We’ve had great tastings at:
Marc Tempé is a bit of a maverick, sort of the anti-Trimbach.
There are almost no options in Colmar. It’s a great base from which to visit, and to eat without having to drive, but it’s not a place to taste wine. Muré has a sort-of tasting room in the town, and there are others, but it’s no substitute for a real winery experience.
I just spoke to Jean Trimbach in person yesterday and they’re very definitely open in July, until the end and perhaps after. I wonder about your approach. Are you requesting a weekend? Are you inflexible? Are you asking in English or French?
ZH being closed is likely and matches what Olivier suggested yesterday. Contact Josmeyer, or Barmès Buecher, or Blanck, or Mann, or Sparr, or Kientzler, or Sorg, or Loew, or Beyer, or Lorentz, but keep trying. It’s impossible that they’re all closed.
Thanks guys!!! Brilliant information.
Thor,
I couldn’t find an email address for Trimbach and had to fill in the form on their webpage. I wrote in English asking for a weekday appointment and gave a possible time. To be honest, if I just visited Trimbach, I would be happy. Do you have an email address you could PM me (please)?
“and gave a possible time” is likely your problem. You have to give them options.
I do have an email address, but it’s private and noncommercial and not mine to give out. Sorry. Just keep using the form on their web site. Or even call them; everyone who works there, except perhaps in the cellar (and you won’t be reaching them), speaks English.
These requests sometimes fall through the cracks, for instance when the office is waiting to hear from the family regarding availability. Keep trying.
Henry, Thor, thanks. I’ve contacted them twice via their form. Nothing. Seems to be like a game where I haven’t been given the rules! If I’ve suggested an inappropriate time, why don’t they just tell me and offer a suitable alternative?!
I will call them if I don’t hear anything soon.
James, It’s been a year but I believe I did just what you are doing wrt requesting a tasting appt. Here’s the e-mail address of Annie BALTENWECK who responded to my request - anne@trimbach.fr
Also wanted to 2nd what Thor has stated re: tastings in Alsace - very limited. The two wineries in town that I noted above were fun but definitely not exceptional. I also did some research on wine bars/tasting rooms in town and came up virtually empty. Best thing to do in Colmar is find a good restaurant with a good wine list - plenty to choose from. We had our best wine tasting experiences in the small towns of Kientzheim, Kaysersberg and Ribeauville, all of which we traveled to via train/bus.
Roger,
Brilliant. Thanks. Great information. I’ll shoot off an email to Anne.
Now…what about Rhone. Are the big houses/co-ops in Tain the only option other than making individual appointments at small growers? No good caveaux with different growers available to taste together?
What about Ampuis? What are the options there?
We’re only having a day trip to N. Rhone from Burgundy, so will only have about 6-9 hours of tasting time. My friend hasn’t seen the hill of Hermitage and I think that is quite important to see.
Moving on to Rhone. Any advice.
I know nothing about Ampuis. Is it worth a visit without a car?
Thanks.
Hi James,
Been meaning to try to respond to your question on Northern Rhone!
First up, without a car you can’t get to Ampuis! 
There nearest train station is in Condrieu, but it is a regional line only so not that easy to reach.
In terms of tastings and whether worth a visit, I would suggest that yes you could make a decent day of it if the focus is on wine. Ampuis itself is small, rather functional and not especially charming. You basically have local businesses, large cellar/wharehouses from Guigal, Gerin etc… and smaller vignerons, and that’s it. The ‘centre’ is a maybe couple hundred metres total but there are one or two wine shops where you could taste. You shouldn’t expect to find 30 bottles open, but maybe in each one you could taste 6-10 wines, tops. I reckon if you were to cover the cavistes in Ampuis and also a few km down the road in Condrieu you could taste quite a few wines.
I would also recommend visting Yves Cuilleron: he has a tasting room further down the valley at Chavanay and the advantage is he has a wide range: red and white ranging from IGP Colline Rhod, and Cote-Rotie in the North to Saint Peray in the south and all stops in between. Most of their range is open to taste so it could be interesting. It is informal, but you need to call ahead, mainly to let the lady there know a time so she isn’t out back working on something else…
A car is recommended as you can explore the area more easily: and it is worth driving up the hillside above Ampuis or Condrieu to see the vineyards and enjoy the view down the rhone valley. There is a nice restaurant in Tupins ‘Auberge de la Source’ with a great view. In Ampuis, the ‘Bistro a vins de Serine’ could be an option for food and/or drink. I think they have a pretty good wine list. Maybe this could also be an option to do a tasting as they say on their website that they do degustation:http://www.bistrotdeserine.com/
Hope this might help. Let me know if you have any other questions and i’ll do my best to answer.
Have a great trip!
Thanks! That’s a great reply! Unfortunately, I don’t think we will have a car! I’m sure many others will make much use of this excellent information.
I have been to condrieu before. Very interesting.
I guess Tain/Tournon is the place to visit by train. My friend hasn’t been before, so it’s definitely worth a visit. I’ve been to Chapoutier. Is there another/better option within walking distance? Off the top of my head the cooperative and Jaboulet are the 2 main alternatives. Although I’m not sure if the latter’s main place is in Tain or a long trek away up or past the hill.
Best growers in Tain/Tournon? Faurie?
I also stayed in Colmar and visited Paul Blanc and Weinbach. Although I had made an appointment with Paul Blanc it was not necessary. One can just in from the street. Long list of wines at good prices. Weinbach were more expensive but they were fantastic.
I also visited Hugel.
If you do not have a car you can organise a taxi from Colmar to drop and pick you up. Taxi Bartholdi is the one I used.
Sanjay, thanks for that. I may well follow suit. Is Weinbach a walk in (no appointment) tasting room.
Would others choose Paul Blanc and Weinbach? How about Albert Mann?
BTW We might be staying in Strasbourg, not Colmar a walk
If you go to Riquewihr there are at least 3 large tasting rooms by local wineries. Hugel, Dopf and another one. All within 5 minutes walking distance away from one another. I believe the tasting rooms are open for walk-ins, especially as the town is very touristy.
Ramon,
Great! If I don’t hear back from Trimbach, that’s definitely an option I’ll consider going for.
Cheers.
Unless something has dramatically changed, Weinbach is definitely not just walk in. Heck, based on past experiences, even an appointment is not a guarantee.
Thanks David. Useful info. I’m not sure Sanjay inferred otherwise, although it wasn’t clear.
My current plan is to leave Burgundy in the morning and head for Strasbourg in the evening. Probably only time for around two venues in Alsace. Paul Blanck is definitely an option given their accessibility.
I’m definitely a fan of Albert Mann. Has anyone got any experience visiting here?
Thanks David. Useful info. I’m not sure Sanjay inferred otherwise, although it wasn’t clear.
My current plan is to leave Burgundy in the morning and head for Strasbourg in the evening. Probably only time for around two venues in Alsace. Paul Blanck is definitely an option given their accessibility.
I’m definitely a fan of Albert Mann. Has anyone got any experience visiting here?
I think there’s a bit of confusion regarding Paul Blanck & Weinbach. Neither of them are in Colmar; the former is in Kientzheim and the latter is isolated amidst the vineyards between Kientzheim and Kaysersberg. You can’t walk to them from Colmar, you’ll have to have a car (or book a taxi). You can walk from one to another, but it’s just along the side of a somewhat busy road. And while Paul Blanck does have a tasting room with regular public hours, Weinbach is definitely not a place you want to go without an appointment; it’s been done on occasion, and successfully, but I really, really wouldn’t recommend it.
Mann has a tasting room with public hours, or so I seem to recall, but I’ve only ever been there via appointments. It’s closer to Colmar, but it’s still not walkable.
I’m not sure I understand the resistance to being flexible regarding appointments, nor the resistance to renting a car, but it’s your trip.
Thor,
Thanks for that. Sorry for the confusion. Time is going to be very tight. We only won’t even be there for a whole day and won’t necessarily be based in Colmar. I don’t drive and my friend doesn’t want to.
Its best if we can find places close together as, although taxis are a possibility, it’s not always easy to find them, so walking is better if possible.