Discover the origins of our domain's coat of arms
Why the famous frog?
It's a question that's frequently asked by people passing through the estate or who come across it at shows and fairs.
A cultural fact...
The frog has been the distinctive nickname of the inhabitants of Herrlisheim since the Middle Ages.
According to the archives, the vast meadows that once surrounded the village were often submerged by the waters of the Lauch, a river that meanders through the locality, creating marshes that were ideal for a multitude of leaping and swimming amphibians. During the summer months, these amphibians enlivened the air with their amorous songs, punctuated by deafening croaks.
... the origin of our estate's logo
When our grandfather founded the estate, he naturally chose the village emblem to adorn our bottle labels.
In Alsace, instead of focusing on the châteaux on the visuals, the emphasis is often on the vines, the grape variety, with a recognisable representation of the place, as appeared on our first labels in the 70s and 80s.
That's why the first labels in the 70s and 80s looked like this:
Why is our frog wearing a crown?
When Sylvain took over the reins in the 90s, he changed the logo. To give it a more modern design in line with the evolution of the philosophy and the emergence of the importance of soil preparation, ushering in a new era.
3 or 5 branches or attention to detail
In Alsatian dialect, Hertzog means "the Duke" (you'll understand why we have a Duc d'Ober range). Historically, the Duke wears a crown with 3 branches, while the King, in the upper position, wears 5.
Naturally, the frog was crowned, in reference to the estate's family name, resulting in the most recent version on all our labels.
To conclude, a touch of poetry
What's the link between grapes and frogs? Rest assured, our wines contain no frogs, toads or slime!
Let's take a poetic view: from the initial stage of a flower that becomes fruit, then pressed and transformed into wine at its final stage. At the same time, the frog, initially a tadpole, evolves into a newt before taking on its final form.
What other animal could better symbolise these multiple metamorphoses? Discover all our wines proudly bearing our beloved frog here