The wine route
Launched in 1953, the Alsace Wine Route is one of
the oldest wine routes in France.
It offers visitors a
wide range of activities related to wine and the vineyard all year round.
The wine route winds 170km (110 miles) from the north to the south of the region, passing through 70 wine-growing villages, renowned for being some of the
most beautiful villages in the Alsace.
We are talking about Eguisheim, Kaysersberg, Ribeauvillé, Riquewihr, Andlau, Obernai just to name a few.
The Alsace Wine Route is also a popular gathering place. From April to October, villages organise wine and harvest festivals in turn. Folklore entertainment, processions and wine-tastings take place all day long, and even at night, in a lively andfriendly atmosphere.
Some modern tasting facilities of independent wineries
It makes sense that wine cooperations were and are able to join forces and invest in modern tasting facilities. But also a couple of independent wineries have invested in new facilities in recent years.
Schlumberger
Schlumberger:is established since 1810. Nowadays, there are two generations working side by side. Alain Beydon-Schlumberger, 6th generation and Séverine and Thomas Schlumberger, 7th generation. Their vineyard is unique in Alsace : 140 hectares hectares with 70 classified as Grands Cru : Kitterlé, Saering and Spiegel.
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| Schlumberger tasting room facade |
When I take you for a visit, we can enjoy their new tasting facilities and their old wine cave.
If there is time enough we can also take a walk in their vineyards.
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| Schlumberger tasting bar |
Joseph Cattin
In 1978, Jacques and Jean-Marie, grandsons of Joseph Cattin, took over the family-owned Estate; Jacques, as the manager and Jean- Marie running the vineyard operations. Jacques began to modernize the Cattin Winery; a new dynamic was created. In 25 years, means of production completely transformed and the vineyard has been spread over 60 hectares.
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| Entrance to cave at Cattin |
In 2007, Jacques Junior, joined the company after having studied engineering in agronomy and winemaking. In collaboration with his father, Jacques Cattin Senior, Jacques junior took charge of the wine-making and the financial department. His wife, Anaïs, graduated from a prestigious business school, and with strong experience toward international commerce, she joined the company in 2012. She is currently responsible for the international sales department.
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| Downstairs tasting room at Cattin |
At Cattin we can also visit the cave and then taste their wines either in a new tasting room or in their wine bar upstairs, where we can also eat something..
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| Upstairs wine bar at Cattin |
Pierre Gassmann
Rolly-Gassmann is a Domaine like no one else. It is located to Rorschwihr, a sleepy village on the northern rim of Haut-Rhin. Rolly-Gassmann offers no wines from Grand Grands Cru terroirs, but from a set of very good Lieux-dits such as Silberberg, Muenchreben and Plaenzerreben. The vineyards are located in Rorschwihr and the neighbouring Rodern and Bergheim and exhibit large geological differences. However, at Rolly-Gassmann it is the varieties rather than the terroirs that are in focus.
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| View from Gassmann terrace (part of building also on the left |
Rolly-Gassmann has a unique style. The wines are small masterpieces with very good definition. They all carry the signature of Rolly-Gassmann, a certain shameless,
velvety sweetness. The fruit is rich and Rolly-Gassmann manages to balance the fruit with a vibrant acidity to form seductive wines that melt on the palate.
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| Display of rocks to be found in Alsace soils |
Gassmanns tasting room on top of his enourmous new construction is worth a visit just for the architecture. The terrace outside and the views are extraordinairie!
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| Inside tasting space from Rolly Gassmann |
