excitingly unusual but somehow familiar
Alsace is a region perhaps better known for its tradition than its innovation, but Domaine Brand et Fils has created a winery based on curiosity and innovation making wines that are both excitingly unusual but somehow also familiar. Phillipe Brand and his father partnered together on their family’s vineyards working with an organic and biodynamic philosophy becoming certified organic in 2001 and certified biodynamic in 2015.
Brand et Fils understands the importance of the microorganisms involved in organic farming which is why no chemicals, filtering, or fining are used in the making of their wines. This allows the wines to ferment spontaneously and slowly, and are kept alive in the bottle by not adding any sulphur—obeying the standards of both Vin Naturel (AVN) and S.A.I.N.S.
distinct “orange wines” on the Ontario market
These are unique and delicious wines from Alsace, and one of the few producers in the region that strives for extended bouts of skin-contact making these some of the most distinct “orange wines” on the Ontario market.
We met Philippe Brand through Loïc Mahé. They met through their Paris sales agent Julie (a young woman working in the tough Parisienne world of wine sales) of Mes Vignerons Rare. Philippe Brand has been incredible to work with—he is very reliable and always looking outside the box.
Phillipe’s dad Charles studied geology in university, and is more than willing to share his knowledge of all the diverse soils in Alsace and how they arrived there. Charles is also a mushroom forager and a bit of a legend in the region, a really nice family —no egos, just genuine passion to make good wine with zero additives.
A blend of several vintages, this is a stunning and unique example of Riesling from Alsace. It’s a dry, salty, and cloudy Riesling, nowhere near the off-dry examples from Alsace that you may be familiar with. A highly structured, mineral-driven wine on the palate, it shows bright citrus aromas and is crisp and saline, with notes of rose hip, acacia, and honeysuckle.
Zero sulphur.
Producer notes: Riesling is the king grape variety in Alsace. It is also said that it easily expresses the terroir on which it grows. Thanks to our method of growing vines and good tillage, the roots of this grape variety can go down to more than 10 meters deep and capture trace elements and mineral salts from the parent rock. (tech notes below)