Domaine Durrmann
Alsace, France

The Durrmann estate is a family-owned independent one, totaling 10 hectares in the Alsace region. It is located in the town of Andlau, which was settled in the year 880 by a monastery of nuns, a place where grapes have been cultivated for more than a thousand years. The winery was established in 1979 with a few vineyards coming from Yann's grandfather who was a shoemaker. This lack of an established and family-based wine making tradition was very challenging for André and Anna, Yann’s parents, because the whole business had to be built from scratch. It was also an opportunity as the winery was not limited by traditional customs and therefore has always been oriented toward innovation. Yann has been managing the winemaking since 2008, and the entire company since 2018. He has completed some formal winemaking studies but considers that he learned more by practice and sharing experiences with colleagues. He continues this culture of learning and sharing by becoming the president of the association of his town's wine-makers and by teaching some wine-business courses at the University of Colmar.

Concerned with the preservation of the environment, the Durrmann estate farm has been certified organic since 1998. The best description of their philosophy is “agro-ecology.” They consider their farm as an ecosystem in which they try to find a balance between their various flora of vines, fruit trees for juice and spirits, and grass for sheep. Durrmann's vineyards are settled on steep and rocky hills, so their soils are left covered in grass to prevent soil erosion and to help maintain their natural fertility.