Since 1836

1 family, 1 village, 7 generations of winegrowers

Founded in 1836, MAISON GUSTAVE LORENTZ owns 33 hectares of land on the hillsides of Bergheim in the heart of the Alsace wine region, 12.8 hectares of which are classified Grand Cru Altenberg de Bergheim, and 1.75 hectares Grand Cru Kanzlerberg.

Settlement in Bergheim

The first mention of the Lorentz family in the commune of Ribeauvillé dates back to the end of the Thirty Years' War in the second half of the 17th century. They were innkeepers or coopers as well as ‘gourmets’, the old name given to wine merchants, which afforded them an important status in the local community.

In 1748, winegrower and blacksmith Jean-Georges Lorentz was the first to settle in Bergheim, which later became the heart of our domaine.

His son, Pierre Lorentz, was married to the youngest daughter of the Mayor of the time (Nicolas Schmitt). Generations passed with the birth of Jacques Lorentz in 1798 and Charles Lorentz in 1836. This same year, Maison Lorentz was founded in the commune of Bergheim. Today, Georges Lorentz has the honour of managing the estate, seven generations later.

Turbulent Beginnings

At the end of the 19th century, Gustave Lorentz breathed new life into the company by deciding to concentrate only on the winegrowing side of the business. But times were hard: a series of poor harvests discouraged the winegrowers. What’s more, with Alsace annexed by the German empire, its wines were now used to bulk up German wine blends. And as misfortunes never come alone, from 1905 the vineyards were ravaged by phylloxera.

The 20th Century

Choosing Excellence

Charles Lorentz senior was born at the turn of the 20th century. As soon as he joined the family business, this visionary strived for excellence by expanding his vineyards on the slopes of Altenberg de Bergheim and by very carefully selecting the wine growers from whom he bought his grapes in order to offer his customers the finest quality wines. For as long as anyone can recall, grapes grown from these high potential slopes have always been vinified separately.

For this reason, Riesling, Pinot-Gris, Gewurztraminer and other Muscat varieties grown in Altenberg and Kanzlerberg have expressed the unique character of their terroir for centuries.

AN EXCEPTIONAL MAN AT THE HELM: CHARLES JUNIOR

After World War II, the son, Charles Lorentz, took over his father’s work and built the family business by buying vines from other domaines. The facilities were modernised and there was no shortage of commercial opportunities. Our vision became ever more focused and lodged in our DNA: to produce quality wines from the best slopes in Bergheim.

The reward for this stubborn perseverance was the classification of Altenberg de Bergheim and Kanzlerberg as Grand Cru sites in 1983.

Today

Georges

In 1995, when Georges Lorentz took over the business, the domaine had 32 hectares of owned vineyards, and bought grapes grown in 120 hectares exclusively in the Bergheim area.

Aware of his exceptional inheritance, with his team, they continue striving to produce elegant, well-balanced and food-friendly fine wines.

FLYING THE FLAG FOR ALSACE – AN EXCEPTIONAL WINE REGION



Today, Maison Gustave Lorentz exports its wines to 60 countries and makes 55% of its annual turnover abroad.

As well as showcasing the high quality of the Bergheim terroirs in France and around the world, Maison Gustave Lorentz has positioned itself as an ambassador for Alsace wines in general – proof of their diversity, their quality and their individuality.

MODERNITY AND SUSTAINABILITY

Recently we have made several investments aimed at optimising our production facilities so we can guarantee our customers wines of unmatched excellence.

Georges, conscious of the current and future environmental challenges, decided to create a new working ethos within Maison Gustave Lorentz by converting to organic growing in 2009. All of our wines from own vineyards have been certified organic since the 2012 vintage.

Find More about our commitment to sustainability.

Tomorrow

Tomorrow - Georges’ daughters

The next chapter of Maison Gustave Lorentz is safeguarded by his three daughters, who will inherit this remarkable legacy and ensure that our domaine continues to produce increasingly high-quality wines from Alsace.