The Alsace has a special microclimate which is ideal for growing grapes. Located in northeast of France, on the slopes of the Vosges it provides protection against the cool climate and the rain from the west. In addition, the Alsace has a specific composition of the soil of granite, limestone, slate and sandstone. This gives the wines a diverse character. Alsace produces mostly white wines and has lovers all over the world. The wine region stretches out over a length of 150 km and up to 5 km wide.

From Strasbourg till the village Selestat you will find the vineyards in the Bas-Rhin region. Here the wines are tighter, drier and less odorous. Downwards from Selestat to Mulhouse is the Haut-Rhin. The most famous wine villages of the Alsace are Riquewhir, Ribeauville, Wintzenheim, Bennwihr, Turckheim and Bergheim. The wines of the Haut-Rhin have a larger natural maturity that gives the wines a more friendly character. You’ll find the best vineyards at an altitude of 200 till 350 meters and situated at the southeastern and southern slopes. Alsace wines are so called consumer-friendly wines, namely because you can read the grape variety on the bottle.

Grape varieties
A wine from the Alsace is mainly made from one grape variety. There are four best grapes: Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer and Muscat. Only these grapes are allowed for the Grand Crus of Alsace. Only Alsace wines are named after the grape and not after the villages or areas.

The Riesling grape is the most acidic one. Unlike most white wines, the Riesling needs a few years to mature and then it develops its characteristic mineral smell, like the fuel air (le goût de petrol). Because of the acids, the wine can also become quite old. An excellent wine / food combination is Riesling with sauerkraut or a chicken in Riesling wine.

Pinot Gris has a typical fruity aroma and a warm honey-like flavor. The full-bodied Pinot Gris makes it a good companion for fish in a spicy sauce, poultry and local cheese called Récollets.

The Gewürztraminer is the so called ‘perfume wine’. This wine has lots of sugar and alcohol and is clearly recognisable by the scent of rosewater and lychee. The wine / food combination with the Gewürztraminer is paté, Munster cheese, roasted white meat and fruit cake.

The Muscat grape is the most fragrant and smells much nicer than Gewürztraminer. Not that cumin-like smelly scent of Gewürztraminer. The Muscat is a delicious aperitif, but also a perfect companion with pastry.

Appellation Alsace contrôllee
1. Alsace; base wine for all ‘ordinary’ vineyards.
2. Alsace Grand Cru; the better vineyards. Famous Grand Cru areas are: Hengst, Spiegel, Kaefferkopf, Sonnenglanz, Zahnacker, Kirchberg, Schoenenbourg, Schlossberg, Sporen and Brand.
3. Crémant Alsace, a sparkling version of Alsace wine made according to the traditional method (second fermentation in the bottle). The common used grapes are the Riesling, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc. The minimum aging period is nine months.

Vendanges Tardive Alsace
Is a white wine made from a late harvest, very ripe grapes (gewürztraminer, riesling, pinot gris and sometimes muscat). Similar to the German Spätlese or Auslese. The wine can be both sweet and dry. This again is not mentioned on the label so you need to inform in advance.

Sélection de grains nobles
Alsase wines are always sweet wines like the Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese from Germany. Again, they are harvested late, very ripe grapes affected by ‘pourriture noble’ (noble rot).

Chaptalisation; add sugar to increase the alcohol content, is not allowed with late harvest grapes and with the Grand Crus of Alsace.