Alsace Flashcards
Why does Alsace have German elements to their culture, winemakeing or otherwise?
Evidence of viticulture dates back to the year 1000, and between then and the end of WWII, Alsace & Lorraine have been tugged at by France & Germany multiple times.
It was part of the holy roman empire until france seized it during the thirty year’s war to keep it from falling under spanish habsburg control.
Treaty of Westphalia (1648) made it french until the Germans seized it at the end of the Franco-Prussian war (1871).
It was very briefly independent when Keiser Wilhelm abdicated at the end of WWI, then French again excepting a brief nazi occupation in the 1940s.
How did Alsace’s tumultuous political history affect its viticultre?
Winemaking flourished between 1st & 16th centuries, when 160 villages had vineyards. The big wars ending with WWII disrupted this trend.
Winemaking began to reintegrate after WWI when the region returned to France, but most historic vineyards date back to 1945 and later.
1945 also marks beginning of Alsace as a decidedly French wine region, producing dry instead of sweet wines,
When did Alsace acheive AOC status?
in 1963. It was the last major region to do so.
What are the major subregions of Alsace? What differentiates them?
The bas-rhin to the north, where elevation is lower & the voges are less of a rain shadow as they transition to the hardt hills
The haut-rhin to the south, where elevation’s higher, the rain shadow of the voges is more absolute, and 2/3 of the grand cru vineyards are located.
What is the driest city in France and why?
Colmar, the haut-rhin’s capital, because of the rain shadow effect of the vosge mountains that makes Alsace one of the driest and sunniest regions of France.
Is aspect important in Alsace?
Yes, and best sites are located on foothills of vosges and experience S, SE, or warm E aspects to aid in ripeness in the semicontinental climate with northerly latitude
What is the soil makeup of Alsace? Why does it matter?
Very diverse due to fault lines and its geologically active history.
Includes granite, limestone, schist, clay, gravel, chalk, loess, & pink sandstone (grés de Vosges).
In general, steeper slopes are schist, granite, & volcanic sedement.
Lower slopes are limestone based.
Alluvial plane is deep, fertile alluvial clay & gravel.
Soil type heavily influences grape selection.
What % of Alsace’s output is white wine? What percent of France’s dry white wine is Alsacean?
80% & 20%!
What are the 4 noble varieties of Alsace? What does it mean to be a noble variety?
Riesling, Pinot Gris, Muscat a petit grains, & Gewurztraminer.
Noble varieties tend to occupy the best growing sites and are the only varieties allowed in the vast majority of grand cru wines.
What is Alsace’s main appellation? What kind of wine does it produce?
Alsace AOP
Makes varietal wines from the 4 nobles, + Pinot Blanc, Sylvaner, Chasselas, and Pinot Noir, which must be 100% stated variety except pinot blanc, which can be 0-100% Auxerois and still be called Pinot Blanc.
Also allowed to label a bottle “pinot” if it has any mix of any of the pinots, including honorary auxerrois.
What is Alsace’s most planted grape?
Pinot blanc if you combine it with Auxerrois
Riesling if you don’t!
Describe Alsatian Riesling
The last of Alsace’s grapes to ripen.
Fermented into a dry, high alcohol, long-lived white wine, with pronounced acidity and minerality. Its residual sugar has crept up in recent vintages, so as of 2008 forward AOP law mandates standard Alsatian riesling must be dry.
Describe Alsatian Pinot Gris
Alsace’s quintessential wine
Formerly Tokay d’Alsace or Tokay Pinot Gris
Full, rich, spicy, smoky, with noticeable acidity.
Describe Alsatian Muscat & Gewurz
Both lower acid and higher aromaticity
Muscat is floral and grapey
Gewurz is higher alcohol and more likely to be off-dry, with tropical fruit & sweet spice notes.
What currently comprises the Grand Est region of France?
Champagne, Alsace, & Lorraine
