Domaine Eugène Meyer
Cremant d’Alsace Brut 2019

Grapes are grown in vineyards near the town of Bergholtz, all with the desirable southeast facing exposure and protected by the Vosges mountains.  Harvest is manual, per strict AOC regulations, and these grapes are picked before any other variety that would be destined to become a still wine.  By picking earlier in the season, the grapes will just be on the brink of ripeness and will have lasting acidity that creates the backbone of a crémant.

An excellent alternative to Champagne: The initial fermentation occurs spontaneously through indigenous yeasts found on the grapes when they enter the cellar.  The second fermentation is carried out within the bottle, therefore by the Traditional “Champagne” Method.  After disgorging the yeast, the wine is corked and set to rest for about a year which allows the bubbles to gently develop a beautiful mousse.

Certified Organic & Demeter Biodynamic

Pioneers in Biodynamic Winemaking
In 1969, Eugène Meyer was seriously poisoned by a conventional insecticide he was spraying in his vineyards.  After rushing to see a doctor who eventually diagnosed him with a temporary paralysis of the optic nerve, Eugène decided that he would no longer use chemicals in his vineyard, for the health and safety of his consumers and himself.  Healed through homeopathy, Eugène looked towards a natural approach for the vines as well, but at the time there were barely any reading materials or experience of such methods.  Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian anthropologist who began developing concepts of biodynamic farming in the 1920s, was one of the only pieces of research that the Meyer family could find.  Steiner’s approach towards ecological and sustainable agriculture revolved around increasing soil fertility without the use of chemicals or pesticides.  The main philosophy behind Biodynamics is that the vineyard would be seen as a whole organism that is self-sustaining, improving the natural immune system of the plant to assist exchanges between soil and roots, sky and planet.  To do this, Steiner believed one could use preparations with energized compost and manure, herbal teas and macerated herbs (like horsetail or nettle), all while following a lunar calendar for favourable dates of work.

Through patience and tenacity, Eugène Meyer was the first to practice biodynamics in Alsace and was able to master the methodologies of Rudulf Steiner in the vineyard.  In 1991 his son, François Meyer, lead the domaine to be officially certified and controlled by Ecocert-France in addition to their Demeter certification for biodynamic viticulture.