The Wine and Gastronomy Festival of Ribeauvillé is the oldest wine fair in Alsace! With the 88th edition in 2016, slowly, it is getting closer to its centenary … In Ribeauvillé, since the Middle Ages, they have been accustomed to working in the long term. It was time for me to yield to greed without moderation during these three days of celebration.
But I want you to know that you can meet all the actors of this festival (except the producers of Japanese sake who had come for the occasion), winegrowers and restaurant owners, all the year long, in Ribeauvillé or in the surroundings.

And right now, you can note for 2018:
The 90th Festival of Wine and Gastronomy will be held on 20-21-22 July 2018!

Click and download the programme of the 2018 wine fair.

Atmosphere!

Just at the entrance to the historic town, in front of the famous wine-growers’ cooperative  (the best in France according to the specialized press), Ribeauvillé has built a magnificent town garden shaded by tall trees with a pretty wooden market suitable for outdoor events. At the other end of the garden, connected to the marquee by a covered gallery, the multipurpose room of the Parc – air-conditioned – is a sumptuous reception area that responds admirably to the demands of tasting of fine wines. Nice! We will feast!
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I tell you everything in detail to tempt you and to make arrangements to be there and be a part of the 89th edition which will take place from the 21th to 23rd of July 2017 !

On Friday evening, in the multipurpose room, it was the inauguration of the party and the meeting with the sake producers who came especially from Japan for the occasion. Nearby, in the park, under the marvelous wooden marquee, Pascal Lacom, musician, singer and conductor well known in our vineyard, who, with his usual musical eloquence, put everyone in the atmosphere.
On Saturday night, great affluence. Visibly the people of Ribeauvillé and the region knew where to be that evening to relish. The wines and dishes were masterfully suited under the baton of Jean Chrispal and his orchestra. On Sunday, after an compulsory lie in, the party re-launched with great fanfare by the aperitif concert at 11 o’clock given by the Folklorique orchestra les Wiemeckla. They played until 3 pm. Then Pascal Lacom, the marathoner of the accordion, played until closing time!
The fun fair at the Jardin de Ville and the wine and crémant bar under the marquee were part of these 3 festive and greedy days.
In short, you will understand, wine and gastronomy are pleasures too serious to be sad!

245 great Alsace wines from Ribeauvillé and neighboring villages offered for tasting

During this very special weekend, 245 AOC wines, Grands Crus and Crémants d’Alsace freshly kept in refrigerated tanks were offered for tasting in the Park room.
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These great wines have been offered to amateurs according to a formula quite advantageous in order to propose excellence to the greatest number. For the modest price of 6 € + 2 € for the purchase of the tasting glass, fans of great wines had access to the tasting room. Provided with the precious guide of the feast, each one had the complete list of what could be tasted. The wines were distributed by grape varieties in 3 tasting bars held by the wine-growers. Each wine correspond to a number, you only have to ask the number you want to taste. Of course, the wine-growers were delighted to comment on their nectars.

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Here is the list of the estates present during the event and which you can visit all the year to taste and buy their wines.

Domaine Bott Frères – Ribeauvillé
Maison F.E. Trimbach – Ribeauvillé
Maison Kientzler – Ribeauvillé
Domaine Louis Sipp – Ribeauvillé
Domaine Jean Sipp – Ribeauvillé
Vins R. Faller & Fils – Ribeauvillé
Domaine Schneider – Ribeauvillé
Domaine Xavier Wymann – Ribeauvillé
Domaine Henry Fuchs – Ribeauvillé
Domaine du Moulin de Dusenbach – Ribeauvillé
Domaine Ostermann – Ribeauvillé
Cave de Ribeauvillé – Ribeauvillé
Domaine Clé de Sol – Ribeauvillé
Domaine Sipp Mack – Hunawihr
Domaine Schwach François – Hunawihr
Domaine Mader – Hunawihr
Domaine Laurent Bucher – Hunawihr
Domaine Mittnacht Frères – Hunawihr
Domaine Rolly Gassmann – Rorschwihr
La Grange de l’Oncle Charles – Ostheim
Domaine Jean-Paul Schmitt – Scherwiller

Warm encounter between the gourmand and the gourmet, between wine and gastronomy…

For some years now, the feast of wine has extended its domain to the one of gastronomy.
Thanks to a partnership with local restaurateurs, the Ribeauvillé Wine Festival offer the public the opportunity to combine a dish and a choice of two wines.

A total of 21 wine-growers, 7 restaurateurs, 2 pastry chefs, 1 cheese maker, 1 distiller and a coffee roaster partnered for the 3 days to provide visitors with a gourmet experience in a festive and convivial setting.
The 7 restaurateurs had each concocted a recipe for the occasion. A selection of two wines selected by the organizers accompanied each dish.

• La Brasserie (Restaurant du Casino Barrière de Ribeauvillé) – Ribeauvillé

Tartare de bœuf charolais au couteau et légumes provençaux, croquette de pomme de terre.
Pinot noir rosé 2015 from Domaine Sipp-Mack or Gewurztraminer 2013 from Domaine Trimbach.

• Au Mouton – Ribeauvillé

Tartine de filet de rouget et concassé de tomates
Riesling Rimelsberg de Zellenberg 2014 from Domaine Laurent Bucher or Riesling 2014 from Domaine Ostermann

• L’Arbalète – Ribeauvillé

Salade de jeunes pousses et magret de canard mariné à la citronnelle.
Auxerrois K 2014 from domaine Kientzler or Pinot gris réserve 2012 from Domaine Rolly-Gassmann.

• Aux Trois Châteaux – Ribeauvillé

Foie gras de canard, chutney aux mangues.
Pinot gris grand cru Gloeckelberg 2010 from Cave de Ribeauvillé or Gewurztraminer Ambroisie 2014 from Domaine Henry Fuchs.

• A Japanese food stand hosted by Daniel Zenner and Japanese Chef Asako Hattori (Paris) proposed the “Shizuoka Chirashizuchi” accompanied by a glass of Sake or a glass of Gewurztraminer 2015 Réserve Personnelle from Domaine Bott Frères.

• Au Cheval Noir – Ribeauvillé

Joues de bœuf braisées au pinot noir accompagnées de spaetzeles maison.
Pinot noir rouge Osmose 2012 from Domaine Jean Sipp or Pinot noir Grossberg 2011 from Domaine Louis Sipp.

• Auberge au Zahnacker – Ribeauvillé

Dos de lieu noir au beurre citronné sur un lit de riz noir vénéré et de chou Pak Choï.
Riesling Trottacker 2014 from Domaine Schneider or Riesling Grand Cru Schoenenbourg 2012 from Domaine Moulin du Dusenbach.

• Ferme l’Hirondelle – Ribeauvillé

Assortiment de fromages tommes d’Alsace « le Ribeaupierre » (Nature, Chèvre, Fenugrec, Ail des Ours, Basilic, Origan, Munster).
Gewurztraminer Mühlforst 2013 from Domaine Clé de Sol or Pinot noir 2014 from Domaine Wymann.

• Pâtisserie Schaal & Co – Ribeauvillé

Dessert Le Griottin.
Crémant d’Alsace rosé from Domaine François Schwach & Fils or Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Rosacker 2015 from Domaine Mader or raspberry Eau de vie from distillery Metté.

• Pâtisserie Vilmain – Ribeauvillé

Brie with kirsch, the surprise of the chef and the pearl of Alsace.
Gewurztraminer bio 2015 from Cave de Ribeauvillé or Gewurztraminer old vines 2012 from Domaine Faller.

• Coffee was proposed by Distri Café – Colmar

Once again, feasting was particularly affordable:

• “1 dish & its wine” ticket: 6 €
• “1 dish or coffee & digestive” ticket: 4 €
• “1 coffee” ticket: 1 €

The wines of Alsace are getting… redder and redder

This year, Romain Iltis “Best Sommelier of France 2012 and one of the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France Sommellerie in 2015” was the sponsor of the festival. In this capacity, he hosted a commented tasting “Les Rouges d’Alsace”, on Saturday the 23rd of July from 3pm to 5pm. The 6 Pinots noirs presented demonstrated brilliantly that the era of the “little rosé wine of Alsace” was long gone. Many winegrowers are now trying to produce real red wines, deep, ample and often powerful.

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Pascal and Caroline Kieffer from VineoNews filmed the tasting and noted the comments of Romain Iltis. Fans of Pinot noir d’Alsace will be able to see this precious moment (here) when they like.

… while the great sakes of Japan appealed to everyone.

Like all lovers of beautiful and good things, the winegrowers and restaurateurs of Ribeauvillé also have eyes and taste buds open to the world. To mark the occasion and to be distinguished from one year to the next, the Wine and Gastronomy Festival has honored the Land of the Rising Sun : Japan!

The tasting of the red wines of Alsace was followed by a tasting of Sakes, proposed by 8 Japanese producers who came especially from Japan for the event! For the anecdote, it should be noted that since 2014, the Alsace Wine Route and the Sake Road of the Chubu region are twinned.

For many of us it was a discovery. Sake is not a strong alcohol. Sake is an alcohol of rice, produced like beer by repeated fermentations, grading from 14 to 17 °. A subtil range of flavors to which the winegrowers, great professional tasters, were very sensitive.

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Cookshow: Japanese cuisine and cooking with plants

On the Sunday afternoon, as Japan is the guest of honor, the Japanese Chef Asako Hattori and Daniel Zenner made their show: live production (and tasting) of Japanese specialties and herbal cooking for a large, curious and attentive audience.

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The last-minute mystery taster…

While the Ribeauvillé Wine and Gastronomy Festival was entering its last evening, a mysterious visitor appeared at the entrance porch. With a resolute pace, a satchel in his hand, he knew where he was going and looked visibly pleased to find some winegrowers who were still welcoming the public to the tasting room in the late afternoon … And in the end, for a moment, it was the hustle. But who was this mysterious visitor?

You will know by reading my article devoted to the formidable Beckustator (in French)!

Your accommodation of character in the heart of the vineyard and the Route des Vins d’Alsace …

You like the great wines of Alsace? You need top quality accommodation to your stay in Alsace!

At the Remparts de Riquewihr, only 4 kilometers from Ribeauvillé, several 4 and 5 star charming and luxury gites have been fitted out in the renovated historic buildings of an old wine estate from 1580, facing  the vineyards of the Grand Cru Schoenenbourg.

Les Remparts de Riquewihr – 9 rue des Cordiers, 68340 Riquewihr – www.i-love-riquewihr.com