Near Colmar, Albert Boxler, Meyer Fonné, and Domaine Weinbach are must-go wineries-- the top three for me among the many we tasted at all over Alsace.
Do a search in the travel section and you will find some stuff.
In 2021, I had great meals at Winstub de Chambard in Kayserberg and La Taverne Alsacienne just north of Colmar.
In case you’re up for visiting Strasbourg, I have to share that Le Buerehiesel is an amazing treat in the Parc Orangerie. We reserved with a small tasting menu for our table of 4 that was absolutely out of this world.
Trimbach is in Ribeauville @ 16km from Colmar - a lovely village and the family (now the 12th generation) give excellent and personal tours. (If you enjoy vintage stickies, we bought some older SGN directly too.) We also had a great experience with Marcel Deiss in Bergheim which is @ 20km from Colmar.
I was there in mid-November. Absolutely wonderful time in the region, with winery visits and restaurants all being true treats.
Wineries:
-Trimbach is a must as mentioned above. Great history, people and wines
-Hugel (in the middle of the town of Riquewihr); their Grossi Laue offerings are wonderful
-Gustave Lorentz (Bergheim) shows a rare modern style winery when compared to the old cellars of most wineries; lovely range of wines
-Paul Blanck (Kaysersberg); a highlight of the trip. Philippe is so cerebral the way he takes you through the wines; highly recommend
-Weinbach (Kaysersberg) is a staple; gorgeous property and their high end offerings (which are tough to come across) are worth the visit
-Schlumberger (Guebwiller) was a great visit through their winery and wonderful comparisons of their dry vs sweet offerings
For food, we did our best to stop in the cafes around whatever wineries we were visiting. Cote Vigne in Kaysersberg was a favorite as was Cour du Bailli in Bergheim.
Enjoy the scenery, the people and the wines! One of a kind type of place.
Thank everyone so much! This is greater more informative response than I expected.
Did Les Maison Les Maison des Tetes for dinner two weeks ago. Nice meal. The market has some nice snacks and the requisite Tarte Flambé. Tasted at Francois Schmitt and Paul Blanck, enjoyed both tremendously. Had a nice cheese plate in both riquewihr and Eguisheim. A colleague also took us to Martin Wassmer which was 40 min away and enjoyed that as well, though not the bargain Alsace wines are.
Was just in Alsace last spring with Colmar as home base. The region and small towns are beautiful. The food, not so much. Very heavy German influence. Food in Colmar is quite lacking in my opinion. I would plan on eating casual (you will get tired of Tarte Flambe) and just enjoying the wine and small towns. Really opened my eyes to Riesling. I would travel to a small town (Epfig, Obernai etc…) find some wine and enjoy the village. If u get to Strasbourg, the Strasbourg Hospice Winery is a cool story with a super old cellar.
We also thought the food was just ok. But, if anyone in your travel party likes cars, this place is incredible:
Thank you all for your suggestions Its a big help!
As mentioned earlier 'Cercle Des Aromes and L’un des Sens are both great winebars.
The former does not have any proper food but a fantastic (and affordable) collection of older grand cru vintages by the glass. For example I tried Zin Humbrecht Clos Saint Urbain Rangen de Thann PG from somewhere around 2000. (by the glass).
L’un des Sens is great for fine bistro food and has an excellent wine-menu that leans a bit to the non-intervention site. Also they are not that expansive and I had a great Ganevat Bottle for a humble price.
If you are looking for a more ‘real restaurant’ I can greatly recommend ‘Le Boc Bleu’ in Beblenheim. Fantastic winelist and great food.
Edit; just looked up the winelist from ‘Boc Bleu’ and they still have absolute steals…Rayas Blanc CDP for 250 euros…
I don’t have my diary handy, but Wistub was tremendous (thanks for reminding me of that, John!)
Yes, Alsace is such a lovely place. I spent a very fine week there with friends. Strasbourg is worth most of a day.
My experience is 7 years old now, but these threads may help Lenny. Have fun!
TNs–Mike on Tour–Alsace–Deiss, Kreydenweiss + extras - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers
TNs–Mike on Tour-67 wines–Z-H, Gassmann, Gruss, Bott-Geyl - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers
Might he some useful info here
Thank you so much!
La Fleur de Sel in Petite Venise for canal-side Tarte Flambee!
It was many years ago but still one of the most enjoyable lunches at Aubege de L’Ill in Illhaeusern. Two stars now, three stars then.
I will echo many of the winery recommendations you’ve already received (especially Marcel Deiss). There are so many excellent wineries there that see little to no distribution to the US. A little research can go a long way here.
I believe someone already mentioned that Colmar left much to be desired in the restaurant department and I would concur with that sentiment.
If you can make it a bit further north to Obernai, I would highly, highly recommend Thierry Schwartz. Great wine list, great service, great ambiance, and excellent innovative cuisine.
Another restaurant that has stuck out to me amongst many great meals in the region would be La Vieille Forge in Kaysersberg.
Thank you so much!
I will do some research
We enjoined KASTENWALD in Wolfgantzen a lot. Very traditional, tasty, familiar, with a chef a wine loving chef and owner.
Last time I was in Alsace (2018), we enjoyed these wineries:
- Weinbach: We had a very warm reception by I believe the matriarch in one of the old rooms set aside tastings. Excellent wines.
- Trimbach: I know many report great experiences, but we found it a little cold.
- Kientzler: Down the road from Trimbach, I wouldn’t sleep on this family winery. I found the Grand Cru wines excellent and extremely affordable.
As far as restaurants, we had delicious meals that (of course) paired perfectly with Alsatian wines, but we went to fairly casual places. Of note:
- Wistub La Petite Venise - Traditional. Happened to be in Colmar the same week Anthony Bourdain dined here and took his own life. I think it’s probably still attracting tourists as a result but I’m sure the food is still great.
- The name escapes me, but my family (especially the kid) and I enjoyed Alsatian “pizza”. Cracker-like crust with a creme fraiche-like sauce topped with smoked meats and local cheese. Again, perfectly suited for the wines.
Also, this question really belongs in the “Travel, Wine Tourism, and Restaurants” forum. A search reveals a number of threads that cover similar territory, e.g. Quick Trip to Alsace (Mar 2022) - #9 by Larry_Stein
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