In 2014, a young carpenter-turned-sommelier named Jérôme François moved into his great-uncle Charles's barn in Ostheim, Alsace, and took over a handful of vine rows his grandfather had once tended for research and personal use. What began as a half-hectare experiment has grown into one of Alsace's most sought-after natural estates, now encompassing five hectares spread across eight villages — Ammerschwihr, Zellenberg, Rodern, Kaysersberg, Riquewihr, Saint-Hippolyte, Bennwihr, and Ribeauvillé — and bottled entirely as Vin de France after the appellation authority rejected their unconventional approach.
Backstory
Jérôme started La Grange de l'Oncle Charles after training as a carpenter and turning his attention to the vine. In 2017, his longtime friend Morgane Stoquert joined the project as a full partner, bringing additional expertise to both the vineyard and the cellar. The decision to declassify to Vin de France in 2021 was driven by the AOP system's resistance to field blends and natural winemaking practices — a compromise the pair accepted willingly in exchange for complete creative freedom.
The Region
Alsace sits in northeastern France along the Rhine, shielded from Atlantic rain by the Vosges mountains and blessed with one of France's sunniest, driest climates. The parcels farmed by La Grange de l'Oncle Charles span diverse terroirs: granite and yellow sandstone in some villages, clay, sandstone, and limestone in others — giving the wines a mineral complexity that shifts from cuvée to cuvée.
Vineyards and Farming
La Grange de l'Oncle Charles practices biodynamics without any compromise, Jérôme and Morgane together. All soil work is done by hand and with two draft horses, Sirus and Fastoche, who plow the rows between vines. A flock of Black Ouessant sheep keeps ground cover in check and contributes natural fertilization. Vines are treated only with plant decoctions and medicinal herbs. Yields average just 25 hl/ha across mixed plantings of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Auxerrois, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Muscat, Sylvaner, and Chasselas — all grown together in traditional complantation and harvested as field blends. Total annual production is around 20,000 bottles.
Winemaking
La Grange de l'Oncle Charles fermentation proceeds with wild yeasts only, and wines are aged on lees for one year in barriques. Nothing is fined or filtered. Free SO2 is kept at zero; total SO2 sits around 20 mg/L. The result is a set of wines that defy easy Alsatian categorization — at once aromatic and tense, textural and precise.
The Wines
The La Grange de l'Oncle Charles portfolio includes Mille Lieux (the main cuvée, approximately 10,000 bottles), Chemin d'à Côté, Montagne du Scarabée, La Belle Colline, La Danse des Corbeaux, and Lumière d'Été. All carry the Vin de France designation. Quantities are extremely limited, and many wines have found placements in some of the world's most celebrated restaurants.
