Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The castle of Ollwiller, located on the municipal bench of Wuenheim at the foot of the Hartmannswillerkopf, is mentioned since 1180 as well from the Cistercian Abbey of Place Crescent. The monks cultivated the vineyard in the 13th century. In 1260, the Waldner family of Freundstein built a fortified castle with moat, under the suzerainety of the bishop of Strasbourg, provided that a garrison was housed there in time of war. The estate was ravaged by wars, including the Rustauds and the Thirty Years' War.

In the 18th century, Count Christian Frédéric Dagobert of Waldner de Freundstein, lieutenant general of the king, razed the medieval fortress to build an elegant castle with French gardens. The estate welcomes personalities like Louis XV. In 1825 it was sold to industrialist Jacques Gabriel Gros, who renovated it and installed a departmental farm-school (1849-1853). His heirs, including Aimé Gros-Schlumberger, modernized the estate until World War I.

During the 1914-1918 war, the castle was requisitioned and destroyed in 1915 by mortar fire. After the Armistice, Henry Gros-Bourcart, heir and agronomist engineer, rebuilt the estate and revived the viticulture. In 1959, the castle joined the cellar of the Old Armand. In 2011, a fire ravaged its oldest part. Since 2020, it belongs to the Mack family, founder of Europa-Park, which is considering a new development for its vineyard.

The terroir of Ollwiller, classified as a grand cru in 1983, is based on limestone marls and sandstones. The castle is one of only two in Alsace to produce wine under the name "Château", notably a famous black pinot. Its history links architectural heritage, military conflicts and Alsatian wine tradition.

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