Aubert de Villaine

Aubert de Villaine joined Domaine de la Romanée-Conti in Côte-d'Or, Burgundy, in 1965, becoming co-manager in 1974 alongside Lalou Bize-Leroy until 1992, then with Henry-Frédéric Roch. He led the domaine's transition to organic farming in 1985, horse plowing in the 1990s, and biodynamic practices in 2006, while spearheading the UNESCO World Heritage inscription of Burgundy Climats in 2015. In 2021, at age 82, he stepped down as co-manager after nearly 50 years, passing leadership to his nephew Bertrand de Villaine but remaining on the supervisory board. He also founded Domaine de Villaine in Bouzeron in 1973 with his wife, specializing in Aligoté.