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Alsace
Alsace produces excellent dry and sweet white wines. They are so typical that the grape varieties used there only grow in Alsace and nowhere else.
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Location: |
North East of France, between the Vosges and the Rhine river |
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Size: |
190 km long and 50 km wide smallest region in France |
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Size of the vineyards: |
15,000 hectares |
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Grapes in Alsace: |
Riesling (23% of Alsace wines)
Pinot Blanc (20%)
Gewurztraminer (18%)
Tokay Pinot Gris (13%)
Sylvaner (12%) |
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Production: |
165 million bottles
90%+ of Alsace wines are white |
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Type of Wine: |
Refreshing dry and sweet white wine |
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Alsace wine and food: |
Sauerkraut |
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Riesling. Riesling is the most elegant grape of the Alsace region. It gives dry, neat, graceful and well-balanced wine. Riesling is known to be the finest Alsace wine. Riesling is brilliant with fish, shell-fish, poultry, cold meat and famous Alsatian dishes such as sauerkraut or smoked ham. Do not confuse with German Riesling which is a sweet wine.
Gewurztraminer. Gewurztraminer is the most typical Alsatian wine. Gewûrz means "spicy" in german. It is the main characteristic of the Gewurztraminer. Traminer means "coming from Tramin", a small city in south Tyrol of Austria where the grape comes from. The wine is delicious, fruity and with strong aromas, and a very perfumed and flowery bouquet. Gewurztraminer is sweeter than Riesling, which is a dry wine. It ages well and goes well with sausages, curries, Chinese and Mexican foods and other spiced dishes. A Gewurztraminer can even be served as a dessert wine.
Pinot Blanc. Pinot Blanc is less aromatic than other white wines in Alsace. However, it achieves a great balance between softness and freshness which results in it being the lightest wine made in Alsace. Pinot Blanc grape is often combined with Klevner and Auxerrois grapes which give a more Alsatian flavour to the wine.
Tokay Pinot Gris. The name of this wine is still a mystery. Tokay from Alsace is made 100% from Pinot Gris grape variety which comes from Alsace or Burgundy. Pinot Gris is a full-body white wine that is so rich and round it can even replace red wine with a red meat dish! However, white meat is generally recommended with Tokay Pinot Gris. At its best, it can be served with Foie Gras!
Sylvaner. Sylvaner comes originally from Austria and was introduced to Alsace in the 1800s. It is a pleasant, fresh, fruity and dry wine and is better young served as an aperitif or with fish.
Crémant d'Alsace. A sparkling wine made the same way as Champagne with Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Riesling or Chardonnay.
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