Alsace

Question 1

Climate

Grape varietal

Answer 1

Cool to moderate continental

Riesling

Pinot Gris

Gewurztraminer

Muscat

(Pinot Noir (Red)

Pinot Blanc (used for sparkling)

Auxerrois

Sylvaner)

Question 2

Generally speaking, what are the most common styles of wine made in Alsace?

Answer 2

Predominantly white wines made from aromatic or semi-aromatic grapes in dry, off-dry, and sweet styles.

Question 3

Besides still white wines, what other still styles of wine are made in Alsace?

Answer 3

Red + rosé wines

The reds are light + fruity in style – nothing like Burgundy.

Question 4

What is the sole black grape allowed to be planted in Alsace?

Answer 4

Pinot Noir

Question 5

The Alsace’s ___ boundary is ___ that creates a ___?

The ___ boundary for Alsace is the ___, which is the natural boundary with___.

Answer 5

western

Vosges mountains

rainshadow effect

eastern

Rhine River

Germany

Question 6

The top vineyards of Alsace are on ___ facing___ in order to get ___.

Answer 6

steep slopes

east and southeast

Gentler morning sun

Question 7

The majority of grapes that go into ___ come from the ___, located between the ___ and the, rather than the prized hillsides or slopes.

Answer 7

Crémant d’Alsace

alluvial plains

Vosges foothills

Rhine

Question 8

What factor contributes to the broad range of wine styles in Alsace?

Answer 8

The geological complexity of the soils

Soils found in Alsace include:

Hillsides - granite, limestone, sandstone, clay, loam, volcanic

Valley floor - alluvial

Question 9

Alsace is the ___, ___ and ___ region in France.

Answer 9

Smallest, driest, sunniest

Question 10

The dry and sunny climate in Alsace means that vine disease pressure there is:

Low

High

What viticultural practices are widely used?

Answer 10

Low

Organic and biodynamic farming/viticulture.

Question 11

Vines planted on slopes are ___ harvested and trained ___ to take advantage of ___.

Answer 11

hand

low to the ground

heat radiating off the ground

Question 12

Vines planted on the alluvial plains is ___ harvested and trained ___ to ___.

Answer 12

machine

high above the ground

mitigate frost

Question 13

Harvest in Alsace usually starts when and ends when?

Answer 13

Mid-September - November

(sometimes will end in December)

Question 14

What are the 4 noble grapes of Alsace?

___ is the most widely planted and the ___ to ripen in Alsace.

These 4 grape varietals are the only ones allowed to go into ___, ___ and ___wines.

Answer 14

Riesling

Pinot Gris

Gewurztraminer

Muscat

Riesling

last

Grand Cru, VT, SGN

Question 15

Most wines in Alsace are bottled as:

single varietals

blends

Answer 15

Single verietals

Question 16

What are the two terms used in Alsace on bottles of inexpensive white blends?

Answer 16

Edelzwicker

Gentil

Question 17

What is the fermentation vessel used by traditional wine producers in Alsace?

Answer 17

Large, old oak barrels

These old barrels have a thick layer of tartrate crystal deposits inside of them, preventing the wood from imparting any influence on the wine.

Question 18

In Alsace, modern producers won’t use the traditional, large, old oak barrels. They’ll use ___ , which make it easier to ___.

Answer 18

Stainless steel tanks

control fermentation temperatures

Question 19

In Alsace, ___ fermentation is usually blocked for most aromatic white grapes.

Because the___ effects and ___ aromas would ___ the purity of fruit flavors in these aromatic varietals.

Answer 19

malolactic

softening

buttery

mask

Question 20

What are 2 classifications that can be used by Alsace AOP and Alsace Grand Cru AOP wines?

Answer 20

Vendanges Tardives

Sélection de Grains Nobles

Question 21

Vendange Tardive (VT)

1which grape

2Sweetness

3Grapes for the best wines will have undergone ___.

4Botrytis

5Alsace or Alsace Grand Cru

Answer 21

Vendange Tardive (VT): “Late Harvest”

1Made only from the four noble varieties.

2May be dry, off-dry, or medium-sweet.

3passerillage

4May or may not show Botrytis;

5VT may be printed on either Alsace AOP or Alsace Grand Cru AOP labels.

Question 22

Sélection de Grains Nobles (SGN)

1Which grape

2Sweetness

3Must meet minimum ___ depending on grape varietal

4Botrytis

5Made in ___ in ___ quantities

Answer 22

Sélection de Grains Nobles (SGN): “Selection of Nobly Rotten Grapes”

1Made only from the four noble varieties.

2Always sweet.

3sugar ripeness

4Must show Botrytis, though levels vary producer to producer.

5excellent vintages only, small.

Question 23

Generally speaking, are Alsatian Rieslings drier or sweeter than their German counterparts?

Answer 23

Generally, Alsatian Rieslings are:

drier

less floral

richer & fuller in body

​than German Rieslings.

Question 24

Gewurztraminer

3,4,5,7,8(Age),9

Answer 24

Gewurztraminer

3,4,5,7,8(Age),9

3 Full-bodied, oily in texture

4 Dry to Sweet

5 Low to Medium

7 When it is dry, high

8 Floral (Rose)

Stone-fruit (Peach, Apricot)

Tropical-fruit (Lychee)

Age = Honey, Dried fruit

9 Unoaked

Question 25

Why is dry Gewurztraminer usually high in alcohol?

.

Answer 25

Gewurtraminer acquires very high levels of sugar as it ripens.

Generally, the more sugar there is for yeasts to eat, the more alcohol there will be in the final wine

Question 26

Alastian Pinot Gris

3,4,5,7,8 (age)

Answer 26

3 Medium to Full

4 Dry to Medium

5 Medium

7 High

8 Peach

Mango

(Honey, Ginger)

Question 27

Complex, fuller-styled Pinot Gris are sometimes fermented to off-dry, medium level of sweetness. How are they made off-dry?

Answer 27

Interruputing the fermentation by removing the yeasts through filtration.

Question 28

Muscat

3, 5, 7, 8

Answer 28

3 Light to medium body

5 Low to medium acidity

7 Medium alcohol

8 Orange blossom, rose, grapey

Question 29

What are the two Muscat varieties grown in Alsace?

1Which Muscat variety in Alsace is prone to poor fruit set and rot?

2Which Muscat variety in Alsace is less aromatic but more reliable?

Answer 29

Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains

Muscat Ottonel

1Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains

2Muscat Ottonel

Question 30

What are the 2 principal appellations for still wines in Alsace?

Answer 30

Alsace AOP

Alsace Grand Cru AOP

Question 31

Alsace AOP

・Nearly ___% of all wine produced in Alsace falls under this AOP.

Alsace Grand Cru AOP

・There are ___ vineyards in Grand Cru AOP.

・An Alsace Grand Cru label will have the name of the___.

・To be Alsace Grand Cru, the grape must be one of the ___.

Answer 31

80

51

vineyard and the grape

4 noble grape varietals

Question 32

In Alsace, if the name of a grape is on the label in Alsace, 100% of that grape must be in the bottle.

However, there is one exception: 1___. It is often blended with 2___ even though they are different grapes.

Additionally, 2___ may carry the title of 1___on a label even if it is bottled as 100% 2 ___.

Answer 32

1Pinot Blanc

2Auxerrois

Question 33

A weather threat to Alsace is ___.

___ can damage and even devastate tender new shoots and buds, which can ultimately lead to ___.

Answer 33

Spring frost

Freezing temperatures

crop loss.

Question 34

Name three white grapes planted in Alsace other than the noble grape varieties.

Answer 34

Pinot Blanc (used for sparkling)

Auxerrois

Sylvaner