★★★★★
Cellar, tasting and an Alsatian meal at Gertwiller
The visit was original and the meal was particularly good. We will come back for brunch.
Flora · Couple · France · April 2024
An Alsace Wine Estate at Gertwiller: Cellar, Tasting and a Table
Tasting in the fareMeet at the estateMeal included
The only product here that sits you down and feeds you, and the cheapest one that pours at all. You spend the whole two and a half hours at one family estate: an hour being shown the cellar, an hour at the table with a wine beside each course, then half an hour in the shop if you want it. No vehicle collects you, so you arrive under your own steam.
An estate that has made wine since 1778
A family estate, not a venue
The winery goes back to 1778 and the cellar building to 1850, and it is worked today.
The 1900 barrel
The Coat of Arms Barrel, built for the Paris world's fair, still stands in the cellar.
A film on the casks
A 180-degree film is projected onto century-old oak, with the estate's own story in it.
A guided tasting
The grower pours the estate wines and tells you what changed after the organic conversion.
A wine beside each course
Soup, an Alsatian meat pie, kougelhopf and Bibeleskaes, then coffee or tea.
5.0 from 57 reviews
The best-rated product here, and the only one where you eat sitting down.
The cellar, the barrel and the film
The first hour is the winery itself. You are walked through how the wine is made here, from the fruit to the bottle, in a cellar that has been in use since 1850. The family has been making wine at Gertwiller since 1778, and converted the whole estate to organic production in 2020.
Two things in that cellar are worth the trip on their own. One is the Coat of Arms Barrel, built for the 1900 world's fair in Paris and still standing among the working casks. The other is what the estate did with the renovated space: a 180-degree film projected straight onto century-old oak barrels, with the grower's own story in it. You watch it sitting in the cellar, not in a screening room.
Wondering how this compares with a day in a minivan? Every fare is laid out side by side on Alsace Wine tour, with what each one pours marked against it.
Lunch, course by course
The second hour is the table, and this is the part no other fare here buys you. You are served Alsatian dishes: a soup, then a meat pie, then a slice of kougelhopf with Bibeleskaes, the region's fresh white cheese. Coffee or tea closes it. A wine comes with each dish, chosen by the people who made it.
Say at the time of booking if you want the vegetarian menu, because it is prepared to order. Children have a menu of their own, or you can leave them off the booking and let them choose on the spot. If you want to know what else Alsace puts on a plate before you sit down, the things to do page covers the rest of the region.
Getting to Gertwiller
Nothing collects you. Transport to and from the winery is the one thing the fare excludes, and it is the single reason people arrive late. The estate is at 156 Route de Strasbourg, in Gertwiller, out on the northern stretch of the wine route near Obernai. Drive, taxi, or build it into a day when somebody else is behind the wheel.
If you have no car at all, that decides it: book something that includes the transport. The half days out of both cities collect you at a fixed kerb and bring you back, and the whole set is compared on the visitor guide.
How the two and a half hours run
- You arrive at the estate. 156 Route de Strasbourg, Gertwiller, under your own steam.
- An hour in the winery. How the wine is made here, from the fruit to the bottle.
- The historic cellar. Century-old oak casks, and the barrel built for 1900.
- The film on the barrels. A 180-degree projection onto the casks, with the estate's story.
- The tasting, then the table. Estate wines poured, then an hour of Alsatian dishes.
- Half an hour in the shop. Optional, and anything you take home carries its own price.
Who it suits, and who needs a lift instead
Book this if
You have a car or a driver, and you would rather eat and drink in one place than see four. It suits couples, anyone travelling with children who still wants the wine, and a rainy afternoon when a village walk has lost its appeal. It is also the cheapest thing here that pours.
Book something else if
You have no transport: the half day out of Strasbourg collects you at a station kerb for $114, and the Colmar half day does the same down the line. You came for the villages rather than the table: the day through four villages from Colmar is the one to take. You want the vines as well as the cellar: the vineyard and cellar visit near Colmar walks you through both for $65.
What the fare covers, and the one thing it does not
In the fare
- Guided tour of the family winery and historic cellar
- Educational video about Alsace winemaking (family-friendly)
- Exclusive 180 degree immersive audiovisual experience
- Visit to the historic cellar with century-old oak barrels
- Viewing of the Coat of Arms Barrel from the 1900 Paris World's Fair
- Guided tasting of estate wines
- Traditional Alsatian meal
- Wine pairings with each course
- Coffee or tea
- Vegetarian meal available upon request (please advise at the time of booking)
- English- or French-speaking guide
Not in the fare
- Transport to and from the winery
156 Route de Strasbourg
You make your own way to 156 Route de Strasbourg, Gertwiller, which is the estate itself. The booking asks you to choose your tour language, English or French, and the meeting point can shift slightly with the option you pick, so read the confirmation rather than assuming.
There is no pick-up and no drop-off, in either direction. Gertwiller sits on the northern part of the wine route, a short hop from the larger town next door, and most visitors drive or take a taxi. Where it falls against every other starting point is drawn on the map.
Know before you go
- You arrange your own transport. This is the one thing the fare excludes, in both directions.
- Choose your language when booking. The tour runs in English or in French, not both at once.
- Ask for the vegetarian menu at booking. It is made to order and cannot be arranged on the day.
- Children have their own menu. Or leave them off the booking and let them choose at the table.
- The shop visit is optional. Anything you carry out of it is priced separately from the fare.
- Allow two and a half hours. Door to door, with an hour of it spent sitting at the table.
What travellers say about the estate and the meal
★★★★★
Cellar, tasting and an Alsatian meal at Gertwiller
The food and the wine were both good, and you leave knowing something about Alsace wine and how the estate came to be there.
Yuki · Japan · July 2025
★★★★★
Cellar, tasting and an Alsatian meal at Gertwiller
A warm welcome, a tasting and a good lunch, from owners who know how to pass on why they care about it.
Jessie · Couple · France · August 2025
Frequently asked questions
Is transport to the winery included?
No. Getting there and back is the one thing excluded, so come by car or taxi. If you need collecting, book a tour that leaves from a city kerb instead.
What is actually served at the table?
Alsatian dishes: a soup, a meat pie, then kougelhopf with Bibeleskaes, and coffee or tea. A wine is poured beside each course.
Can vegetarians eat here?
Yes, but say so when you book. The vegetarian menu is prepared to order and cannot be organised when you walk in.
Is it suitable for children?
Yes. There is a children's menu, or you can leave them off the booking and let them order at the table. Nobody under 18 is poured wine.
What if I have no car?
Take a tour that includes the drive. The half day out of Strasbourg meets at a station kerb, pours two tastings and brings you back four hours later.
How long does the whole visit take?
Two and a half hours door to door. That is an hour being shown the winery and the cellar, an hour at the table, and half an hour in the shop if you want it.
Other ways to taste Alsace wine
Ready to sit down at an Alsace wine estate?
Check dates at Gertwiller for the cellar, the tasting and the meal, with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Check availability