Women of Pinot Series: Marie Zusslin of Domaine Valentin Zusslin
On July 26th, Ponzi Vineyards will host a very special Women of Pinot dinner celebrating women winemakers. Six women winemakers from Oregon, Alsace, New Zealand and California will come together for an incredible night of food and wine. It’s a rare event to have so much talent in one room! In addition to an expertly paired multi-course meal, guests will have the opportunity to taste more than a dozen wines and hear how they are made from the people who crafted them. Join us at one of Oregon’s founding wineries, set in the stunning Chehalem Mountains of the Willamette Valley.
Only 3 seats remain! Get your tickets now on our website or by contacting events@ponzivineyards.com.
One of the featured winemakers at the dinner is Marie Zusslin of Domaine Valentin Zusslin in the northeastern community of Orschwihr, France. Established in 1691, Domaine Valentin Zusslin has been successively operated, uninterrupted, for 13 generations. More than 300 years from its founding, it is now operated by siblings Marie and Jean Paul Zusslin, who have managed the company since 2000.
In 1997, the domaine converted to biodynamic viticulture. Much of the work is done by hand both in the vineyard and in the cellar to allow the grapes to fully express the unique terroirs of the region. During harvest, fruit is placed in traditional wooden tubs or small crates to avoid bruising. Immediately after, the clusters are slowly and gently pressed for several hours, producing a must (the expressed juice of the grapes) of very high quality. The juice is transferred to tanks using gravity and fermentation occurs naturally using indigenous yeasts. The wines then age in traditional large oak casks from the Alsace Vosges mountains, which are oval in shape to ensure smooth maturation of each cuvee.
This gentle handling of the grapes and the wine is very similar to the methods used at Ponzi Vineyards and yields elegant, expressive and nuanced wine.
Zusslin only releases wine when they are ready for immediate consumption or for additional cellaring. Some wines produced by Domaine Valentin Zusslin are 100% natural, with no added sulfites.
Her winemaking philosophy is to respect nature, the environment, the seasons and the natural process of winemaking. This approach creates beautiful wines full of vitality.
To meet Zusslin and sample her wine, please join us for our Women of Pinot dinner on July 26th. Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind opportunity to meet winemakers from around the world in a fun, intimate setting.
Only 3 tickets remain.
Meet all the featured winemakers in our Women of Pinot series:
- Anna Maria and Luisa Ponzi of Ponzi Vineyards
- Marie Zusslin of Domaine Valentin Zusslin
- Katherine Jacobs of Big Sky Wines
- Isabelle Meunier of Lavinea Wines
- Simone Sequeira of La Follette Wines