Alsace Flashcards
Alsace
Location: Eastern France, on German boarder
City: Strasbourg, Colmar
AUV: 38,000 acres
History: Battleground for France/Germany, Distinctive culture (language, food, wine, architecture)
Regions: Bas-Rhin (North), Haut-Rhin (South)
Geography: Vosges Mountains (West), Rhine River (East), rolling foothills of Vosges, 48o latitude
Climate: Continental cool, dry with warm, sunny summers, diurnal shift, rain shadow from Vosges
Soil: diverse
Viticulture: Best on slopes facing east / southeast (ironically on west of AOP), long / cool / dry growing season
Vinification: neutral casks, little to no oak
Grapes: 90% white wine, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Gris, some Pinot Blanc, Sylvaner, Pinot Noir (10%)
Style: High acid with ripe fruit, rich & intense with more weight, dry to off-dry, high alcohol
Riesling - Dry, high acid & minerality
Gewurztraminer - lychee & floral, low acid with phenolic bitterness, off-dry
Muscat - Dry, lower acid, grapey & floral
Pinot Gris - Rich & aromatic, nutty & mushroom, oily mouthfeel, off-dry
Pairing: Bacon, smoked meats, sausages
Bas-Rhin
Region of Alsace, North
Geography: lower elevation, less protection from Vosges Mountains
Haut-Rhin
Region of Alsace, South
Geography: higher elevation
Viticulture: best vineyard sites, rain shadow dominates
Alsace AOPs
Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Gris only
Alsace / Vin d’Alsace AOP
No Premier Cru designation
Alsace Grand Cru AOP - 51 vineyards, only Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Gris
Die AOP
Alsace Regional Wine Law
Most wines are labeled by grape variety
Must be 100% if variety is on label
Flute bottle, similar to Germany
Vendage Tardive (VT)
Alsace
Late-harvest, single variety, rich & full-bodied but not always sweet
Selection de Grains Nobles (SGN)
Alsace
Botrytis, single variety, small quantities and only in exceptional vintages
