I'm going to betray a little bias here, but there is a reason for it: were I able to choose anywhere in the world to which I could retire, it would be to the estate of Domaine Weinbach in Kaysersberg. The nature of the estate is almost too good to pass up, situated as it is so near the beautifully undulating sweep of the Schlossberg Grand Cru, not to mention the ecclesiastical beauty of the estate's most important and on-site holding, the Clos des Capucins. And the wines...excuse me for a moment while I stare off into the distance.... The wines are that good. Brilliant and varied, sometimes they are sensuous and flirty (try the Gewurztraminer from Furstentum--if you like Gewurz, there's little doubt that it will turn you on...as long as the price hasn't scared you away); sometimes cold and aloof at first taste, yet upon your return to the glass the reception is much warmer and exuberant (the Muscat has always given me this sense); sometimes introspective and lyrical, yet singing louder and more carefree with each sip (Altenbourg Pinot Gris...); sometimes stern and ungiving, only to mature two decades later to sing with a poetic minstrelsy, (Riesling Cuvée Théo is this way). I should confess that I react to the wines of many Alsatian estates in this emotional way, but this is the only place I'd want to live. Perhaps because the proprietor's, Madame Colette Faller and her daughters Cathérine and Laurence are so warmly welcoming. I am certain that the combination of great wines and hospitality explain why it is always busy, as tourists are constantly turning up to taste the wines, and visit with the women of the domaine, and make their purchases.

To people just coming to know Domaine Weinbach, they make what must seem like an endless array of wines, with names that get longer and longer. Daughter Laurence is now making the wines, and she has an artistic touch in the winery, making some of the most glorious wines you could ever hope for.

The names of the wines takes some explaining.

Cuvée Théo is named after Madame Faller's husband Théo who died in the late 1970s. The Riesling Cuvée Théo and Gewurztraminer Cuvée Théo are two of the four wines that come entirely from the Clos des Capucins, which is the walled vineyard that is laid out over an almost 13-acre parcel.

Cuvée Ste.-Cathérine is named both for Madame Faller's eldest daughter Cathérine, and for Ste.-Cathérine's day which is November 25. Madame Faller liked the idea of harvesting certain parcels on or around this date each year, and the resulting Cuvées Ste.-Cathérine certainly have unique and other-worldly qualities.

Cuvée Laurence is of course named for same Laurence who is now making the wines. Like the Cuvées Ste.-Cathérine, they are generally picked late.

For more information on the wines and their sources, click here.

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