Domaine Catherine Riss
ドメーヌ・カトリーヌ・リス
A self-made rising star crafting razor-sharp natural wines from Reichsfeld's sandstone and schist.
Founded in 2012 by Catherine Riss, this micro-domaine in the village of Reichsfeld, Alsace, has quickly become one of the region's most celebrated natural wine estates. After training in viticulture and oenology in Burgundy, interning at Domaine Trapet in Gevrey-Chambertin, and managing Michel Chapoutier's Alsace vineyards, Riss struck out on her own with just 1.3 hectares, growing support from mentors Antoine Kreydenweiss and Lucas Rieffel. Today she farms around 4 hectares across steep parcels of Vosges sandstone and rare blue schist near Reichsfeld and Bernardvillé, certified organic since 2015 and increasingly biodynamic in practice. In the cellar she owns no destemmer, favoring whole-bunch, spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts, no chaptalization or acidification, and élevage exclusively in used Burgundy barriques. Her small, playfully named range — including Dessous de Table, De Grès ou de Force, T'as pas du Schiste, and Libre Comme l'Air — channels Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Sylvaner, Pinot Auxerrois, and Pinot Noir into wines of striking tension and purity. She is a member of the Association des Vins Libres d'Alsace.
Cuvées
No cuvées registered yet.
Who Is This For?
For natural wine drinkers who want precise, no-destemmer, minimal-sulfur Alsace wines with real terroir tension rather than aromatic sweetness.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Catherine Riss's winemaking philosophy?
- She works with no destemmer, fermenting whole bunches spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, and avoids chaptalization, acidification, and selected yeasts. Élevage takes place only in used Burgundy barriques, never new oak.
- Where are Domaine Catherine Riss's vineyards located?
- Her roughly 4 hectares of steep parcels lie around the villages of Reichsfeld and Bernardvillé in Alsace, split between fast-draining Vosges sandstone and the rare blue schist of the Schieferberg.
- Is Domaine Catherine Riss organic or biodynamic?
- The domaine has been farmed organically since it was founded and was AB-certified in 2015; in recent years Riss has increasingly incorporated biodynamic practices, though the estate is not formally Demeter-certified.
- What are the signature cuvées of Domaine Catherine Riss?
- Her small, wittily named range includes Dessous de Table (a Pinot Auxerrois–Sylvaner blend), De Grès ou de Force (sandstone Riesling), T'as pas du Schiste (schist Pinot Noir), and Libre Comme l'Air (unsulfured Pinot Noir).
- Does Catherine Riss add sulfur to her wines?
- Many of her cuvées are bottled with no added sulfur or only minimal amounts, prioritizing purity of fruit and terroir expression over stability from additives.