While on a Viking River Cruise we decided to take the excursion that brought us to this wonderful…read morewinery that was established in 1576. Albert Seltz is the owner/winemaker, 15th generation of the family running the business. It was Albert, the owner/winemaker, who guided us through the tour of the more than 500 year old winery. The cellar is quite dark and dreary, lighting is dim, and the old bottles (who knows how old) of wine that were racked were very intriguing. The tour was great! Very informative and educational. We learned a little bit about winemaking, aging, and how in order for wine to be truly organic it should not be irrigated. Following the tour it was time for tasting. Four varieties were sampled, all whites, and all good. We learned about French wine tasting, specifically the three steps: nose, mouth, finish. Albert was a lot of fun. I recommend visiting if you have the chance.

My fiance and I stayed at Domaine Wittman (technically, their B&B is called Le Grenier Des Arômes…read moreAu Domaine Wittmann) in December while we were traveling through the Alsace region of France. Valerie was an amazing hostess and though she was not fluent in English (and by no means can we speak French), her friendliness and helpfulness was universally understood. Domaine Wittmann is a 500 year old winery, a home to the Wittmann family, and a great B&B. We were immediately enchanted when we drove through the tiny hamlet of Mittelbergheim, with it's narrow cobblestone streets and family wineries peppered around the town. We checked in inside their tasting room and were greeted with a little tasting of their wines, majority white and dry, and some Grand Crus. Valerie showed us around the property and then led us to a newly renovated section of the building. There is a brand spanking new kitchen with a wide open space, and upstairs (no elevator, so you'd better pack lightly, have some muscles, or your partner better be able to carry up your bag for you) are the 3 guest bedrooms, all ensuite. Amenities included flatscreen tv with a ton of channels, a separate toilet, brightly lit and cheerful bathroom with towel warmer, hairdryer, complimentary bottle of water. We were also presented with a welcome basket full of info and literature about the area (in English!), and recommendations for dinner. Valerie also inquires what time you would like breakfast, so that it will be fresh when you go downstairs. The breakfasts were simple but delicious. There was a great spread of various fruits, cold cuts, a basket of bread and croissants, fresh tea and coffee, and homemade jams to die for. We looked forward to it every morning; it was so cozy to mull about and have breakfast in this pleasant kitchen (see pic). We reserved through Booking.com and got a great rate. Our check-out process was smooth. I loved their gewurztraminer, and we picked up a bottle on our way out. Another touching example of how warm and sweet Valerie was: when we checked out, she showed us a piece of paper she had printed out which said something along the lines of "I am sorry my English is not better but I hope you had a wonderful stay and happy holidays!" and gave us a tasty bag of homemade assorted Christmas cookies, along with a postcard of Domaine Wittmann. It's rare to find hospitality like that nowadays, and we will definitely return if we are in the area again. I can't recommend them highly enough!

This place is also called Domaine Wach. It's a family owned and run winery with Pierre Wach, the…read moreFrench winemaker of 5 generations and his wife Jessica, the Quebecoise sommelière. Jessica gave us a wonderful tour of the winery and pointed out the local vineyards from which they harvest their grapes. She was able to explain the intricacies the Alsatian wine region and its processes as we were mostly familiar with Californian wine making especially on the Central Coast. The wines were exquisite and very well priced as compared to California. Reservations are easily made at the web site.

From the owner: Nous vous accueillons dans notre Domaine pour vous faire déguster nos crus, visiter nos caves mais…read moreaussi pour passer un séjour dans l'une de nos chambres d'hôtes. Vignerons depuis 1689, nous avons la chance de pouvoir vous faire découvrir les trois Grands-Crus enveloppent la charmante vallée d'Andlau : - Le Kastelberg (terroir de schiste, unique en Alsace) - Le Wiebelsberg (terroir de grès rose) - Le Moenchberg (terroir de calcaire) Venez partager un verre autour de notre amour du vin, de traditions Alsaciennes et de notre histoire. À bientôt, Famille WACH