinkedIn several times a month and is the co-author of “Understanding Wine Technology, 4th edition” with David Bird MW, one of the most recommended books explaining how wine is made to a broad audience.

Nicolas lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife and two children.

Current employer: Crimson Wine Group

Primary area(s) of work: Wine production, Strategy

Industry sector(s): Project management, Viticulture, Winemaking, QA/QC, Business owner, Author, Educator, Consultant, Wine judge, Wine business strategy

Wine styles: Natural, Orange wines, Sparkling wine, Cremant, Sweet wines, Fortified wines, Still white, Still red, Still rosé, Still wines

Wine region expertise: Canada, Mosel, New Zealand, USA, France, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone, Languedoc, Loire, Rioja, Spain, California, Washington, Oregon, Okanagan Valley, Provence, New York

Market expertise: North America, France

Specialisms: Sustainability, Vine species, Vine varieties, Vine propagation, Rootstocks and grafting, Life cycle of the vine, Establishment of vineyards, Acquisition of vineyards, Factors affecting grape growing, Cultivation of the vine, Maladies of the vine and their control, Structure and composition of grapes, Harvesting of grapes, Environmental impacts, Financial, Startup and profitability, Vine burial, Processing of grapes, Fermentation, Maturation and blending, Stabilisation and clarification, Production of sparkling wines, Production of fortified wines, Economics of wine production, Legal compliance with authorised oenological practices, Wine pigments, Wine styling, Winery design and construction, Production costs, P&L, Whole cluster fermentation, Elevage / maturation, Blending, Preparation of finished wine for bottling, Packing and labelling, Quality assurance and control, Bulk shipment, Bottling, Legal compliance on authorised packaging and labelling, Supply chain efficiency, Sensory evaluation , Financial and commercial structures, Corporate sustainability reporting, Routes to market, Wine laws and regulations, Branding, Supply chain efficiency, Education, Motivation, Wine judging