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French Wine Scholar > Alsace > Flashcards

Alsace Flashcards

1
Q

How do Alsatian wine bottles reflect the unique French and German history of Alsace

A

Long tapered flute bottle traditional and common to Alsace and Germany, wines labeled in Germanic tradition of varietal labeling, for decades only region in France that could legally grow Reisling

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2
Q

Where is Alsace located?

A

Northeast corner of France along German border, one of France’s most Northerly wine regions, 75 miles long and 3 miles wide (between 47th and 49th parallel)

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3
Q

What is the climate of Alsace?

A

Continental climate (summers are hot, winters cold- summers generally sunny), considerable seasonal and diurnal temperature swings - cool nights help preserve the grape’s natural acidity

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4
Q

How does Alsace’s geography affect its climate?

A

Alsace protected from Atlantic influences by the Vosges Mountains (high enough to block rain-laden clouds), receives some of lowest rainfall in France. “mountain effect” makes Alsace sunny, hot, and dry

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5
Q

Where are most of the vineyards of Alsace planted

A

Most vineyards planted on the slopes of the Vosges mountains from 660-1320 ft, face south or southeast

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6
Q

What are the seasons like in Alsace?

A

Spring: Mild and often accompanied by frosts which can severely reduce potential crop, vines on plains trained high to mitigate frost
Summer: Warm, dry, sunny with sporadic thunderstorms and hail; drought can be serious problem; vines on slopes trained closer to ground to maximize heat and reflected sunlight
Autumn: Marked by humidity, enables noble rot ot develop
Winter: Cold, throws vine into true dormancy, important for some vines (ex riesling)

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7
Q

Where is the Alsace region located geologically?

A

Alsace lies in Rhine graben

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8
Q

What is a graben?

A

A grave like trench, this one includes Alsace on one uplift and region of Baden, Germany on other, Rhine runs through geological depression

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9
Q

How did earth movement and erosion impact the wines in Alsace

A

They created a complex network of soils found in Alsace, diversity in soil types within Alsace are the reason for the diversity in grapes varieties

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10
Q

Where are the best soils found in Alsace?

A

Found on slopes of the Vosges hills

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11
Q

How many major soil types are there in Alsace and what are they?

A

There are 13 major soil types- volcanic elements, granite, gneiss, schist, sandstone, limestone, marl, sand, loess, and loam

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12
Q

What are the primary grapes of Alsace?

A

Riesling, Pinot Blanc - aka Pinot Vrai or Klevner (largely used in cremant), Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Sylvaner, Muscat a Petits Grains Blanc, Muscat Ottenel

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13
Q

What are the secondary grapes of Alsace?

A

Chardonnay (only for cremant), Chasselas, Auxerrois Blanc, Klevener de Heilgenstein (non-aromatic Savagnin Rose)

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14
Q

What is Klevner vs. Klevener?

A

Klevner is another name for Pinot Blanc and Klevener is the non-aromatic version of Savagnin Rose

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15
Q

What percent of Alsatian wine is varietal and what percent of the wine must be the variety to be varietally labeled?

A

80% of Alsatian wine is varietal, varietal wines must have 100% of the variety listed

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16
Q

What are the four types of blended wines in Alsace and what percent of Alsatian wine do they make up?

A

Gentil: must contain at least 50% of “noble” grape varieties, each must be vinified separately, finished product must undergo tasting panel approval and vintage must appear on label
Edelzwicker: Blend of any white grapes approved for Alsace AOC, can be vinified together or separate
Field Blends: co-planted varieties picked and fermented together, “wines of terroir” by producer Jean-Michel Deiss
Cremants: Most cremants are blends
Blends make up 80% of production

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17
Q

How many wines do most wine makers in Alsace produce?

A

Even small producers make 6-8, larger producers can make twice as many

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18
Q

What percent of Alsatian wine is white?

A

90%

19
Q

What percent of Alsatian wine is consumed in France

A

75%, remainder is exported

20
Q

What is the historic wine style of Alsace? What has changed recently?

A

Historically, wines of Alsace have been fermented to dryness. Recently, global warming has resulted in riper grapes/ higher sugar levels (very little need to chaptalize), resulting in fermentations that stop before all the grapes are converted into alcohol, some producers even purposefully leaving residual sugar

21
Q

What is the maximum residual sugar level for Riesling? When was this established? What are the exceptions? What about other varieties?

A

.9% in 2008, excludes Grand Cru and lieu-dit. Currently no other laws governing residual sugar in other varieties in Alsace

22
Q

How are most Alsatian wines fermented?

A

In stainless steel or large neutral oak casks

23
Q

What style of red wine does Alsace make? Why?

A

Alsace’s northerly location makes it difficult to achieve good pigment in Pinot Noirs, historically have been ‘almost red’, but this is changing with warmer temps seeing deeper pigmentation

24
Q

Where does Cremant d’Alsace rank in terms of popularity?

A

One of the most popular sparkling AOC wines consumed within France, production is on the rise

25
Q

How must Cremant d’Alsace wines be produced by law?

A

Grapes are hand-picked and white grapes must be whole cluster pressed. Roses made exclusively by Pinot Noir- made via saignee or maceration, must age at least 9 months sur lie, can’t be released less than one year after tirage/bottling

26
Q

Vendanges Tardives

A

Late harvest wines made from Riesling, Pinot Gris, Muscat or Gewurztraminer; considerable residual sugar; fermentation terminates naturally when yeast dies

27
Q

Selections de Grains Nobles

A

Late harvest wines made from Riesling, Pinot Gris, Muscat, or Gewurztraminer affected by noble rot; grapes hand picked berry by berry in multiple passes through vineyard

28
Q

When was the regional Alsace AOC established?

A

Written in 1945, implemented in 1962

29
Q

When did the Grand Crus and Cremant d’Alsace get AOC status?

A

Grand Crus began receiving AOC status in 1975, Cremant d’Alsace given AOC status in 1976

30
Q

What happened with the Alsace appelations in 2011?

A

Alsace AOC given two subcategories: Communal and lieux-dit, each of 51 Grand Crus given independent AOC status (total AOCs 53); no IGP or Vin sans IG in Alsace

31
Q

Where can Alsace AOC grapes hail from? What kind of wine do most producers make?

A

They can hail from any vineyard in Alsace, most producers estate-bottle but there are also many cooperatives

32
Q

What is the purpose of Alsace Communal AOCs and how many communes are there?

A

The designation recognizes heightened character, quality standards higher and communal name cna be added to label- there are 13 communes (subcategory of Alsace AOC)

33
Q

What is an Alsace Lieu-Dit

A

A subcategory of Alsace AOC, lieu-dit is name given to plot of land or vineyard, have to meet stringent production standards, standards higher than those for communal appellations

34
Q

Alsace Grand Cru AOCs

A

Need to be grown on Grand Cru vineyard site, only 51 vineyard sites recognized as Grand Cru for their extraordinary terroir (4% of Alsatian wine produced)

35
Q

What grapes are permitted to be grown in Alsace Grand Crus

A

white wine only - Riesling, Pinot Gris, Muscat or Gewurztraminer, Sylvaner permitted in Zotzenberg grand cru only; most are single variety

36
Q

What is unique about Alsace Grand Cru Altenberg de Bergheim

A

May be single variety of Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, or Riesling or may be a blend. If blend must be between 50-70% Riesling, 10-25% Gewurztraminer and/or Pino Gris, 10% of other vines planted before 2005

37
Q

What is unique about Alsace Grand Cru Kaefferkopf?

A

May be varietal Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Riesling or blend; Blend can be 60-80% Gewurztraminer, 10-40% Riesling, no more than 30% Pinot Gris

38
Q

What percent of production are each of the AOCs?

A

Alsace AOC - 73%, Cremant d’Alsace AOC - 23%, Grand Cru AOCs - 4%

39
Q

What is Cremant d’Alsace primarily vinified from?

A

Pinot Blanc

40
Q

What is unique about Alsace viticulture practices? Why?

A

Stronghold for organic and biodynamic growers, location of France’s first biodynamic estate- good location for this because dry/sunny climate reduces need for chemicals ; region has collective compost piles; frequent use of plow and grass grows between rows of vines

41
Q

When is the harvest in Alsace?

A

Begins in September and ends in November due to range of grape varieties and styles

42
Q

What is Alsace’s max approved yield

A

4.8 tons/acre, highest in France, but quality conscious growers cap closer to 3

43
Q

When are Alsatian wines meant to be consumed?

A

Most between 6mo to 5 yrs after release

44
Q

What is the cuisine of Alsace?

A

Heavy and rich with robust flavors

and colorful Germanic names- good match for well structured whites of Alsace

French Wine Scholar (12 decks)

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