Anaïs FantiNurse to Vigneron
From tending patients to tending vines—a formative journey to Georgia sparked a career change that brought third-generation Alsatian vineyards back to life with Georgian maceration techniques and organic dedication.
From nursing shifts in France to harvests in Georgia—how a pilgrimage to the birthplace of wine transformed a career and revived family vineyards.
Anaïs Fanti grew up in Ammerschwihr, a village in southern Alsace where her family cultivated grapes for generations. Yet she initially chose a different path—training and working as a nurse. The calling of the vines grew louder until, seeking answers, she embarked on a transformative journey to Georgia—the cradle of wine civilization. There, working alongside traditional growers, she learned ancient techniques of maceration and natural winemaking that would forever alter her trajectory [^34^][^38^].
In 2020, Anaïs left nursing to become the third generation to tend her family's vines. Starting with just 80 ares (0.8 hectares) of Gewürztraminer and Auxerrois, she expanded in 2021 to include Pinot Noir, now farming approximately 1.6 hectares of scattered parcels around the village. Her degree in agricultural business management complements the hands-on knowledge gained in Georgian cellars [^34^][^35^][^40^].
Today, she makes wine in an intimate space beneath her uncle's house in the village—a true garage winery equipped with just a few vats, old barrels, and an aged press. The cellar's modesty belies the complexity of what emerges from it: pure, fragrant wines that announce her as "one of the brightest stars among a new wave of talent in Alsace" [^34^][^38^].
"Wine is made in the vineyard rather than in the winery"—organic and biodynamic farming with trees among the vines and Georgian-inspired maceration.
Anaïs farms organic and biodynamic, currently in the process of official certification (ECOCERT). She prepares herbal teas, decoctions, and plant macerates, uses biodynamic preparations 500 and 501, and treats the vines with essential oils, sulfur, and copper only in moderate, reflective quantities. Her commitment extends beyond the grapes: she plants trees among the vines and allows wild grasses and flowers to thrive year-round—practices uncommon in traditionally manicured Alsace [^35^][^38^].
In the cellar, her Georgian experience manifests in extended maceration techniques. She ferments exclusively with indigenous yeasts, adds no oenological inputs, and employs no fining or filtration. Sulfur is rarely used; when employed, it is minimal and added only after malolactic fermentation. Grapes are harvested by hand in small boxes to ensure pristine fruit enters the cellar [^35^][^41^].
Her approach is gentle, thoughtful, and practical—a nursing sensibility applied to winemaking. She seeks to preserve the essence and freshness of each variety through careful handling, allowing the distinct personalities of Gewürztraminer's spice, Pinot Noir's delicacy, and Auxerrois's body to express themselves without artifice [^38^][^51^].
Alsatian Soil
Ammerschwihr—clay and limestone soils in the Haut-Rhin, with 50-year-old vines planted across tiny parcels encircling the village.
Limestone
The vineyards sit on classic Alsatian clay and limestone soils, providing both water retention and drainage. This geological mix gives structure to the wines while preserving acidity, particularly important for Gewürztraminer's balance and Pinot Noir's freshness [^50^][^53^].
Year Vines
Vines reaching 50 years of age provide depth and concentration. These older plants, scattered across multiple tiny parcels surrounding Ammerschwihr, offer complex root systems and low yields that translate to profound, mineral-driven wines [^34^][^40^].
Among Vines
Deliberate biodiversity promotion through interplanted trees—a practice rare in Alsace where monoculture dominates. Combined with permanent ground cover of wild grasses and flowers, this creates a living ecosystem rather than a sterile vineyard [^34^][^38^].
From the Arabic-inspired "Costa Rawa" orange Gewürztraminer to the rosé "Pampa Rosa"—Alsatian varieties reimagined through Georgian techniques.
Costa Rawa
The flagship orange wine—"Costa Rawa" means "I love you" in Arabic. Gewürztraminer undergoes two weeks of skin maceration (whole bunches) followed by fermentation with indigenous yeasts and aging in stainless steel tanks for 10-11 months. No fining, filtration, or added sulfur. Deep amber with pronounced spice, rose petal, and tannic structure. A radical reimagining of Alsatian aromatic whites through the Georgian qvevri-inspired lens [^51^][^52^][^57^].
Habibi Cheri
"Habibi"—another Arabic term of endearment—destined for a different expression. Sourced from younger vines on clay and limestone, this sees only a 2-day maceration on skins before pressing to vats for one year. A hazy shade of gold with neat tannins framing notes of orange zest and delicate florals. Super easy drinking, bridging orange wine texture with white wine refreshment. No fining, filtration, or sulfur [^52^][^65^][^67^].
Pampa Rosa
Direct-pressed Pinot Noir from young vines planted over clay and limestone. Pressed directly to vats for one year of rest, producing a pale, vibrant rosé offering a trio of tart berries, blood orange, and spice. A slightly smoky reduction adds complexity to this refreshing pink. Made with zero additions, capturing the immediacy of the harvest. The name evokes the Argentine Pampas—vast grasslands reflecting the wild growth in her vineyards [^43^][^50^][^53^][^54^].
Disko Pino
100% Pinot Auxerrois from plots in the "ban d'Ammerschwihr" (village boundaries). Free-run juice fermented with indigenous yeasts, then 27 months in stainless steel vats on fine lees followed by 7 months in old barrels. Extended lees contact creates creamy texture and structure while preserving Auxerrois's inherent body and orchard fruit character. A patient wine requiring time to develop, bottled unfiltered [^41^][^56^][^61^][^63^].
Tutti Frutti Summer Love
An experimental cuvée pushing boundaries: destemmed Pinot Auxerrois grapes macerated for 5 days with Gewürztraminer skins on Pinot Noir lees. A true co-fermentation of white grape varieties with red lees, creating a wine with unique character—yellow fruit notes, textural complexity, and the aromatic lift of Gewürztraminer combined with Auxerrois body. Seasonal and limited, reflecting the playful "summer love" ethos [^69^].
Traditional Style
Beyond the skin-contact cuvées, Anaïs produces topped-up (ouillé) whites in the traditional Alsatian manner—though still through the lens of natural winemaking. These see direct pressing, stainless steel aging on lees, and no oxidative character, preserving the primary aromatics of Gewürztraminer while allowing the vineyard's limestone minerality to shine through. Fresh, vibrant, and nourishing [^34^][^70^].
Alsace Reimagined
Anaïs Fanti represents a new wave in Alsatian wine—one that bridges the region's Germanic technical precision with Georgian natural wine traditions. In a region dominated by cooperatives and centuries of oenological tradition, her arrival signals a shift: orange Gewürztraminer, extended lees-aged Auxerrois, and rosé Pinot Noir made with zero additions challenge conventions while respecting terroir [^34^][^38^].
Her nursing background manifests in a careful, attentive approach—gentle, thoughtful, practical. The cellar beneath her uncle's house may be one of the smallest in professional winemaking, but it produces wines of vibrancy and exceptional richness. By planting trees among the vines and allowing wild growth—practices viewed as chaotic in tidy Alsace—she builds resilience and character into her grapes. With only 1.6 hectares producing a few thousand bottles annually, these are wines of extreme scarcity, sought by natural wine bars in Paris, London, and New York [^34^][^35^][^42^].
- 3rd generation Alsatian vigneron
- Former nurse → career change at 30
- Georgian maceration techniques in Alsace
- Organic/biodynamic conversion (ECOCERT)
- Trees planted among vines (biodiversity)
- Garage cellar under uncle's house
- Arabic wine names (Costa Rawa, Habibi)
- Extended lees aging (Disko Pino: 34 months)
- Zero sulfur, unfined, unfiltered
- ~1.6 hectares, tiny production