Domaine Dietrich-Girardot

History of the Estate

How was your Estate founded? Who founded it? What motivated you?

Véronique and Denis Dietrich – We bought the Estate in 2003 when it then covered 14 acres and was up for sale. We were wine enthusiasts and often went hiking in Burgundy. We wanted to know what went on behind scenes and that gave us the necessary impetus to launch the Estate on 1st January 2004. 

What training do you have?

DD - We both have different professions. Véronique was an assistant nurse, and I worked as an agent for the SNCF railways. We did not know anything about making wine and had to learn it all from scratch. I did a distance learning viticulture course at the CFPPA (Adults professional training centre) in Beaune, Burgundy, whereas Véronique took a Farming vocational diploma (BPA) as part of her studies which allowed her to set up her own business.
For the practical side of things, we kept the previous wine producer’s worker on with us, he helped a lot. He knew the practical and technical side of things well and the aspects of the business we did not know we learnt by doing them with him. The three of us work well together.

Wine tourism services

What wine tourism services do you provide on the Estate?

DD - We organise tasting sessions for groups that go through Vic-sur-Seille and we show them around our cellars.

Projects

What future plans do you have for your Estate? 

DD - In terms of size, our Estate is just right for us. We would like to switch to oak barrels to go upmarket as our wine is currently only matured in vats. This would give our customers greater variety. We are also thinking about renovating a building to create further storage space for equipment and wine.

Current situation

What is your Estate’s surface area and geographic situation?
DD - Our 18.5 acres are situated in Vic-sur-Seille on one single plot called Ressoncôtes. The slopes are south-facing, and the soil is clay-limestone.
The village has a saying which is fitting for wine: “If you are up for a feast, best head for Vic.”

Could you tell us about your production? What sort of products do you sell on the Estate? How much do you produce, how many bottles?

CS - We produce 250 hectolitres, which represents 30,000 to 35,000 bottles a year. 
We produce white, red, and rosé wines, as well as “méthodes traditionnelles” wines, and 50% PDO and 50% Vin de France. Our main varieties are pinot noir and gamay for vinifying red and rosé wines; auxerrois, pinot gris and muller thurgau for vinifying white wines. The traditional method wines are made from pinot noir, pinot blanc and auxerrois.

Since the founding of the Estate and mainly since the PDO was created, we started working with an oenologist. This allows us to monitor and taste our wines on a regular basis and get opinions from others, which is always interesting and helps us to improve and learn. In 2013, we invested in high-performance vinification equipment which allows us to produce very good quality wines today. The equipment upgrade allows us to make the production process more efficient by taking less risks, which puts our minds to rest and allows us to get on with the rest of work.

How would you describe the three wines you have selected? 

DD - The first is a pinot noir from 2018. It is a powerful red wine with notes of red berries and blackberries, which goes well with cheese and red meats. It has a rich body and taste.

The second one is an auxerrois from 2018. This variety is a fine representative of Moselle wines. It is a dry white wine with notes of pears and citrus fruits. This year has been very good in terms of sunshine, which has resulted in a mature wine with a slight acidity, which goes well with starters, fish, and seafood.

The third one is a muller thurgau, which is a small vintage with notes of exotic fruits and grapefruit. It has a very pleasant slightly tangy taste and a roundness, which goes well with pre-dinner drinks, asparagus, fish and seafood.