Alsace Flashcards
How do Alsatian wine bottles reflect the unique French and German history of Alsace
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
Where is Alsace located?
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)
What is the climate of Alsace?
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
How does Alsace’s geography affect its climate?
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
Where are most of the vineyards of Alsace planted
Most vineyards planted on the slopes of the Vosges mountains from 660-1320 ft, face south or southeast
What are the seasons like in Alsace?
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)
Where is the Alsace region located geologically?
Alsace lies in Rhine graben
What is a graben?
A grave like trench, this one includes Alsace on one uplift and region of Baden, Germany on other, Rhine runs through geological depression
How did earth movement and erosion impact the wines in Alsace
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
Where are the best soils found in Alsace?
Found on slopes of the Vosges hills
How many major soil types are there in Alsace and what are they?
There are 13 major soil types- volcanic elements, granite, gneiss, schist, sandstone, limestone, marl, sand, loess, and loam
What are the primary grapes of Alsace?
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
What are the secondary grapes of Alsace?
Chardonnay (only for cremant), Chasselas, Auxerrois Blanc, Klevener de Heilgenstein (non-aromatic Savagnin Rose)
What is Klevner vs. Klevener?
Klevner is another name for Pinot Blanc and Klevener is the non-aromatic version of Savagnin Rose
What percent of Alsatian wine is varietal and what percent of the wine must be the variety to be varietally labeled?
80% of Alsatian wine is varietal, varietal wines must have 100% of the variety listed
What are the four types of blended wines in Alsace and what percent of Alsatian wine do they make up?
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
How many wines do most wine makers in Alsace produce?
Even small producers make 6-8, larger producers can make twice as many
