Domaine Kientzler
The Kientzler family has been growing vines for 5 generations in Ribeauvillé, Alsace, and the surrounding area. Founded as an ancillary to the family’s grocery shop, wine growing became their main activity in the mid-twentieth century, shortly after WWII. Today the domaine, still family-run, is spread out over the villages of Ribeauvillé, Bergheim, Hunawihr and Riquewihr. The vineyard consists of 13.8 hectares of vines, of which 4.4 hectares are classified Grand Cru. About 80% of the vines are over 35 years old, and 10% are over 80 years old. Cultivated with the utmost respect for the environment, Kientzler’s vines are carefully maintained to extend their lifespan as long as possible. Their philosophy? Like some wines, vines improve with age; the resulting grapes build up a natural balance between sweetness and acidity. When a vine dies out, replanting takes place using carefully selected vine stock (selection massale) in order to maintain genetic diversity, which enables a better adaptation to changes in vintage. Indeed, the winemakers’ passion for dry and gastronomic wines is revealed in each and every vintage.
