We first met Jean-Marc and Claudine in February 2023, when our entire team was in France. One of the main highlights of our trip was attending the annual La Dive Bouteille in Namur, which now features an ever-growing number of side events. During the visit, we also had the chance to taste Les Vins SAINS.
We were truly impressed by the honesty and purity of Dreyer’s wines, especially his work with maceration. It immediately felt clear to us that this style would be a perfect fit for our portfolio.
After the tasting, we asked whether he would be interested in working with us and promised to visit again once his wines became available. We arranged the trip for November this year, and the photos below, taken by Ádám, capture moments from that visit. Touring the vineyard, tasting the wines in the cellar, discussing his ideas on viticulture, and deepening our understanding of his approach to winemaking was both a privilege and an unforgettable experience.
About 25 kilometers southwest of Strasbourg lies Rosheim, a lively town of around 5,000 residents. Despite its size, it boasts a hospital, a monastery, imposing medieval towers, and several buildings dating back to the 12th century. Its winding streets—lined with half-timbered houses and structures built from the region’s characteristic red sandstone—create a striking blend of past and present.
The winery itself is made up of several buildings arranged around a spacious courtyard, accessed through two विशाल wooden gates. The names “JM Dreyer” and the “AB” (Agriculture Biologique) logo displayed on the doors signal a clear commitment to 100% organic production. Inside the courtyard, countless doors open onto cellars, storage spaces, homes, offices, former stables, and sheds. Three generations of the family live here—and this is also where the wines are made.
Jean-Marc trained as a winemaker in Obernai and later worked nearby in Northalten with Patrick Meyer, one of the pioneers of natural winemaking in Alsace. Over the years, he built a strong network of like-minded friends and professionals in the region - winemakers who had little interest in competitions or 100-point scores. What mattered to them was the origin of the grapes and what was happening—or more importantly, not happening - n the cellar. Among them were Patrick Bouju, who had settled in Auvergne; Jean-Louis Pinto from near Limoux; and Raphaël Beysang from Beaujolais.
Shaped by these experiences, Jean-Marc gradually embraced a “zero-zero” philosophy - zero intervention in the cellar and zero added sulfur - and eventually began producing wines in this spirit himself.
Jean-Marc farms just over six hectares divided into 25 small parcels, all situated on the hills surrounding Rosheim. The soils are predominantly argilo-calcaire - a mix of clay and limestone. The northern edge of the village is crossed by the famous Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route, which runs directly through his Pinot Gris parcel. The scallop shell, symbol of St. James, is closely associated with the region; fossils of ancient scallops, some up to 50 million years old, are still frequently found in the limestone layers of Alsace.
The vineyards are certified biodynamic. In the cellar, Jean-Marc works without additives: there is no fining, no filtration, and no added sulfur. The estate began its transition to biodynamics in 2003, when the first preparations inspired by Rudolf Steiner were introduced. Although he chose not to pursue certification immediately, the winery has officially been part of the biodynamic community since 2014.
Rather than expanding, the family has focused for the past 15 years on nurturing and strengthening their existing vineyards, particularly the younger parcels. In their Pinot Gris plot, every third row is left unpruned, and trees and shrubs are planted wherever possible to break up monoculture and encourage biodiversity.
Annual production is around 20,000 bottles, approximately 70% of which are exported.
Most of Jean-Marc’s cuvées are skin-macerated expressions of classic Alsatian varieties. As he puts it, making flawless direct-press wines requires great technical precision - and since he modestly claims not to be that kind of winemaker, he prefers to focus on orange wines. The remark speaks to his humility, even though he is widely respected across Alsace and considered a role model by many.
Maceration periods are relatively short, usually six to ten days. Single-variety wines from the same vintage are released under the Origin series. Aging typically takes place in old oak - large traditional Alsatian foudres - or in other sizable, neutral barrels; barriques are used only rarely.
There is something distinctly Zen in Jean-Marc’s philosophy: “The winemaker should never confuse what he needs with what the wine needs,” he says. “Focus on the vineyard and respect the rhythm of the harvest. The most important intervention a winemaker can make is to bring in the most beautiful fruit at precisely the right moment.”
Time and patience are his greatest allies. This is especially true in winter, when fermentations may slow, stop, restart, and eventually settle. Some wines take an even less straightforward path, beginning to ferment again in spring. Any reduction or volatile acidity that appears is given time to integrate, gradually becoming part of the wine’s character and helping it reveal its true expression.
Ultimately, these wines are defined by the depth of their biodynamically grown fruit, the singular character of their terroir, and the dynamic interplay of life and energy that runs through them.
