Domaine Marc Kreydenweiss is one of the wonderful Alsatian wine makers who has the bragging rights of fine wines made with a true passion for the vine and a family history of wine making going back to the year 1650.
Passing this tradition down for so many generations is something most people can only dream of. In the Alsace region it is a wonderful right of passage for the child to take the craft of his or her parent as his or her own many generations continuing on.
Since 1971
Marc Kreydenweiss took over operations of his vineyard from his father in 1971 at the age of 23. He and his family live in the same house that the generations before him have lived in, and he is passing on his passion to his growing family as it was passed on to him, at his estate in Andlau.
He is a passionate winemaker who believes his wines should bear a signature, are greatly influenced by the terroir, and should extend to the senses beyond those of smell and taste thus painting a picture in the mind.
The Domaine Marc Kreydenweiss nurtures the land of Alsace and the Rhone Valley. Since 1990 Marc has turned all of his production into bio-dynamic farming.
Bio-dynamic farming
Bio-dynamic farming is not well understood to outsiders, it is not merely the avoidance of pesticides and the avoidance of chemical fertilizers, and avoidance of chemicals added during processing. Bio-dynamic farming also includes tapping into the natural batteries of the earth, a process of working with telluric energy of the earth and the cycles of the moon, sun, starts and planets.
Based on the teachings of Rudolph Steiner (1861-1925) bio-dynamics incorporates the spiritual world with the physical world, and is considered to be a holistic approach to agriculture and other disciplines.
The Alsace wine region in total was the first wine region to adopt bio-dynamics into wine making. It has as a whole been a leader in this discipline, and the earliest of adopters. Today world wide there are over 450 bio-dynamic wine makers, with none more zealous than those of Alsace.
Production in Alsace
Currently farming about 12 hectares of land, 80% of their production is exported, the largest market of export being the USA
Alsace:
Kastelberg Grand Cru "Le Chateau",
Wiebelsberg Grand Cru "La Dame",
Moenchberg Grand Cru "Le Moine",
Clos Rebberg "Aux vignes",
Clos du Val d 'Eleon "Lame de la terre",
Kritt 'Les Alouettes",
Clos Rebgarten "Le Jardin des vignes",
Andlau "Au dessus de la loi",
La Fontaine aux enfants.
Kastelberg Grand Cru "Le Chateau",
Wiebelsberg Grand Cru "La Dame",
Moenchberg Grand Cru "Le Moine",
Clos Rebberg "Aux vignes",
Clos du Val d 'Eleon "Lame de la terre",
Kritt 'Les Alouettes",
Clos Rebgarten "Le Jardin des vignes",
Andlau "Au dessus de la loi",
La Fontaine aux enfants.
The grapes are hand picked, crushed, then fermented with natural yeast in Vosges grown oak barrels, bottled and topped with a natural cork. Production is around 70,000 bottles per year.
We will be attending the Domaine Marc Krydenweiss Open House, with two guest from the U.S. and will have a follow up tasting report soon afterwards.
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