One highlight of our time in Alsace was our day of wine tasting. I’ll admit I don’t have much experience with Riesling, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris, the main grapes grown in this region, so it was fun to try something new. These wines are mostly dry (not the typical sweet Rieslings from Germany), high in acidity, and great food wines.
We started our day at Domaine Weinbach. The history of the winery dates back to 1612, in which it was built by Capuchin monks. It’s been run by the Faller family since 1898.
We took a peak into the cellar at Domaine Weinbach |
A selfie in front of the Grand Cru Schlossberg Vineyard |
After Weinbach, we drove into the nearby town of Kaysersberg.
From there we drove a few minutes to the next town over for lunch at Caveau du Vigneron in Turckheim. While thoroughly “pork’d-out” by this point, we had one more traditional Alsatian meal, and I must say this might be my favorite of the Alsatian cuisine we sampled. I’m still dreaming about the “cassolette du vigneron” similar to mac n’cheese but with spaetzle and bits of bacon, mmmmmm!
After lunch and a walk around Turckheim we drove over to Domaine Zind-Humbrecht. We were welcomed by the lovely Jolene. Her perfect English made for a wonderful, in-depth tour and tasting. These wines were FABULOUS. I can’t wait to look for them here at home.
We started the tour in the vineyard before going into the cellar for the tasting.
Our last stop of the day was Domaine Josmeyer. The Meyer family has been producing wines from Grand Cru vineyards since 1854. The domaine is now run by daughters Celine and Isabelle. The labels of Josmeyer wines feature gorgeous works of art.
This part of France (and the wines) often fly under the radar, but they deserve more attention! It’s incredible how reasonably priced and widely available Grand Cru wines are in Alsace. I wish the same could be said stateside, but unfortunately the prices rise with importation.
While many Domaine are open for tastings without appointment, it is smart to call ahead, especially in the off-season. Weinbach and Zind-Humbrecht are open by appointment only.
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