**Georges at home in front of an antique calliope, a keyboard instrument with beautifully carved Dancing figurines.**

Georges Duboeuf, an iconic and inspirational figure of the Beaujolais wine industry, has passed away at the age of 86.

DuBoeuf was a trailblazer and marketing genius most known for turning Beaujolais Nouveau, a young, fruity wine, into a global phenomenon. Thanks to Georges’s ingenuity, that one simple wine has brought tremendous joy each autumn to dinner tables worldwide, as well as to Thanksgiving Day celebrations all over the U.S. .

Originally from Crêches-sur-Saône in Burgundy’s Maconnais area, Georges fell in love with the charms of nearby Beaujolais as a young man, and began selling wine to restaurants in the region by riding door-to-door on his bicycle. By 1964 he had opened his own winery, Georges Duboeuf wines, in the hamlet of Romanèche-Thorins. The company now produces 30 million bottles of wine each year and tourists can visit the charmingly kitschy "Hameau Duboeuf," a one-of-a-kind, interactive wine park situated next to the winery.

The author at Georges Duboeuf winery with Georges and Franck. — **The author at Georges Duboeuf winery with Georges and his son Franck.**

In September 2018, I had the pleasure of meeting Georges at his home where he and his son Franck hosted myself and three other journalists. Never one to boast or self aggrandize, Georges was a slight, soft-spoken man with a modest demeanor. It was Franck who told me how his father had seen the unique opportunity to promote the wine as a product of the region’s culture.

With obvious pride, Franck noted how his father’s tireless promotion of Beaujolais was based on a genuine affection for the region’s people and its wine. Georges was more than just a businessman—a négotiant—to the many locals who knew him; he was a beloved and respected figure. On my trip to the region, I met several wine producers, restauranteurs, and Duboeuf employees, quite a few who worked with him for decades, who spoke of Georges’s generosity, humility, and kindness.

Yesterday, January 4, 2020, the world lost a kind-hearted soul and a legendary wine merchant who will truly be missed.

Read more on Georges’s legacy from the three journalists I traveled to Beaujolais with:

Michelle Williams on Forbes.com: “Georges Duboeuf Goes Pink For Beaujolais Nouveau Day.”

Cathrine Todd on Damewine.com: “Our Existence Shaping The World.”

Kathleen Willcox on spiritedbiz.com: “Georges Duboeuf: The Architect of Beaujolais’ Rise.”

And on Grape Collective: “Georges Duboeuf and the Story Behind the World’s Biggest Wine Party, Beaujolais Nouveau Day.”