Our ancestors, the Moon Chasers, were brave and tenacious people who wanted to tread untrodden paths… They needed courage and tenacity to constantly rebuild walls and vineyards after the successive destructions caused by war in Alsace.
The dreadful winter of 1944 illustrates this. After the fierce fighting that took place during the Second World War, the villages of Alsace had been razed to the ground. And even before they rebuilt their homes, the winegrowers from these annihilated villages decided to build a winery, then to work as a cooperative to vinify and sell their output together. An ambitious challenge.
“They call us the Moon Chasers, and that makes us proud. We're proud of our villages, and their traditions of audacity and liberty. Above all we're proud of our ancestors, who elevated the wines of Alsace to the level of excellence we inherited. Moon Chasers? Now more than ever.”
René Amann, Winemaker and President of the Bennwihr winery, 1984 to 1995
People who like a challenge. People who constantly work to make impossible dreams come true. Throughout the history of their cooperative, Bestheim’s winegrowers have proved themselves to be true Moon Chasers. A little rebellious, a little stubborn, it’s true. But always striving to excel themselves.
“They say that we dream of catching the moon. But our feet are nonetheless firmly on the ground. On the ground that we tread and cultivate every day. On our Alsace hillsides, bathed in sunlight, which give us these direct, fragrant and elegant wines… We have already found the Moon Chasers’ gold…”
Eugène Wagner, President of the winery from 1966 to 1983
