Blienschwiller is a small Alsatian village with a rich wine heritage, nestled at the foot of the Winzenberg Grand Cru, where the vines surround the houses like the sea surrounds an island. A truly authentic and proud viticulture heritage which I was fortunate to see up close and personal.
I joined the family for their harvest in 2022 and the experience was crucial to my understanding of the whole process from vine to bottle. More importantly, however, I was embraced by the family and the community, and I truly felt a part of the people of the Alsace during that week, which will live long in the memory. There are other wines from Alsace but there are no other winemakers quite like the Meyers and I for one will always be proud to feel a part of their family.
The Meyers have been in Blienschwiller, Nothalten and Zell since the 15th century. They are part of the wine-growing families from this legendary village in Alsace who have worked the land with love and respect for centuries. Pierre-Yves and his wife Virginie are the 16th generation on this 12-hectare farm. The Meyer estate boasts three terroirs which are all remarkable – the grand cru Winzenberg (granite), the Thal (clay) and the Steinacker (schist).
Anxious to preserve the land inherited from their ancestors, the Meyers have embarked on a conversion to organic farming that respects the land and the living, and they want to pass on this heritage to their children and future generations. As Pierre-Yves says: “WE DON’T INHERIT THE EARTH FROM OUR PARENTS, WE BORROW IT FROM OUR CHILDREN”
