Founded in 1639, the 13th-generation Riquewihr house that led the 1984 reform giving Alsace its Vendanges Tardives and Selection de Grains Nobles laws.
Signature wines: schoenenbourg, vendanges-tardives-gewurztraminer, gentil
Tip: The Hugel Schoenenbourg Riesling sits below the family's cellars; the village walking route passes the foot of the Grand Cru.
Address: 3 Rue de la Premiere Armee, 68340 Riquewihr, France, Alsace
Eguisheim winegrowers since 1580, the house that built the dry-style reputation of Alsace Gewurztraminer and Riesling and supplies many French three-star tables.
Tasting: Tastings by appointment at the Eguisheim house, central to the village ring.
Signature wines: comtes-d-eguisheim-gewurztraminer, comtes-d-eguisheim-riesling, cuvee-particuliere
Guebwiller estate spanning 130 hectares including 70 hectares of Grand Cru terraces on Kitterle, Kessler, Saering and Spiegel, a substantial Grand Cru holding under single ownership.
Tasting: Daily cellar visits and tastings at the Guebwiller estate; bookings via the website.
Signature wines: kitterle-riesling, kessler-gewurztraminer, saering-riesling
Tip: The Kitterle terraces above the cellar climb at angles up to 50 percent; the cellar visit walks part of the slope before tasting.
The Faller family's Clos des Capucins at the foot of Schlossberg in Kaysersberg, biodynamic since the 2000s and one of the touchstones for Alsace Riesling and Pinot Gris.
Tasting: Tastings by appointment at the Clos des Capucins; cellar visits run through the year.
Signature wines: schlossberg-riesling-cuvee-sainte-catherine, furstentum-gewurztraminer, altenbourg-pinot-gris
Tip: The walled Clos des Capucins surrounds the cellar; visits typically include a walk through the clos before tasting.
Turckheim estate built from the 1959 union of the Zind and Humbrecht families and run by Olivier Humbrecht MW, holding parcels in Brand, Hengst and the volcanic Clos Saint-Urbain on the Rangen.
Tasting: Cellar visits and tastings by appointment at the Turckheim winery; reservations via the website.
Signature wines: clos-saint-urbain-rangen, brand-riesling, clos-windsbuhl-pinot-gris
Tip: Clos Saint-Urbain sits inside the Rangen amphitheatre of Thann; tastings at the Turckheim cellar walk through every Grand Cru in succession.
Bergheim estate that revived the Alsace climat tradition with co-planted Grand Cru field-blends, biodynamic since 1998 and Demeter certified, run by Mathieu Deiss with his father Jean-Michel.
Tasting: Cellar visits and tastings at the Bergheim domaine; bookings via the website.
Signature wines: altenberg-de-bergheim, schoenenbourg, burlenberg
Tip: Deiss bottles many of his Grands Crus as field-blends rather than single varietals; the Altenberg de Bergheim cuvee is a thirteen-variety complantation.
Single-village Niedermorschwihr estate run by Jean Boxler and his son Jean-Marie, with thirteen hectares almost entirely on the granite Grands Crus Sommerberg and Brand. Allocation only.
Tasting: Cellar tastings strictly by appointment; the estate is small and allocation-driven.
Signature wines: sommerberg-riesling, brand-riesling, sommerberg-pinot-gris
Tip: The Sommerberg climbs straight above the village; book ahead and walk up before tasting.
