A Sisterly Revolution in Alsace
Emma and Louise Meyer are two sisters leading a quiet but profound revolution in Alsace, working side by side at their family's historic domaine in Nothalten, a village nestled between forest and vines in the Bas-Rhin. Representing the fourth generation of a winemaking family that dates back to 1706, they bring a fresh, thoughtful perspective rooted in organic farming, natural winemaking, and a deep sense of place. Their father, Patrick Meyer, took over the estate in 1984 alongside his wife Mireille, and after studying conventional viticulture, quickly realised its destructive impact. He converted the domaine to organic and biodynamic practices in 2000, replacing chemical sprays with plant-based teas and compost preparations, sowing cover crops between vines, and banning heavy machinery. Emma and Louise grew up in this environment — surrounded by living soils, biodiversity, and the philosophy that wine should express its terroir without artifice. Today, the sisters cultivate several parcels on Alsace's complex mosaic of soils, including volcanic, sandstone, and schist, with notable holdings near the Zellberg and Muenchberg crus. Their work in the vineyard is organic (though deliberately uncertified), emphasising biodiversity, minimal copper, and total respect for the ecosystem. Everything is done by hand. In the cellar, they take a non-interventionist approach: fermentations occur with native yeasts, ageing takes place in old foudres or stainless steel, and wines are bottled without fining, filtration, and with little to no added sulfur. The result is a range of soulful, energetic wines that combine Alsatian texture and generosity with tension, minerality, and lift — wines that feel alive, honest, and unmistakably of their place.
From 1706 to Now
The Meyer family's winemaking history in Nothalten stretches back to 1706 — over three centuries of continuous viticulture in this village halfway between Strasbourg and Colmar. The estate has always been family-run, with each generation adding its own chapter to the story. Patrick Meyer took over in 1984 alongside his wife Mireille, bringing formal viticultural training but quickly discovering its limitations [^150^][^154^].
Like many winemakers of his generation, Patrick was taught the supposed benefits of conventional methods — chemical sprays, pesticides, heavy machinery. He employed these techniques initially but rapidly saw their negative impact: dead soils, weakened vines, and wines that tasted of chemistry rather than terroir. He realised that his mother's traditional, holistic methods were far more beneficial. In 2000, he made the decisive conversion to organic and biodynamic farming, earning certification and fundamentally changing the estate's direction [^150^].
Emma and Louise grew up in this transformed environment. They learned to farm without fear of chemicals, to trust the vineyard's natural balance, and to see wine as an expression of living soil rather than a product to be engineered. Their education was not in classrooms but in the vines — observing cover crops, applying compost teas, watching their father replace synthetic sprays with plant-based preparations. This upbringing shaped their philosophy before they ever made a wine of their own [^151^].
"Emma and Louise Meyer are two sisters leading a quiet revolution in Alsace, working side by side at their family's historic domaine in Nothalten."
— The Grape Reset
Volcanic, Sandstone & Schist
The sisters cultivate approximately 9 hectares across several parcels in and around Nothalten, on one of Alsace's most complex geological mosaics. The soils include volcanic rock, sandstone, and schist — a rare combination that gives their wines a distinctive mineral character and natural tension. Notable holdings include parcels near the Zellberg and Muenchberg crus, sites renowned for their ability to produce wines of exceptional depth and longevity [^151^].
Their vineyard work is organic but deliberately uncertified — the sisters believe that certification should not be the goal, but rather the natural outcome of good farming. They emphasise biodiversity above all: cover crops are sown between vine rows to nurture the soil and increase diversity, providing habitat for beneficial insects and improving soil structure. Heavy machinery is banned, protecting the ground from compaction and preserving the delicate microbial life that organic farming seeks to restore [^150^][^151^].
Treatments are minimal and natural. The damaging chemical sprays once used by previous generations have been replaced by plant-based teas and compost teas — nutrient-rich concoctions applied to the vines as needed. Copper use is kept to an absolute minimum. Everything is done by hand: pruning, training, harvesting, sorting. The result is a vineyard that functions as an ecosystem rather than a factory — alive, balanced, and capable of producing grapes that need no chemical correction in the cellar [^150^].
The village of Nothalten sits in the Bas-Rhin, halfway between Strasbourg and Colmar, nestled between forest and vineyards. This location provides a cool, continental climate with significant diurnal temperature variation — ideal for preserving natural acidity and developing complex aromatics in the grapes.
The estate's vineyards span a remarkable diversity of soils: volcanic rock (providing structure and smoky minerality), sandstone (contributing warmth and drainage), and schist (adding tension and floral aromatics). This geological complexity allows the sisters to produce wines of unusual depth and character from a relatively small area.
Notable holdings near these celebrated Alsace crus — sites renowned for their ability to produce wines of exceptional longevity and mineral complexity. The volcanic and schist soils of these parcels give the wines a distinctive smoky, saline character that sets them apart from typical Alsatian expressions.
The estate is farmed organically and biodynamically but deliberately uncertified. The sisters believe that certification should be the natural outcome of good farming, not its motivation. Cover crops, compost teas, minimal copper, hand-harvesting, and the exclusion of heavy machinery are not box-ticking exercises — they are convictions, inherited from their father and deepened by their own experience.
Non-Interventionist, Intuitive & Patient
In the cellar, Emma and Louise take a non-interventionist approach that mirrors their vineyard philosophy. All fermentations occur with native yeasts — the natural populations that develop in their organic vineyards. No selected yeasts, no enzymes, no chaptalisation, no acidification. The wines are aged in old foudres or stainless steel, depending on the variety and the vintage's character. Old foudres provide gentle micro-oxygenation and a neutral vessel that does not mask terroir; stainless steel preserves freshness and primary fruit [^151^].
There is no fining, no filtration, and little to no added sulfur. This is possible because of the meticulous vineyard work — organic farming, hand-harvesting, careful sorting — and because of the sisters' patience. They give their wines the time they need to stabilise naturally, to find their balance, and to express their terroir without chemical intervention. The result is wines that taste alive: textured, mineral, and vibrant, with a clarity that comes from patience rather than chemistry [^151^].
The sisters' approach is intuitive and collaborative. They work side by side, tasting constantly, debating decisions, and trusting their shared palate. There is no fixed recipe — each vintage is responded to on its own terms, each parcel treated according to its specific needs. This flexibility is the hallmark of natural winemaking: not rigid adherence to doctrine, but responsive, thoughtful craft guided by the material at hand [^151^].
Soulful, Energetic & Alive
What distinguishes Emma and Louise's wines is their energy — a quality that comes from healthy fruit, clean fermentations, and the absence of chemical masking. Their wines combine Alsatian texture and generosity with an unusual tension and lift. The Sylvaner is herbal and saline rather than neutral. The Riesling is mineral and electric rather than merely acidic. The Gewürztraminer is aromatic but not heavy. The Pinot Noir is bright and juicy rather than extracted. This is not achieved through technique alone; it is the result of a holistic approach that begins in the soil and ends in the glass. The sisters are not trying to make "natural wine" as a category; they are trying to make honest wine from healthy vines. That their wines happen to be natural is a consequence, not a marketing position.
A Domaine To Watch
Emma and Louise Meyer have quickly established themselves as one of Alsace's most compelling new-generation producers. Their wines are exported internationally and served in the most essential natural wine bars and restaurants — proof that their quiet, thoughtful approach resonates far beyond Nothalten. They are part of a growing movement of young Alsatian vignerons who are redefining the region's reputation, moving away from heavy, residual-sugar-laden wines toward expressions of purity, minerality, and drinkability [^151^].
What sets the sisters apart is their combination of deep family heritage and fresh perspective. They are not outsiders bringing new ideas to Alsace; they are insiders who have chosen to evolve the traditions they inherited. Their father's conversion to organic farming in 2000 gave them the foundation; their own intuition and training have built upon it. The result is a domaine that feels both historic and contemporary — rooted in 1706 but looking forward [^150^][^151^].
The future is focused on refinement and exploration. The sisters continue to farm their diverse parcels with the same meticulous care, experimenting with different vessels, different élevage lengths, and different blending combinations. They are part of a community of like-minded producers in Alsace — including Léo Dirringer, Kumpf et Meyer, and others — who are collectively raising the region's natural wine profile. As one observer noted, they are "a domaine to watch, rooted in family, intuition, and nature" [^151^].
"A domaine to watch, rooted in family, intuition, and nature."
— The Grape Reset
The Emma & Louise Meyer Range
All wines are farmed organically and biodynamically (though uncertified), hand-harvested, fermented with indigenous yeasts, and bottled without fining or filtration. Sulfur is little to none. The range covers the classic Alsatian varieties — Sylvaner, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir — plus blends that showcase the sisters' experimental side. Production is limited across approximately 9 hectares, with the estate still evolving under the sisters' direction [^151^].
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International Retailers & Distributors (Mostly Independent, In-Stock Focus)
**Note:** Information on "Emma et Louise MEYER" specifically is limited in public search results for direct stockists. The retailers listed below are general natural wine shops that often carry a diverse range of smaller, independent producers, including those from France. It's always best to check their websites directly for current availability of Emma et Louise MEYER wines.
**France:**
**More Natural Wine (France):** morenaturalwine.com/collections/france (General French natural wine selection)
**United Kingdom:**
**KASK Wine:** kaskwine.co.uk/shop/
**Pure Wines:** purewines.co.uk
**United States:**
**Domestique Wine:** domestiquewine.com
**Natural Wine Company:** naturalwine.com
**US Natural Wine:** usnaturalwine.com/collections/shop-all