We met Emilien Revers at Francois Saint-lo’s place. he fitted right in with diy punk this of the collective there. But Emilien is not situated in the commune of Berrie - he is from Alsace and is one of the new wave of brilliant winemakers in the region. Most winemakers in Alsace are from the region and usually part of a winemaking family with a long history there. Emilien had to forge a different path, working in restaurants in the region, falling for the wines here and choosing to study vinification. He was in the same class here as his good friend Lambert Spielmann, another winemaker who has had to force his way into the region.

On our visit to see Emilien a small stereo was kicking out the kind of uk punk bands he grew up on, when his parents would take him to punk all-dayers in the UK! His cellar is on an organic market garden in the south of Alsace, a simple room on a farm that he rents for a good rate from a friend of his. Inside, it's full of barrels, in this space not the traditional Alsatian foudre, but smaller 500l burgundy barrels.

Tasting through these barrels, Emilien's talent for vinification is clear, the wines are pure, rounded and precise with their one distinct identity. He started off buying fruit from friends in the region but has now taken on 1.8 hectares of his own, the first fruit of which we will see in the 2021 vintage.

He has a deep knowledge of fermentation, producing delicious wines, but also beer and experimenting with mead too.

He favours gentle macerations - or infusions of fruit in direct press juice, bringing forth wines that are rounded, soft and elegant. All of the wines are made without additions, but can stay open for hours with no issues. As you might expect, everything is made in tiny quantities!