Marcel Deiss is a French

wine grower A winemaker or vintner is a person engaged in winemaking. They are generally employed by wineries or wine companies, where their work includes: *Cooperating with viticulturists *Monitoring the maturity of grapes to ensure their quality and to dete ...

and producer. It is based in Bergheim, in the Alsace wine region of France.

History

The Deiss family came to Bergheim in 1744 and took up grape growing in the area shortly afterward. The current domaine was started in 1947 by Marcel Deiss after returning from the Second World War. The estate is currently run by the grandson of the founder, Jean-Michel Deiss and his son Mathieu Jean-Michel took over the estate in 1973 after graduating from an

oenology Oenology (also enology; ) is the science and study of wine and winemaking. Oenology is distinct from viticulture, which is the science of the growing, cultivation, and harvesting of grapes. The English word oenology derives from the Greek word ' ...

course at university.

Wines

The domaine currently owns around 26 hectares of vineyards in nine different areas of Alsace, with around 10,000 cases of wine produced each vintage depending on conditions. The vineyards were maintained according to organic principles and have been converted to

biodynamic Biodynamics may refer to: * Biodynamic agriculture, a method of farming based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner ** The Biodynamic Association, a United States-based company that promotes the Biodynamic agriculture system ** Biodynamic wine, wine ...

methods since 1998. It is in recent years that the reputation of the estate has grown significantly under the direction of Jean-Michel Deiss. The estate is best known for its

field blends Viticulture (from the Latin word for ''vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, ran ...

Riesling Riesling (, ; ) is a white grape variety that originated in the Rhine region. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and sparkling ...

Pinot gris Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio (, ) or Grauburgunder is a white wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot Noir variety, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name, but the gr ...

, Gewurztraminer and other grapes. While these blends are common in Alsace, Deiss is unusual in that it produces these wines from top vineyards, including

Grand cru Cru is a wine term used to indicate a high-quality vineyard or group of vineyards. It is a French word which is traditionally translated as "growth", as is the past participle of the verb "croître" (to grow); it literally means 'grown'. The ...

designated sites. Deiss also differs from the traditional system in Alsace which usually includes listing the grape types used to produce the wine on the label, starting in 2000 the Vins de Terroirs labels only indicate the vineyard name. Not putting the grape type on the label of Grand crus was illegal until Deiss convinced the

Institut National des Appellations d'Origine An institute is an organisational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations ( research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body. In some countries, institutes can ...

to change the law in 2005, against the wishes of many other prominent wine estates in Alsace. Wines are made in three categories, by the estate: Vins de Fruits, Vins de Terroirs and Vins de Temps. * Vins de Fruits: entry level wines from the estate, made from a single grape type. * Vins de Temps: made to emphasise the character of the vintage, with the Vendange tardive and Selection de Grains Nobles designations. * Vins de Terroirs: field blends that Deiss is known for, with multiple grape types from a single vineyard.

References

External links

* {{coord missing, France Wineries of France Alsace wine Food and drink companies established in 1947 French companies established in 1947