Domaine de l’École

The Lycée de Rouffach is a landmark in Alsatian wine-growing. This is where aspiring winegrowers come to learn, meet, exchange ideas, and debate. Training courses for adults enable them to hone their skills with the benefit of hindsight and the questions that arise throughout their careers. The site is a knowledge platform that adapts to the changing practices and needs of the profession. The Lycée has been a driving force in the evolution of practices and attitudes, offering very early on teaching linked to organic and then biodynamic farming practices. Jean-Luc Prost, current Managing Director of Sillons de Haute Alsace, combining the Wintzenheim and Rouffach sites, has a wealth of experience in wine education and is committed to keeping the school at the cutting edge of knowledge and innovation, for the benefit of Alsatian viticulture.

The Domaine de l’Ecole is attached to the Rouffach high school and plays an educational role for students and apprentices. Entirely converted to organic farming, it introduces young people to the various tasks involved in the wine-growing profession. Hervé’s team works closely with teachers and other staff to support apprentices throughout the year. They take an active part in viticultural and oenological work and are even involved in commercial events. This gives them a global view of the industry and enables them to build bridges between the different aspects of the profession.

In the vineyards, Jean-Marc is the guardian of the place and the evolution of this fantastic hillside, part of which is on the Grand Cru Vorbourg bench. He is backed up by Florent to carry out the external tasks that will result in juicy, ripe and fresh grapes, thanks to the predominantly limestone bedrock of the vineyard’s terrain.

In the cellar, Christophe is in charge of the harvest. With precise, well-thought-out techniques, he oversees the transformation of the juice into white, red, rosé or sparkling wine, according to defined itineraries. Although the winemaking process has been relatively non-interventionist for some time now, and very low in sulfites, the Pirouettes adventure has given us the opportunity to experiment with new wine aesthetics, such as the maceration of white or lightly-colored grapes like Gewurztraminer and Muscat. These new developments serve as educational examples for the students at the Lycée, who see in them the positioning of an estate with an eye firmly set on the future.

Carine and Cyrine are responsible for direct sales and sales to professionals, and their enthusiasm and passion for wine inspire the team to come up with new, daring and surprising vintages. They are attentive to the needs of the winery’s customers and to changes in the market, which force them to frequently question their proposals. This feedback between sales and production illustrates the permanent collaboration that exists within the Domaine de l’Ecole team, enabling it to keep up with today’s challenges, under the watchful eye of the future winemakers.