Alain Graillot, Influential Rhône Valley Winemaker, Dies at 77

“In a little over 10 years, he powered Crozes-Hermitage into a respected, internationally recognized name,” Mr. Livingstone-Learmonth said, “led by his own brand of charm, dynamism, foresight and hard work.”

Alain Jean-Jacques Graillot was born on Dec. 10, 1944, in Lyon. His father, Daniel, ran a cement factory near Lyon, and his mother, Jeannine, was a home.

He trained as a chemical engineer and worked for a series of international companies before settling into a desk job in Paris in 1980. It was not for him.

As well as his son Maxime, Mr. Graillot is survived by another son, Antoine, five grandchildren and a brother, Denis. His wife, Elisabeth, died in 2019.

In addition to his Crozes-Hermitage wines, Mr. Graillot made an excellent St.-Joseph, from four acres he bought in another Northern Rhône appellation, and a little bit of Hermitage.

With his sons, he also made an extraordinary Moroccan wine, from a syrah vineyard he discovered while bicycling between Casablanca and Rabat. It was called Syrocco, a play on the name of the grape and sirocco, the wind that blows from North Africa to Southern Europe. In recent years, the two sons also made the Alain Graillot wines.

Just last September Mr. Graillot published a book in France, “Parcours de Vignerons: Éloge de l’Entêtement” (“Winemakers’ Journey: In Praise of Stubbornness”), a tribute to winemakers who struggled financially but were nonetheless dedicated to their craft.