The Alsace Wine Road

A historic wine route that is unique in France

The Alsace Wine Route was inaugurated in 1953. It is one of the oldest wine routes in France. It stretches over 170 kilometers, from north to south of the Alsace plain, between the Vosges Mountains and the Black Forest, passing through 70 wine-growing villages renowned for being the most beautiful in the region.

Throughout the year, it offers visitors, whether novices or connoisseurs, a wide range of activities related to wine and vineyards. From April to October, the villages take turns organizing wine festivals and harvest celebrations.

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, many villages come alive and organize Christmas markets.

There are more than 4,500 wine estates in Alsace, covering 15,600 hectares of vineyards, including independent winegrowers, cooperative cellars, wine merchants, etc. The Alsace vineyards are divided into five regions:

• "Cœur d'Alsace" (Heart of Alsace), between Mont Sainte-Odile and Haut-Kœnigsbourg Castle
• "Terre et Vins au Pays de Colmar,"
• Vineyards of the Pays de Wissembourg in the north of the Alsace region,
• Strasbourg vineyards,
• "The South Alsace Wine Route," around Thann and Guebwiller.

The Bestheim terroirs on the Alsace Wine Route

Among the five regions of the Alsace Wine Route, we are located near Colmar, more specifically around Bennwihr, but also on the "Southern Alsace Wine Route" near Westhalten.

The Alsace vineyard boasts 51 Grands Crus and countless other communal appellations and lieux-dits. We produce wines from the following Grands Crus and terroirs:

• The Grand Cru Mambourg, on the heights of the commune of Sigolsheim, is south-facing and covers 61.85 hectares stretching over nearly 1.3 km on the hillside. It benefits from optimal sunshine. Its calc-magnesium soil develops on limestone conglomerates and tertiary marl covering the hills.
• The Grand Cru Furstentum is located in the Kaysersberg valley, in the communes of Kientzheim and Sigolsheim, where it covers 30.50 hectares.
• The Schlossberg Grand Cru is the oldest of the Alsace Grand Crus, classified since 1975. Its 80.28 hectares are south-facing. They overlook the Weiss Valley, connecting the town of Kientzheim to the medieval castle of Kaysersberg.
• The Grand Cru Kaefferkopf covers 71.65 hectares between 230 and 350 meters above sea level in the commune of Ammerschwihr. A multifaceted terroir, the Grand Cru Kaefferkopf is distinguished by the diversity of its geology and its blended wines.
• The Grand Cru Zinnkoepflé "Mont du soleil" is located in the communes of Westhalten and Soultzmatt, on a calcareous-sandstone terroir. Facing southwest and southeast, between 200 and 440 meters above sea level, it is the highest Grand Cru in Alsace.
• The village of Heiligenstein (and its surroundings) is where the famous Klevener de Heiligenstein, made from Savagnin rose grapes, is harvested.
• The Rebgarten, a small, beautifully maintained vineyard (hence its name, "the vineyard garden"), nestled against the first houses of Bennwihr.
• The Roemerberg ( "the Romans' hill"), located to the east of the village of Bennwihr. Its name comes from the fact that this terroir is crossed by an ancient Roman road.
• The Altenbourg, located between 225 and 250 meters above sea level, extends just below the boundary of the Grand Cru Furstentum. The wines from this terroir are harvested in the Kientzheim-Kaysersberg valley, at the foot of the Vosges hills.
• The Strangenberg, a locality located in the commune of Westhalten in the Noble Valley of Alsace wines.

three Bestheim shops on the Alsace Wine Route

The richness of the terroirs and soils in Alsace allows us to offer you a range of fine, complex wines that will meet your expectations and delight your palate!

Come and discover Bestheim wines in one of our three Alsatian shops, all located on this tourist route.

• In Bennwihr, south of Ribeauvillé, Bestheim welcomes you to its stronghold, where the Bestheim cooperative winery was founded. At the shop, you can discover our rich range of wines (Sylvaner, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Muscat, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir, blends, etc.) and Crémants d'Alsace all year round.

• A little further west, the Kaysersberg Vignoble shop is located in the heart of one of the most beautiful villages in France. Wasn't Kaysersberg named France's Favorite Village in 2017? Take advantage of your visit to this village, a jewel on the Wine Route, which can be explored both in the town (historic tour, castle, Albert Schweitzer Museum) and in the vineyards, to come and taste a grape variety or a Crémant in our cellar located in the historic center of the village!

• The Bestheim boutique in Westhalten is the southernmost of our cooperative cellar's boutiques, located between Colmar and Guebwiller. Here too, in the heart of the Vallée Noble, you can discover and taste our vintages (our Grands Crus, our Vendanges Tardives, our Sélections de Grains Nobles, our Crémants d'Alsace, our organic wines, as well as all our creations)!