Domaine Jean-Paul Schmitt presents their Rittersberg wines – Alsace rocks !

Jean-Paul Schmitt is producing wines at Scherwiller in the Alsatian region called Bas-Rhin. He nourishes the family owned wine estate, which consists of eight hectares, all as one piece, on the hillside called Rittersberg:  “the mountain of the knights“.

Come for a walk and pay a visit to this magnificent site, so quiet and peaceful.  You will be charmed by this vineyard that is dominated by the impressive and yet frightening ruin of the Ortenbourg castle (from 13th century).

The vineyard is exposed to south – southeast and benefits of a microclimate that is exceptionally hot and dry.  Its geological structure consists mainly of granite sand with different thickness (many large rocks show on the surface) mixed with granite pebbles (up to 65% in some sections).

This ground is relatively poor and demanding, and yet fertile – the vines are forced to get the power to grow by its well developed and deep growing root system. The work of Jean-Paul Schmitt is based on understanding and respect for this exceptional environment.

He forces himself to control the productivity (38 hl/ha in average) with a strict policy of a reasonable fight against illness in the vineyard as well as a biological battle against the diseases in the grapes.

Since 2009 the production is entirely organic, certified by Ecocert France.

This working attitude can be found in the actual production of the wine that respects the value of the soil.

Only the best quality grapes are manually harvested and then those grapes are pressed gently, with individual pressure in order to respect the vintage as well as the identity of each wine:

this wine-grower is making every effort to bring to perfection what nature created.

For the fermentation of our wines, we are exclusively using the natural yeast that is on the skin of our grapes to enhance all the typical flavors of each grape variety.