Domaine Christian Binner

The backdrop is the picturesque Alsatian landscape, and the protagonist is Domaine Christian Binner. In1770, in Ammerschwihr, Alsace, the history of this Domaine began, expanding over 10 hectares of vineyards, where the Binner family produces different vintages annually from the combination of different grape varieties and Cru from Alsace. Today Christian has carefully taken over the succession of the vineyards and winery, conducting them according to biodynamic principles.

"Being a farmer in the 21st century requires great rigor and extensive knowledge, to give all the necessary attention to the full development of the vine and the well-being of the yeasts in the cellar, for the more complex constitution of the grape juice. It takes more attention, care and dedication to achieve a product that nourishes the mind and body, capable of arousing emotions and remaining digestible," says Christian and the Alsatian soil is still a land turned to the election for natural wines.Between the rows, yields are kept to a minimum and the vines know no herbicides or even chemical fertilizers. Harvesting, exclusively by hand, takes place only when the grapes are fully ripe.

Vines such as Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Muscat and Gewürztraminer are processed, always respecting nature's work to the utmost. Winemaking follows a path without oenological inputs: the transformation of grape juice into wine is done "naturally," slow pressing, fermentations with indigenous yeasts and at low temperature, all left to age in oak barrels. Taking advantage of the surrounding biodiversity, varieties of spirits are also produced. This is how some of Alsace's most important wines emerge in this hedonistic framework.

For the past few years Christian has started the Les Vins Pirouettes project, through which he makes his savoir faire available, helping small biodynamic vignerons in the area make wine and producing a line of collaborative wines.