March 12, 2025 (Carlsbad, CA) — The German wine industry lost one of its most impactful figures on Sunday March 9 with the passing of groundbreaking importer Rudi Wiest. Wiest was transformative in opening the U.S. market to German wines in the post-WWII era. As a fierce advocate for dry Rieslings and Germany’s wide range of wines beyond its signature grape, he helped open markets and appreciation for premium German wine at a time when prejudices and misperceptions still reigned. Wiest passed away at age 88 in Henderson, Nevada and is survived by his son Brent and grandchildren, Josef and Audrey.
Wiest was born in Germany in 1936. As a teenager, he moved to the U.S. with his family, serving in the U.S. Air Force as a young adult. In the 1970s, he and his wife Erna moved to California, where he first became interested in wine. In 1978 he founded his import business, Rudi Wiest Selections. He quickly narrowed its focus to German producers. He was fortunate to pick up iconic estates early on, including J.J. Prüm, Karthäuserhof, and Egon Müller. Over the course of three decades, he built an impressive national distribution network and expanded the RWS portfolio to many estates in the VDP, an association of German producers, many of whom rank among the country’s elite.
Harmon Skurnik, President of Skurnik Wines & Spirits, remembers that in the 1990s, “selling German wine was an uphill battle, but it was a labor of love for Rudi. He worked so hard to convince customers that these wines deserved more respect from the wine world.” Evan Spingarn, German Portfolio Manager at Bowler Wines, worked closely with Wiest, selling his wines. “Wiest’s portfolio included only the best of the best,” Spingarn says. “He helped make the reputations of many of the winemakers we consider benchmarks today. Anyone who loves German wines and buys or sells them today owes an enormous debt to Rudi.”
Today, Wiest’s vital legacy remains strong. In 2019, his import company closed, making way for The German Wine Collection (The GWC), a new company dedicated to continuing his passion for fine German wine. The GWC now brings more than 20 top German producers to the U.S. The GWC President Jenna Fields, who was closely mentored by Wiest, says “Rudi led his life with hard work and incredible passion for getting industry professionals and consumers alike to understand quality German wine. His pioneering work lives on and his influence and impact are immeasurable.”
