Terroir is not only soil and climate but also the time that man has invested in the soil. There are vineyards in Katzenthal that have been cultivated since the time of the Romans.  This wine has been well-known since the 13th century.  Here's the proof!

Since when have vines been growing in Katzenthal ?

Goetz write to his brother chanoine in Thann: "I have opened up a speculative commerce that might bring us large fortunes. This speculation counts of the good wines of Alsace. The only thing that yoy need to do, is help us transport the wines of Katzenthal by Strasbourg and Hollande ", this was February 7th, 1783.

Catzelthal....from 1240 and on a map maker mentioned nine groupings of vignes in the hinterland of Ingerheim, Katzenthal and Ammerschwihr. The maturity of wines from Katzenthal needs no more proof. In the same era Werner de Hattstatt offers two juchert of vignes "in Cuttenthal" near Katzenthal to the monks of Unterlinden in Colmar...

and also Walter Landose a knight, who ceeds the land to the abbey cistercienne in Pairis "in Catzenthal". In a proclomation from May 9th, 1283 a bourgeois from Colmar gives four juchert of vignes to Pairis and in 1303. More and more examples such as these are discovered as more research is done.

Thank you to Claude Muller for his research on the vineyards of Alsace.

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