Behind the Label

Domaine Zinck

By Rob Stansel, Sommelier (CAPS)

The wines of Domaine Zinck have been on our shelves since 2008, when the talk of the wine world was minerality, global financial crisis, Southern Hemispheric new kids—Malbec ascendent—and the rebirth of rosé. Mobile apps weren’t even a thing yet. Somm (2012) hadn’t yet introduced “freshly opened can of tennis balls” into our tasting vocabulary.

Quietly and thoughtfully, while North American wine consumers were struggling to understand the screwcap, Philippe Zinck was developing a modern, ecologically minded estate in the heart of Eguisheim, Alsace, France.

At the eastern edge of France, in the shadow of the Vosges Mountains, the wine region of Alsace is a northto-south stretch of hilly vineyards, running for about 100 kilometres. Its culture is both French and Germanic. Aroma is everything. 90% of the wines produced there are made from white grapes. Riesling is the boss: dry, not sweet; some of it so good it is classified as Grand Cru. That one that starts with Gew and ends in urtztraminer (just call it “Goo”—it’s easier) that smells like roses and lychee? Lots of that one. Oh, and the Pinot family is a pretty big deal there: Gris and Blanc especially, often made into smoky, mushroom, and pear juice-scented liquids, all unctuous and gutsy and yep—whatever the heck minerally means.

Winemaker Philippe Zinck spent some time Down Under at Leeuwin Estate in Margaret River, Australia, before returning to his home in Alsace in 1996. Much has changed at Domaine Zinck, and in Alsace as a whole, during his time at the helm. Global warming began to affect viticulture in a profound way in the early 2000s. The trend toward drier and leaner styles—Pinot Grigio ascendent—led Philippe to re-shape winemaking practices for new export markets, such as ours.

Most importantly, Philippe is a passionate advocate of organic and biodynamic farming. 2008 was a watershed, in fact: it was the year he and his team stopped using pesticides in their vineyards. In the years since, the Zinck estate has moved toward full organic and biodynamic certification—ECOCERT and DEMETER certifications are expected this year. “Initially, I worked without certification. I wanted to avoid the paperwork, but nowadays, customers expect you to have the stamp on the label,” Philippe notes.

Philippe sees his role as soil caretaker as much as vintner, with the goal of producing wines not only of great character, but that “give you an emotion.” Biodynamic farming is the key to that, as he understands it. He is proud that in his village alone, 18 of 25 wineries are already certified.

“The Alsace wine region is definitely ahead in green farming, compared to any other wine region of France. I believe this trend will go further over the next years, and probably in 20 years, 50% of the whole Alsace region will be organic,” Philippe predicts.

Healthy soils, delicious wines. It’s a formula that seems obvious, but it still isn’t the wine industry norm. Zinck’s wines show expression in the glass that such care in the vineyard can result in. Their Pinot Gris shows classic weight and purity of fruit, and if you haven’t tasted their fizz, get on it.

Am I a fan? I once collected a vertical of Zinck Pfersigberg Grand Cru Rieslings. I once brought in a New Year guzzling Zinck Crémant Rosé out of a weird water glass with flames all over it. Fan boy since 2008.

Photo by Ian McCausland

Domaine Zinck is available exclusively at Jones & Company Wine Merchants: Crémant d’Alsace nv Brut Rosé ($31.99); Portrait 2017 Pinot Gris ($26.99); Pfersigberg 2016 Grand Cru Riesling ($53.99); Portrait 2018 Gewurztraminer ($27.99); Portrait 2016 Pinot Blanc ($24.99); Crémant d’Alsace nv Brut ($31.99).