By Adriana Krstik
Perhaps you know that Virginie Baur makes delicious, freshly baked sourdough bread or that she’s an energetic regatta operations mom at Row America Rye, where both her sons rowed for several years.
But what you may not know is that Baur, a longtime Rye resident, comes from a ninth generation of wine makers in Alsace and that she is director of marketing and exports for the family’s business, Domaine Francois Baur.
While studying hospitality and marketing in her native France, Baur planned to take over the family’s bed and breakfast in Turckheim. She traveled to the U.S. as a 20-year-old student and fell in love with the country. Baur completed Christies’ wine department internship in Los Angeles and later got a job in wine sales at Frederick Wildman, a New York wine wholesaler and importer. That’s where she met her husband, John, who also is a wine professional. They moved to Rye with their young sons, drawn by the good schools and community. Frederick Wildman is still the importer of Baur’s family wines.
The iconic Balthazar restaurant in Manhattan serves Domaine Francois Baur’s Crémant d’Alsace, which Baur sold them on 20 years ago. This sparkling wine is made in the traditional champagne method, with notes of crisp citrus, green apple, and delicate florals.
Baur said working with her family long distance is no problem, but she sometimes misses out on the fun, like barrel tasting the newly made wine. She travels to Alsace every summer and helps at the vineyard during grape picking.
Baur’s family has been farming the land in the Alsace region of France since 1741, moving at the turn of the 20th century from selling their grapes to wine productionat the family’s estate.
Baur’s brother, Thomas, is the domaine’s current winemaker and his son Gaspard, who is 15, will take over the family business as the 10th generation vigneron in the future. This tradition in Alsace runs as deep as the roots of its oldest vines.
Domaine Francois Baur vineyards cover approximately 31 acres across diverse soils that include granite, clay, limestone, and sand, producing grapes with distinct flavors and texture. Since 1988, the estate has been certified organic and in 2001 was certified biodynamic.
That means that no pesticides or synthetic fertilizers are used and the natural environment around the vines has been optimized for the maximum health of the plants.
The estate produces still wines like riesling, pinot blanc, pinot gris and a sparkling wine called Crémant d’Alsace, as well as fruit and grape skin brandies (Eaux-de-vie).
In the 1970s Francois Baur planted pinot noir on their prized south-east exposed vineyard plot named Brand, which in German means fire. White wines from this perfect terroir are classified as one of the 51 Grand Crus of Alsace, the highest classification for wines in France. Located in the heart of the medieval city of Turckheim, the domaine’s cellars are filled with barriques (225 liter oak casks) as well as century old foudres (large vats from 1,000-30,000 liters) used for wine aging.
Baur enjoys spreading the love of Alsace wines in New York and New Jersey with sales team training and in-store tastings, and by educating customers.
Her favorite Alsatian dish pairing for her family’s wines is tarte flambée with fresh cream, onion, and smoked bacon. It is a traditional, thin-crust flatbread with a variety of toppings like mushrooms, Gruyère cheese, or even sweet versions with apples.
You can buy the Baur family wines at the Post Road wine store.
Santé!
Adriana Krstic is a CMS certified sommelier and an AweSommwine consultant.
