Wine tasting in Riquewihr, my addresses …

For centuries, Riquewihr has produced some of the most beautiful wines of Alsace and the world. There is written proof of winegrowing activity in Riquewihr for almost 1000 years.

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The OLD WINERY, LUXURY HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION facing the Grand Cru Schoenenbourg vineyard in Riquewihr - Autumn
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This former winery was built in 1580 and recently converted into 6 wonderful holiday apartments superbly located in one of the most beautiful villages of France. Jewel on the Alsace wine route, Riquewihr will be your headquarters to discover all the Alsace, the Vosges and even nearby Germany and Switzerland.
Click to visit our holiday apartments

Schoenenbourg and Sporen, the lifeblood of Riquewihr

Sunrise over the Black Forest seen from Riquewihr
Sunrise over the Black Forest seen from Riquewihr at the start of a grape haversting day on the Grand Cru Schoenenbourg. Domaine Marcel Deiss in Bergheim.

Let’s keep it short: the Schoenenbourg vineyard made Riquewihr. For centuries it has been well-known that the Schoenenbourg wines have undeniable aptitudes for an incredible long life and can undertake long voyages. They can be shipped anywhere. This was especially important in the past when the wine was travelling with horse carriages and slow boats.

Panoramic view of the grand cru Schoenenbourg vineyard and Riquewihr.
Panoramic view of the grand cru Schoenenbourg vineyard and Riquewihr. The appellation area has a surface of 53 ha. The eastern part of the hill is on the territory of the neighbour village of Zellenberg.

All the beautiful houses on both sides of the main street of Riquewihr were constructed with the money generated by the wine. The Schoenenbourg wines are not only robust but they also have an extraordinary corpulence and complexity. They are THE wonderful and great wine by excellence.

Another grand cru vineyard in Riquewihr is “Sporen”. Sporen is less than half as large as Schoenenbourg and its location between Riquewihr and Mittelwihr is not as spectacular as Schoenenbourg but the wines that grow there are also very special and have a great reputation.

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Grand Cru Sporen of Riquewihr
Grand Cru Sporen of Riquewihr in the foreground. In the middle the much steeper hill of Schoenenbourg.

Beside the well-known Schoenenbourg and Sporen grand cru there are several other very good terroirs in Riquewihr. You will certainly come accross Weissengrund, Rosenburg, Oberberg or Birgele. Actually all vineyards of Riquewihr are located on the foothills of the Vosges mountains and give an excellent wine.

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Wine tasting at the winemaker’s

Historical cellars in Riquewihr
Historical cellars in Riquewihr. This is the tasting room at Zimmer estate.

You will find several good and even very famous winemakers in Riquewihr. All of them are family run estates. The bigger estates (Dopff and Hugel) are running wine shops in the village where you may step in at any time during the day. In the small family estates, the winemaker himself or wife will let you taste their wines. Unless you are a very big buyer / client, there is no real need to book a long time in advance. When there is a permanent tasting room just push the door. For smaller family estates phone the day before. The weather and the work in the vineyard come first anyway. This means that even if you had an appointment a long time ahead, it might not work when the day comes. Do not forget that you will also have the opportunity to taste the wines of Riquewihr with a meal in one of the many restaurants in the village.

To see the names and addresses of my preferred winemakers in Riquewihr switch to the full version of this article.

The OLD WINERY, LUXURY HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION facing the Grand Cru Schoenenbourg vineyard in Riquewihr - Autumn
[ Sponsored suggestion ][ The OLD WINERY, luxury holiday accommodation facing the Grand Cru Schoenenbourg vineyard in Riquewihr ]
This former winery was built in 1580 and recently converted into 6 wonderful holiday apartments superbly located in one of the most beautiful villages of France.
Jewel on the Alsace wine route, Riquewihr will be your headquarters to discover all the Alsace, the Vosges and even nearby Germany and Switzerland.
Click to visit our holiday apartments