Alsace Flashcards by Annona Dodoo

What are the seven focus grapes of Alsace?

Riesling
Pinot Gris
Gewurtztraminer
Muscat
Pinot Blanc
Sylvaner
Pinot Noir

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In Alsace, which four grapes are considered “noble”

Riesling
Gewurtztraminer
Muscat
Pinot Gris

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Riesling is indigenous to France. True of False?

False. Riesling is indigenous to Germany’s Rhine Valley.

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Sylvaner, although grown in Alsace, is believed to be native to which country.

Austria

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There are 13 soil types in Alsace. True or False?

True

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How has climate change impacted the historically dry wine style of Alsace?

Sugar levels are rising and more off-dry wines are being produced.

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What is the traditional synonym for Pinot Blanc in Alsace?

Klevner

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What is the climate of Alsace?

Continental

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Which Alsace AOC produces sparkling wine?

Crémant d’Alsace

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The result of being a northerly clime bathed in sunshine means…?

The grapes ripen, and they ripen slowly with more complex aromatics

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The best vineyards in Alsace are on slopes, in which direction do they face?

South/Southeast

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Central Alsace sits around which latitude?

48 degrees north

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The majority of the Grand Crus are located on which type of soils?

Sedimentary

(With a particularly large number planted on combinations of marl and limestone or combinations of marl, limestone and sandstone)

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T or F. Alsace was part of France during World War l?

False

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Riesling is an offspring of?

Gouais Blanc

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How does Riesling avoid spring frost damage?

It’s winter hardy and buds late

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Riesling profile…

Fruity/floral aromas
Peach
Apricot
Pineapple
Citrus
Honeysuckle
Iris
Linden blossom
Jasmine

When aged: pine nut or petrol

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What is the traditional synonym for Pinot Blanc in Alsace?

Klevner

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What is an “Edelzwicker”?

A white Alsace wine made from a blend of any of the approved white grapes of Alsace. Vintage dating is optional.

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What is a “Gentil”

A blended white wine containing at least 50% of the four noble grapes of Alsace.

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In Alsace, each Grand Cru is a separate AOC. True or False?

TRUE.
This has been the case since 2011.

(Until 2011, the Grand Crus were a single AOC. Making them separate has allowed self-governance and site specific rules)

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“Sélection de Grains Nobles” wines must be made from grapes affected by botrytis.
True or False?

True

What is a “lieu-dit”?

A parcel of land within a single commune that is a legally registered cadastral unit.

What is a “Graben”

Geologically-speaking, a graben is a trench that has sunk between two parallel fault lines.

What is a “Foudre”

A traditional, large, oak cask.

How much of Alsace’s total production consists of blended wines?

20%

How many AOCs are there in Alsace?

How many Grands Crus are there in Alsace?

Generally, in Alsace, if a grape variety is shown on the label, it must comprise what % of that wine?

100% – Pinot Blanc is the exception to this rule.

What is the principal vine training method in Alsace?

Guyot

How many Grands Crus allow blends?

2 – Altenberg de Bergheim (must include between 50% and 70% Riesling) and Kaefferkopf (must have between 60% and 80% Gewurtztraminer)

How many Grand Cru AOCs allow the use of Sylvaner?

1 – Zotzenberg

Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles wines have their own separate AOCs. True or False?

FALSE. These are wine styles within the Alsace AOC and the Alsace Grand Cru AOCs.

How many Grands Crus permit the production of red wines made from Pinot Noir?

2 – Hengst and Kirchberg de Barr

What is the name of the wine region on the western side of the Vosges Mountains?

Lorraine

As of the 2008 vintage, Riesling was given a maximum R.S level of?

0.9% (9 g/l) This does not apply to Grand Cru wines labeled with a lieu-dit or sweet wines)

What are the 4 sweetness categories?

Sec Demi-sec Moelleux Doux

What percentage of residual sugar is “Sec” wines?

0.4% (4g/l) (Note, sugar levels in dry wines can be higher if acid levels are also high, because the perceptible sweetness is low, the wine will therefore taste dry)

T or F. A Riesling above 0.9% (9g/l) r.s that is not labeled as VT or SGN, cannot be bottled as Alsace AOC.

True

Producers are increasingly making sweeter styles, why is this?

High sugar levels in the grapes stop fermentations Producers deliberately leave some residual sugar Non-interventionist winemaking end up with residual sugar as a matter of course

What is the percentage of Alsace wines produced by Grand Cru vineyards

Almost all of Alsace’s Grand Cru wines are made as varietal wines using the four noble grapes but what are some important exceptions?

Grand Cru Zotzenberg (in Mittelbergheim) Grand Cru Altenberg de Bergheim Gran Cru Kaefferkopf Two Pinot Noir Grand Crus: Hengst and Kirchberg de Barr

Only the four noble grape varieties can be used to make VT and SGN sweet wines, but in practice which grapes are they mainly produced from and why?

Gewurtztraminer and Pinot Gris. Both these grapes mature at that sweet spot in autumn when cool, moist mornings are followed by warm dry afternoons

Which methods are used to achieve the colour in Rosé Crémant?

Saignée and maceration method

Which grapes are permitted for Crémant d’Alsace?

Pinot Blanc Auxerrois Chardonnay Riesling Pinot Gris Pinot noir

T or F. Crémant d’Alsace is the only AOC in the region that allows Chardonnay?

True (Chardonnay is grown in Alsace specifically to be used in Crémant)

Blanc de Noirs Crémant and Rosé Crémant are made exclusively from which grape?

Pinot Noir

A Crémant d’Alsace wine with Blanc de Blancs on the label will usually be a blend of different white grapes- often including a large component of?

Pinot Blanc

Explain Crémant d’Alsace vinification and maturation

-Grapes are handpicked -White grape varieties must be whole cluster pressed -aged on the lees minimum of 9 months and cannot be released onto the market less than one year after the triage (bottling)

In which century was Alsace first incorporated into France?

Seventeenth

After which war did Alsace become part of the German Empire?

The Franco-Prussian War

An Alsace wine labelled Pinot Blanc can contain what?

100% Pinot Blanc 100% Auxerrois Any blend of Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois

T or F. Alsace communal wines and Alsace Lieu-Dit wines are not separate AOCs, but sub-categories of the Alsace AOC?

True

Gewurtztraminer is the aromatic version of the non-aromatic Savagnin Rose. What is the Alsace name for Savignin Rose?

Klevener de Heiligensten