Remembering Frédéric PanaïotisBY ANTONIO GALLONI | AUGUST 1, 2025I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Frédéric Panaïotis in a diving accident earlier this summer. He was just 60 years old. Judging by the outpouring of support from the many people whose lives he touched, I was not alone. Panaïotis was one of the great ambassadors of Champagne, a rare Chef de Cave who was deeply versed in the technical aspects of winemaking and equally skilled in conveying tremendous passion and enthusiasm.I first met Fred, as he liked to be called, shortly after he assumed his role as Chef de Cave at Ruinart in 2007. I met him often in both Champagne and New York. Many of our tastings were quite technical, often supported by intense research and studies presented via PowerPoint. Other tastings were more like exams. For example, two wines would be presented blind side by side. My task was to identify the wines and then isolate the one difference between them.Unlike many of his colleagues, Fred tackled the challenges facing Champagne head-on. Climate change is an obvious topic. Understanding the changing nature of growing seasons led to the creation of the Blanc Singulier, the first new wine in the Ruinart range in two decades. But Fred also openly addressed the less obvious subjects, those many Chefs de Cave and vignerons aren’t so willing to discuss publicly, such as the vegetal qualities that afflict many wines in vintages such as 2015 and 2020. Fred was deeply critical of his own work, something that is exceedingly rare in today’s social-media- and publicity-driven world.&nbsp;Fred’s peers held him in the highest regard, the greatest compliment there can be. He was an exceptional taster, but that was just the beginning. Fred was the archetype of the modern Chef de Cave in Champagne. His work started in the vineyards, whereas the previous generation paid virtually no attention to what happened in the field. He was keenly interested in the wines of other regions, another departure from the mentality of the old guard. His passions included Piedmont and Burgundy, but his knowledge stretched quite a bit further. Rather than viewing grower Champagnes as a threat, as many professionals at large houses do, Fred celebrated them at the new Ruinart tasting room in Reims by offering guests the chance to taste a rotating selection next to his own wines. No appointment was required, another gesture of embracing the public and welcoming them into the world of Champagne and Ruinart.&nbsp;<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1754060024410-Panaiotis_Vinous.png">Frédéric Panaïotis (center), flanked by Taittinger Chef de Cave Alexandre Ponnavoy (left) and Dom Pérignon Winemaker Jean-Baptiste Terlay (right) at Vinous Icons, February 2025, New York City.I saw Fred a few times earlier this year, first at one of our events in New York, then at the maison this past March. I arrived for my typical late-afternoon appointment to find an array of glasses lined up. We started with vins clairs and then moved into the Champagnes. As always, pairs of wines were lined up and I was asked to identify them. Fortunately, I had done this exercise enough times to have a good idea of what the wines were, essentially bottlings of the same Champagne aged on crown capsule and cork, the new standard for the tête de cuvéeDom Ruinart with the 2010 vintage, a Champagne that ranks among the greatest wines I have ever tasted from any region in any era. The tasting was deeply educational, as always.One wine was missing from our tasting. Apparently, the cellar crew had accidentally omitted it from the lineup. It was late in the day, and most of the staff had gone home, so there was no way to get the bottle. “Don’t worry,” Fred said. “We will taste it next time.” Only there will not be a next time.&nbsp;In all my years covering wine, I have seldom met someone who had such an impact on other people. Frédéric Panaïotis exuded intelligence, passion and charm. His premature passing leaves a huge void in Champagne. It is my sincere hope he will be remembered by Ruinart through the dedication of a room, some portion of the facility or perhaps through the Ruinart Sommelier Challenge, the competition Fred was so passionate about. Fred’s life and career deserve to be celebrated by those who did not meet him and by future generations of Champagne lovers. I will miss him deeply.© 2025, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or re-distributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.

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