In 1894, our great-great-grand-father, Jacob Otto, acquires the house of the Fontenettes 2 in Auvernier and begins his activities of white cooperage (preparation of seilles and bowls of wine) in 1897. The winery will be founded a while later, in 1923, by Ernest Isenschmid (our great-grand-father), oak barrel maker of profession. Today, this house welcomes our wine tasting room in an atmosphere at the closest to our passion, wines.
In 1920, Albert Mühlematter (our other great-grandfather), wine grower, working for other wine makers in the Neuchâtel region, acquires his first vineyard. Nearly in paralel, in 1923, Ernest Isenschmid 1st, barrel maker, buys some land and establishes his winery in the center of the Auvernier village.
In 1944, Albert Mühlematter opens his own winery and creates his first label. As a visionary, he acquires in 1945 his first tractor, synonym of modernity. In 1946, to avoid the transport of the harvest of grape at other wine makers, he installs a vertical press in his cellar and improves radically the quality of his wines.
1954 will remain as one milestone in the expansion of the winery with the building of a cellar on the "Route de Brena 23", in the middle of the vineyard of Auvernier. In 1962, always in a spirit of modernity, a new horizontal press facilitates the handling and pressing of the grapes during the harvesting.
In 1964, after the death of Ernest Isenschmid 1st, his son, whose first name was also Ernest, repatriates the winery of Fontenettes 2 in the main house at the "Route de Brena".
In 1975, further to the death of Albert Mühlematter, Ernest and Jacqueline Isenschmid (our grand-parents) merge both wineries into a single one.
