Richard Geoffroy leaves Dom Pérignon after 28 years to make sake in rural Japan

What happened

Richard Geoffroy, who served as Chef de Cave of Dom Pérignon for 28 years, has departed the house to embark on a new chapter in rural Japan, where he is now engaged in sake production. He left at the age of 64, having overseen 23 vintages during his tenure — a body of work that placed him among the most consequential figures in contemporary champagne.

Why it matters

Few roles in the world of champagne carry the weight of Chef de Cave at Dom Pérignon, and fewer still are held for as long as Geoffroy held his. Over the course of nearly three decades, he shaped the character of one of the most recognised names in the industry, guiding the house through vintage after vintage with a consistency that defined an era. His departure is, by any measure, a significant moment for Dom Pérignon and for Champagne more broadly.

What makes this transition particularly striking is its direction. Geoffroy has not moved to another champagne house, nor has he retreated into consultancy within the world he knows best. Instead, he has chosen to relocate to rural Japan and apply his craft to sake — a discipline with its own deep traditions and entirely distinct methods. For a winemaker of his standing, it is an unusual and deliberate choice.

Context

The role of Chef de Cave at a prestige champagne house is one of the most demanding in the drinks world, requiring both technical mastery and a long-term vision that extends well beyond any single release. Geoffroy's 28-year tenure at Dom Pérignon, encompassing 23 vintages, represents an exceptional period of continuity at the helm of a house whose wines are produced only in declared years. His move to Japan underlines a growing dialogue between the world of fine wine and the traditions of Japanese craft fermentation — though the specifics of his new venture remain his own.