Domaine Rohrer
Alsace, Mittelbergheim, France
 

Domaine André Rohrer has been making wine in Mittelbergheim, in the northern part of Alsace, for eight generations.
 

The family were early converts to organic thinking: Ludovic's grandfather stopped using herbicides back in the 1960s, letting herbs grow freely between the vines, and by the 1980s all chemical pesticides had been dropped. André, Ludovic's father, formalised things in 2001, starting the domaine's conversion to organic certification, and the estate is now certified both organic and biodynamic under Demeter.
 

Today the domaine is being handed down again, with Ludovic gradually taking over from André. Between them they farm around 8 hectares spread across the villages of Eichhoffen, Mittelbergheim and Barr, including a small plot in the Zotzenberg Grand Cru.
 

In the cellar the approach is careful but a little rebellious, natural winemaking done with real technical precision rather than left to chance. Wines like the Hors Piste and Nouvelle Lune, along with a solera style skin contact blend of Sylvaner, Auxerrois and Riesling built up across several vintages, show a family as comfortable experimenting as they are sticking to tradition.