Discover the Wine domain Maison Simmler in Alsace / France
The Simmler House , wine estate in Alsace in St Hippolyte, welcomes you to its "tasting cellar" and will present you its production from the 7 Alsace grapes varieties. You will learn the profession of winegrower and the culture of the wine.
~ Wine Estate Simmler : Winegrowers over several generation ~
The Simmler winery is located in the hearth of the village of Saint Hippolyte, in the Haut-Rhin region of Alsace in France. The house was probably built in 1768, but the date 1700 still appears on a older construction.
The passion for the profession of winegrower has been shared for several generations. It was his grandfather "Jules Simmler", then his father "Maurice Simmler", that the winemaking part took on its full importance, notably with the introduction of the Pinot Noir grape variety which made the reputation of the village with its famous wine : "Saint Hippolyte Rouge
The winery, now run by Nicolas SIMMLER, continues to develop, perpetuating the family tradition.
"Times goes, generations follow one another, but the family identity lives on through the transmission of values, gestures and a great respect for our ancerstors, who have contribuated to built the company..... ""by Nicolas SIMMLER
~ Discovering the tasting cellar ~
Would you like a convivial moment around the tasting of exceptional grape varieties ?
Nicolas and Sylviane invite you in their tasting cellar of their wine estate in Alsace. Founded in the 1970s facing the wine Alsace road, they welcome all lovers of oenological discoveries.
After training at the Rouffach Wine Schlool, Nicolas Simmler took over the estate in 1996, perpetuating the transmission of values dear to the family identity of the vineyard. He has since acquired a reputation bases on the quality of his wines, wich are produces with moderate yields and a deep respect for the soll.
~ Wine growing : tradition and respect for the environment ~
Today, Maison Simmler manages 7 hectares of vines, spread over 4 communes (Saint-Hippolyte, Bergheim, Chatenois and Rorschwihr). These parcels enable us to blend “granitic” and “clay-limestone” terroirs, giving birth to all 7 Alsatian grape varieties, not forgetting the prestigious Vendanges Tardives and Sélections de Grains Nobles."In recent years, we have become increasingly aware of our environment. We've been using organic farming methods for 6 years, preserving the natural balance of the soil through ploughing, grassing and the use of natural manure. In this way, we encourage the microbiological life that is essential to the good health of the vines. It is thanks to this approach that we are able to accentuate the quality of our signature Vinique".
All our works is done manually from pruning to harvest.
~ From pruning to vinification: a year at the heart of the vine ~
To ensure that our wines are as close to nature as possible, most of our work is done by hand, from pruning to harvesting.
From January onwards, we determine the nature of our future harvest. Depending on the terrain and the grape variety, we prune the Pinot Noir in ½ arcure and the other grape varieties in 1 to 2 arcures, known as “Guyot” pruning.
Spur pruning, or the removal of vine shoots, is done entirely by hand, without the use of chemicals.
Trellising (1st pass) is carried out by hand, to sort out and bring in the vegetation needed to supply sugar. The second pass is machine trellised and trimmed to a height of around 2 metres.
Our phytosanitary treatments during this period are authorized by Organic Agriculture regulations.
Leaf thinning and green pruning are carried out manually in late August or early September. This is the final stage before the harvest. This important stage consists in removing the still-green bunches, as well as any excess grapes and leaves. It's this long, painstaking work that gives the harvest its concentration of aromas and sugar. In my opinion, this technique remains an essential element in controlling yields and producing a quality wine.
At our winery, the grapes are harvested by hand over a period of 1 month, to ensure that each of the estate's grape varieties reaches optimum ripeness. The grapes are sorted on the vine during harvest and in the press.
Our cellar vinification is carried out in the purest tradition, with fermentation and aging of the wines in oak casks.
Thanks to this long and painstaking work in the vineyard, Maison Simmler is able to offer, year after year, quality products appreciated by connoisseurs.
For more information, please contact your winegrower in Saint-Hippolyte. Find out more information about our Alsace wines and guest rooms located on the vineyard estate.