The Apprentice, the New Voice & a Terrace Named Jeanne
A young vigneron who launched his own domaine in 2024 after apprenticing in the natural wine world, Charly Bergmann makes his first marks on Alsace from a small cellar in Dieffenthal. His debut cuvée — Les Terrasses de Jeanne, a Pinot Auxerrois — is already turning heads at Parisian caves and natural wine salons, a quiet promise of what's to come from one of the region's newest voices.
Origin — From Apprentice to Vigneron in the Bas-Rhin
Charly Bergmann is a new voice in Alsace — young, independent, and building his domaine from scratch. He launched Domaine TERLA (registered as TÈR LA) in September 2024 as an entrepreneur individuel, based at 15 Rue Principale in Dieffenthal, a small commune in the Bas-Rhin about halfway between Strasbourg and Sélestat.
Before striking out on his own, Charly apprenticed in the natural wine world — his social media presence describes him as an "apprenti chez Au fil du Vin Libre", one of the pioneering natural wine bars and shops that has shaped Parisian drinking culture for over a decade. It was there, surrounded by the bottles of France's most radical vignerons, that he absorbed the philosophy that would define his own project: natural fermentation, minimal intervention, and absolute respect for the grape.
The name TERLA — stylised as TÈR LA in official registers — is distinctly Alsatian in its construction, echoing the region's dialect and its deep connection to the land (terre). The domaine's first cuvée, Les Terrasses de Jeanne, suggests a personal connection — perhaps family land, perhaps a homage, perhaps a collaboration. The wine is already listed at La Cave de Belleville, one of Paris's most respected natural wine destinations, and was selected for the Salon Premiers Jus 2026 — a significant recognition for a debut vintage.
Charly is active on social media as @charlyb89, where he shares his journey from apprentice to vigneron with a candid, unfiltered energy that matches the punk-influenced ethos of the natural wine world he inhabits.
The Place — The Bas-Rhin, Between Strasbourg and the Vosges
Dieffenthal lies in the Bas-Rhin, the northern half of Alsace, where the plains of the Rhine valley meet the first foothills of the Vosges. The terroir is varied — limestone, clay, and alluvial soils — and the climate is continental, with warm summers and cold winters. It is not the most famous corner of Alsace, but it is a place where young vignerons can find affordable land and old vines that have been forgotten by the big houses.
Pinot Auxerrois — Alsace's Quiet Grape
Pinot Auxerrois is one of Alsace's seven permitted varieties, often overshadowed by Riesling and Gewürztraminer. It is a close relative of Pinot Blanc, with a slightly more aromatic profile and a natural richness that makes it ideal for natural winemaking. Charly's choice of Auxerrois for his debut cuvée is a statement: he is not chasing the obvious, he is finding beauty in the overlooked.
Terraced Vineyards, Manual Labour
The "terrasses" of the cuvée name are not metaphorical. Alsace's vineyards are famously steep, and many are terraced into the hillsides — worked by hand, often by older growers who have no successors. Charly's project represents a generational transfer: the old terraces, once abandoned, now have a new steward.
Natural Wine in Conservative Territory
Alsace is one of France's most conservative wine regions — dominated by family estates with centuries of history, cooperative production, and a strong emphasis on varietal purity and Grand Cru hierarchy. A young, independent natural winemaker without family land is a rarity. Charly's presence is a small but significant crack in the edifice.
From Paris Back to Alsace
The path from Parisian natural wine bar to Alsatian vineyard is becoming a familiar one — young people who discovered natural wine in the city, fell in love with the culture, and decided to make it themselves. Charly's journey from Au fil du Vin Libre to Dieffenthal follows this pattern: the apprentice becomes the master, or at least, the vigneron.
Winemaking — Natural, Minimal, Personal
As a new domaine with only one vintage released, the full details of Charly's cellar practices are still emerging. What is clear from his apprenticeship and his first cuvée is a commitment to the natural wine philosophy: indigenous yeasts, no additives, no filtration, and minimal sulfur if any at all.
The Les Terrasses de Jeanne 2024 is a Pinot Auxerrois — a white grape that tends toward richness and body. In Charly's hands, it appears to be a wine of freshness and drinkability, suited to the natural wine bars where he learned his trade. The vinification likely involves direct pressing or brief skin contact, fermentation in neutral vessels (tank or old barrel), and bottling with minimal intervention.
The domaine is currently a one-person operation — zero employees, just Charly. This means every decision, from vineyard work to label design to sales, passes through his hands. The scale is microscopic, the attention is total, and the learning curve is steep. But the first vintage is already in the market, already at Parisian caves, already selected for natural wine salons. The foundation is being laid.
The Wines — One Cuvée, One Promise
The range is currently small — a single cuvée from the 2024 vintage — but it represents the beginning of something. As Charly establishes his vineyards and expands his production, more wines will follow. For now, Les Terrasses de Jeanne stands alone: a debut, a declaration, a first step.
Les Terrasses de Jeanne
Estate white (debut cuvée)100% Pinot Auxerrois from the terraced vineyards of Dieffenthal, Bas-Rhin. The 2024 debut vintage — vinified naturally with indigenous yeasts, minimal intervention, and bottled without filtration. A wine of freshness and approachability, reflecting Charly's apprenticeship in Parisian natural wine bars and his commitment to letting the grape speak. Already listed at La Cave de Belleville and selected for Salon Premiers Jus 2026. The first chapter of a story that is just beginning.
Legacy — The Beginning of Something
It is too early to speak of legacy for a domaine that was founded in September 2024 and has released only one cuvée. But the signs are promising. Charly Bergmann has done what many apprentices dream of but few achieve: he has moved from behind the bar to behind the press, from serving natural wine to making it.
The path from Au fil du Vin Libre to Dieffenthal is a well-trodden one in the natural wine world — the city kid who falls in love with the culture, learns by tasting and talking, and eventually takes the leap to become a producer. What distinguishes Charly is the speed and confidence of his debut: a wine in the market within months of founding, already at respected caves, already selected for salons.
The TERLA project is a seed. The terraces of Jeanne are the first shoot. Whether Charly expands to multiple cuvées, multiple varieties, multiple terroirs — or stays small and focused — will depend on the years ahead. But the foundation is solid: natural philosophy, Alsatian terroir, personal commitment, and a name that is already in the conversation. The rest is vintage by vintage, bottle by bottle, terrace by terrace.