Alsace Flashcards
Name the appelation of Lorraine.
- Côtes de Toul AOP
- Moselle AOP
What is the style of St-Hippolyte, Rodern and Ottrot subzones ?
- Rouge wines only, made of Pinot Noir
True or False ? Edelzwicker is always dated by a vintage.
- False.
- If no grape variety is listed on the label, an Alsatian wine may be a blend. The term Edelzwicker, meaning “noble mixture,” usually indicates its own inverse: an inexpensive blended wine. Alsace AOP wines labeled Edelzwicker do not need to be vintage-dated, nor are they even legally obligated to contain more than one grape. In practice, however, they are blends and do not need to indicate any percentages or grapes on the label.
In Alsace AOP, what is a ‘Schillerwein’ ?
- Rosé / Clairet – 100% Pinot Noir
Name the allowed varietals for SGN and VT in Alsace AOP.
- Gewurztraminer
- Riesling
- Muscat
- Pinot Gris
True or False ? In Alsace AOP, a SGN or a VT is always a single variety wine, never a blend.
- True
What varietals may we find in the subzone ‘Klevener de Helligenstein’ ?
- Savagnin Rosé
What varietals may we find in Alsace subzone ‘Vallée Noble’ ?
- Gewurztraminer
- Riesling
- Pinot Gris
What varietals may we find in subzone ‘Blienschwiller’ and ‘Côtes de Barr’ ?
- Sylvaner
True or False ? Chaptalization is allowed in Alsace AOP ?
- True, but forbidden for VT and SGN
- So, Grand Cru can be chaptalized
True or False ? Because of tradition, in Alsace, a winemaker will bottle in ‘Flûte’ his Pinot Noir, but he could choose another format, like a Burgundy shape.
- False, Alsace AOP wines must be bottled in the traditional “Vin du Rhin” / “Flûte d’Alsace” bottle
What training method is allowed in Alsace AOP ?
- Single or Double Guyot
Who grow vines in ‘Clos des Capucins’ ? (outside Grand Cru status)
- Weinbach
Who grow vines in ‘Clos de la Faille’ ? (outside Grand Cru status)
- Albert Mann
Who grow vines in ‘Clos Ribeaupierre’ ? (outside Grand Cru status)
- Jean Sipp
Who grow in ‘Clos Windsbuhl’, ‘Clos Jebsal’ and ‘Clos Häuserer’ ? (outside Grand Cru status)
- Zind-Humbrecht
True or False ? Gewurztraminer is allowed in a Crémant d’Alsace AOP ?
False, encépagement : Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Auxerrois, and/or Chardonnay
What are the mains white varietals for Côtes de Toul AOP ?
- Auxerois & Aubin
Is Vosges mountain range on the West or East side of Alsace AOP ?
- West, which holds all clouds coming from the west making the region as dry as parts of Southern France (commonly called the ‘rainshadow’ effect).
Is Haut-Rhin wine region better reputed than Bas-Rhin ?
- Yes
- The Bas-Rhin (North) is less protected, due to the mountain range being lower, producing lighter wines than the more prestigious, southern Haut-Rhin.
What is the style of viticulture of Marcel Deiss ?
- Co-plantation, and he makes only blends out of the vinyards.
- Some producers advocate field blends as the best approach for serious wines. In this case, the grapes are typically vinified together and produced under a vineyard name. Marcel Deiss is one of the staunchest advocates of using this approach as a means of emphasizing Alsatian terroir.
True or False ? Hugel have no Grand Cru.
- True, because they have their own idea about terroir. The main criticism of this concept (Grand Cru) is that the boundaries are sometimes very extensive. This, combined with their long history are the reasons for wineries like Hugel not to participate in the Grand Cru regulations at all.
True or False ? Screwcaps are allowed in Alsace AOP ?
- True … well … the appellation rulebook simply made no provision for them. They probably never thought that somebody would even dare to think about using something other than cork.
Who is THE biodynamic pioneer of winemaking in Alsace ?
- Jean-Pierre Frick
We say the concept of Grand Cru in Alsace is relatively young, when was it created ?
- 1975 for the first batch (single vineyard Schlossberg)
- 1983, for second batch (24 more vineyards)
- 1985, for third batch (25 more vineyards)
- 2007, for Kaefferkopf
- AOC Established: 1945, officially designated AOC in 1962
- AOC Grand Cru Established: 1975; Region-wide designations in 1983
- AOC VT and SGN Established: 1984
What is the exception regarding Zotzenberg Grand Cru ?
- In additon to the 4 noble grapes, Sylvaner is also allowed
What are the 4 ‘noble’ grapes of Alscae, that are permitted on Grand Cru vineyards ?
- Riesling
- Gewurztraminer
- Muscat
- Pinot Gris
Two grand cru vineyards of Alsace AOP are allowed to blend different ‘noble’ grapes.
- Altenberg de Bergheim
- Kaefferkopf