Domaine Sontag

History of the Estate

How was your Estate founded? Who founded it? What motivated you?

Claude Sontag – I took over running the family Estate in 2007, but I had always helped my parents. My mother and father were the original founders. Gérard, my father, worked in the factory, while my mother Marie-Antoinette ran the Estate.
But it dates even further back, as my grandmother on my mother’s side, already had vines before then! At first, a small area was cultivated for personal consumption, whilst the remaining wine was sold. It then gradually became an increasingly professional undertaking. Running the Estate is a full-time job for myself and Melanie my daughter who started working with me a year ago.

What training do you have?

CS - I was a trained cook for 20 years whilst working on the Estate on the side. I took over fully in 2007.

Wine tourism services

What wine tourism services do you provide on the Estate?

CS - We organise tours in the vineyards upon request, which take place quite regularly in season. We take groups on a 5-kilometre walking tour of our vineyards and can either organise wine tastings there or on the Estate.

Projects

What future plans do you have for your Estate? 

CS - Next year, I am planning on extending the Estate with an additional 2.5 acres of land. We also plan to build a wine tasting cellar to welcome our customers on a more regular basis.

Current situation

What is your Estate’s surface area and geographic situation?
CS - We have 12.3 acres of vineyards in Contz, Haute-Kontz and Sierck-les-Bains. They are all exposed south.

Could you tell us about your production? What sort of products do you sell on the Estate? How much do you produce, how many bottles?

CS - We produce 25,000 to 30,000 bottles a year.
We have PDO, “Vins de France” and “traditional method” wines. We grow auxerrois, pinot noir, pinot gris, pinot blanc, muller thurgau and riesling grape varieties.

How would you describe the three wines you have selected? 

CS - The first is “Cuvée des blasons,” a blend of auxerrois, pinot gris and muller thurgau. This is a very popular wine, which was awarded the silver medal at the European Wine competition. It is a dry, white wine with a well-rounded taste and a pleasant tangy twist.

The second is “Cuvée charme,” from a selection of auxerrois plots which was awarded a star in the 2021 edition of the Hachette Wine Guidebook. It is a very indulgent wine.
The third is a red pinot noir called “Pynoz,” which is quite simply a synonym of “pinot noir.” This red must be served chilled and has notes of red berries and a spicy finish.