Alsace Flashcards
Throughout the entire Middle Ages, Alsace was a province of the ________ Holy Roman Empire.
Throughout the entire Middle Ages, Alsace was a province of the “Germanic” Holy Roman Empire.
When did France first establish Alsace as a national state and who did they rival with at that time?
France developed into a centralized national state in the 15th and 16th centuries, a position which brought them into direct conflict with the Spanish Habsburg house, a branch of Europe’s most powerful dynasty.
When did the thirty year war of the French-Habsburg take place?
The French-Habsburg rivalry catapulted the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) in Europe from a localized German religious dispute into a general European war for political dominance.
What is so important about the Treaty of Westphalia?
The Treaty of Westphalia concluded the war, between the French-Habsburg rivalry, in 1648 and cemented France’s ownership of Alsace until Germany claimed the territory with Lorraine at the conclusion of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871.
What makes the year 1945 so important for Alsace?
French control following World War I reasserted viticulture in Alsace, yet many of the region’s current vineyards date to 1945 and after. 1945 also marks the beginning of a divergence in French and German winemaking styles; German wines remained classically sweet, whereas Alsace producers fermented to dryness for a more powerful and food-friendly wine.
When was Alsace awarded AOC status?
In 1962, Alsace finally achieved AOC status—the last major French winemaking region to do so.
What are the names of Alsace’s two departments
France’s smallest région, is divided into two départements, Haut-Rhin and Bas- Rhin.
In Alsace, the premier wines originate in which of the two departments?
Generally the premier wines originate in the Haut-Rhin
In Alsace, predominately all of the Grand Cru vineyards are located in which of the 2 departments?
Over two-thirds of Alsace’s Grand Cru vineyards are located in the Haut-Rhin département.
What separates Alsace from the rest of France to the West?
Geographically, Alsace is separated from the remainder of France by the Vosges Mountains in the west.
What effect do the Vosges mountains provide?
The mountains provide a “rain shadow” effect; Alsace is one of France’s driest and sunniest climates.
What is the driest city in the Haut-Rhin.
Colmar, capital of the Haut-Rhin département, is the driest city in France.
The vineyards of Alsace tend to be located where exactly?
The vineyards of Alsace exist in a thin strand along the lower slopes and foothills of the Vosges, and the exact aspect and location of each vineyard is of importance in this semi-continental climate.
The better vineyards of Alsace are usually exposed in what direction?
The better vineyards enjoy southern, southeastern, or warm eastern exposures to maximize sunlight. However, despite its northerly location, Alsatian vines typically ripen with greater regularity than those in the Loire or northern Burgundy, due to the sheer number of sunlight hours in the summertime.
grés de Vosges
Local pink sandstone—grés de Vosges—can be found throughout the region
What type of soil will you find in Alsace vineyards?
Alsatian vineyards have a myriad of soil types. The land is a geologic mosaic; granite, limestone, schist, clay, gravel, chalk, loess, and the local pink sandstone—grés de Vosges—can be found throughout the region.
What type soil will you find on the lower slopes of Alsace’s vineyards.
The lower slopes sit on a limestone base, and the plain at the base of the mountains consists of richer alluvial clay and gravel soils.
White grapes are paramount, and 90% of Alsace AOP wine is white.
True or False
True
What the four “noble” grapes allowed in Alsace?
the four “noble” grapes of Alsace—Riesling, Pinot Gris, Muscat (either Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, Muscat Rosé à Petits Grains or Muscat Ottonel), and Gewürztraminer
Klevner
Pinot Blanc
Pinot Blanc is known as what in Alsace?
Klevner
Chasselas is known as what in Alsace?
Gutedel
Gutedel
Chasselas
Alsace wines generally state the variety on the label.
True or False?
True
If Pinot Blanc is listed on an Alsace label than it is 100% that varietal. True or False?
False
The only exception made is for Pinot Blanc, which is often blended with the similar but not synonymous Auxerrois, all varietally labeled Alsace AOP wines must contain 100% of the printed grape.
Even if bottled as a single variety, Auxerrois may be accorded the title of “Pinot Blanc” on the label.
True or False?
True
Explain the possibilities of varietal make up in an Alsatian bottle of wine if the label simply states “Pinot”.
White wines simply labeled “Pinot,” on the other hand, may contain any proportion of related varieties—Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Auxerrois.
When considered collectively, Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois represent the largest volume of appellation production..
True or False?
True
What is the most planted grape in Alsace?
Riesling
Which of the four noble grapes is last to ripen.
Riesling
How are Alsatian Rieslings different from their German cousins?
Alsatian Rieslings are characteristically dry, more powerful, and higher in alcohol than their German cousins.
How is the aging ability viewed towards Alsatian Riesling
They are amongst the longest- lived dry whites in the world, due to a pronounced acidity and minerality.
What measures have the Alsatian AOP mandated towards their Riesling?
With sweetness creeping steadily upward in recent years, Alsatian AOP law mandates, from 2008 forward, that standard Riesling wines must be dry in style.
What makes Pinot Gris from Alsace so versatile?
Pinot Gris is perhaps Alsace’s quintessential wine: the grape here achieves its fullest, richest expression, with spicy-smoky qualities and a frame of good acidity.
What was Pinot Gris in Alsace formerly called?
Pinot Gris, formerly called Tokay d’Alsace or Tokay Pinot Gris.
What are the 2 most highly aromatic noble grape varieties found in Alsace.
Muscat and Gewurztraminer are both highly aromatic
_____ shows fragrant floral and grapy notes
“Muscat” shows fragrant floral and grapy notes
__________ tends toward perfumed, sweet spices and tropical fruit.
“Gewürztraminer” tends toward perfumed, sweet spices and tropical fruit.
What is the acidity level like for both Gewurtztraminer and Muscat? Also, which one shows more alcohol and is more likely to be off-dry?
Both are lower in acidity, but Gewurztraminer is higher in alcohol and more likely to be off-dry.
Describe the vinification process in Alsace.
New oak is usually not a factor in the vinification of these varieties, although many producers use large neutral casks for fermentation and aging.
Traminer is known as what in the Jura
Traminer—known as Savagnin in the Jura
Briefly describe the plantings of Gewürztraminer in Alsace and what clone it stems from?
Gewurztraminer is a pink-berried clone of the traditional grape Traminer, and steadily replaced it in Alsace’s vineyards throughout the latter half of the 19th century.
Traminer in Alsace is known as what?
Klevener
Klevener is what in Alsace
Traminer
Where are Traminer plantings located in Alsace?
Traminer (known as Klevener in Alsace) retains a few plantings around the commune of Heiligenstein in the Bas-Rhin.
Describe Savagnin Rose
This Savagnin Rose, or Klevener de Heiligenstein, is less intensely aromatic than Gewurztraminer but higher in acidity.
List the 5 communes that can list Savagnin Rose under the existing Alsace AOP.
5 communes may bottle this wine varietally under the existing Alsace AOP:
Heiligenstein Bourgheim Gertwiller Goxwiller Obernai.
Describe the term Edelzwicker
If no grape variety is listed on the label, an Alsatian wine may be a blend. The term Edelzwicker (“noble mixture”) usually indicates its own inverse: an inexpensive blended wine.
What does the term “Edelzwicker” mean?
Noble Mixture
Do Edelzwicker wines need to be vintage dated or list the varietal composition of the 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 they are blends, however, and do not need to indicate any percentages or grapes on the label.
What does the term “genti” indicate when listed on a Alastian label?
“Gentil” is a superior designation for blends, requiring a minimum of 50% noble grapes. Any other Alsace AOP grape may compose the remainder, and the base wines must be vinified separately.
What are Alastian winemakers’ opinion on making wines made from field blends for wines? Also, who is the advocate of this style?
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.
When was the first Alsace Grand Cru AOP awarded and what was the name of the vineyard?
The Alsace Grand Cru AOP was first decreed in 1975 with a single named vineyard, Schlossberg, specified for the appellation
After 1975, the first year an Alsatian vineyard was awarded Grand Cru Status (Schlossberg), when was the next wave of vineyards awarded GC status?
Another 24 grand cru vineyards appeared in 1983, followed by an additional 25 in 1992
What was the last Alsatian vineyard to be awarded Grand Cru status and what year was it?
A 51st grand cru, Kaefferkopf, was added in 2007
What varietals are Alsatian Grand Cru AOP wines made up of?
Grand Cru AOP wines are produced only from the noble Alsatian grapes and are typically single-varietal wines, although this is no longer required by law.
Altenberg de Bergheim and Kaefferkopf are to Grand Cru vineyards that may do what differently?
The grands crus Altenberg de Bergheim and Kaefferkopf may blend according to certain prescribed proportions.
Zotzenberg
Zotzenberg is a historical site for Sylvaner, and as such the grape is permitted in Grand Cru AOP varietal wines from the vineyard.
What is the name of the Grand Cru vineyard that allows Sylvaner?
Zotzenberg
Name a few regulations for Grand Cru status wines.
Hand-harvesting is mandatory for all grand cru wines. Minimum sugar levels at harvest are higher than those for Alsace AOP, and yields are more restricted.
The minimum potential alcohol is ____% for Riesling and Muscat
The minimum potential alcohol is “11%” for Riesling and Muscat
The minimum potential alcohol is ____% for Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer
The minimum potential alcohol is “12.5%” for Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer
When did Alsace increase its number of Grand Cru vineyards from 1 to 51, and what model does this mostly resemble?
In 2011, the number of actual Alsace Grand Cru AOPs was increased from one to 51 as each vineyard received its own appellation and cahier des charges, pivoting from the Chablis model to that of the Côte d’Or.
Smallest Alsatian GC vineyard
Kanzlerberg (3 hectares)
Largest Alsatian GC vineyard
Schlossberg (80 hectares)
What makes Trimbach’s “Clos-Ste-Hune” wine so special?
Trimbach has traditionally released their Riesling Clos-Ste-Hune as Alsace AOP without any mention of the large Rosacker Grand Cru on the label. (However, the venerable house released its first vintage of Geisberg Grand Cru with the 2009.) The house of Hugel likewise chooses not to promote admissible wines as Alsace Grand Cru AOP.
When was Vendanges Tardives and Selections de Grains Nobles created?
In 1984, just after the number of grands crus increased to 25, a new decree created two new designations for late-harvest wines: Vendanges Tardives and Sélections de Grains Nobles.
What do Vendanges Tardives and Sélections de Grains Nobles imply on a label?
These two terms imply sweetness and may be printed on either Alsace AOP or Alsace Grand Cru AOP labels, provided the wines contain a single, noble variety and pass a blind tasting panel.
Selection de Grains Nobles
Grapes destined for Sélection de Grains Nobles are generally picked in tries, and suppress varietal character in return for the complexities of botrytis.
Vendanges Tardives
Vendanges Tardives may show botrytis character but emphasizes varietal purity. Quality VT wines usually originate from vines in a state of passerillage.
Are Vendanges Tardives and Selection de Grains Nobles wines always sweet?
Vendanges Tardives and Selection de Grains Nobles wines are not obligated by statute to be sweet; in practice SGN wines are always dessert-like but VT wines may vary in actual sugar, and can be quite dry.
Muscat and Riesling Vendanges Tardives require a minimum must wait of _____ grams per liter.
Vendanges Tardives requires a minimum of “235” grams per liter for Muscat and Riesling
Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer Vendanges Tardive require a must wait of ____ grams per liter.
Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer Vendanges Tardive require a must wait of 257 grams per liter.
Muscat and Riesling Sélection de Grains Nobles require a minimum must wait of _____ grams per liter.
Muscat and Riesling Sélection de Grains Nobles require a minimum must wait of “276” grams per liter.
Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer Sélection de Grains Nobles require a minimum must wait of _____ grams per liter.
Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer Sélection de Grains Nobles require a minimum must wait of “306” grams per liter.
*Note: At 306 grams per liter, these wines are amongst the highest minimum must weights in France.
Pinot Noir can be used in Alsace as still, rose, and what else?
Pinot Noir may contribute to the Crémant d’Alsace AOP blend
What varietal is typically the workhorse in the Crémant d’Alsace AOP blend?
Pinot Blanc
What is the only appellation in Alsace to allow Chardonnay?
Crémant d’Alsace is the only appellation in the region to allow Chardonnay.
Speak about the production of sparkling wines in Alsace.
Sparkling wine production has developed into a profitable and expansive pursuit for Alsatian houses, commanding nearly a quarter-share of the appellation’s output.
In neighboring région Lorraine, what kind of wines are found in Cotes de Toul?
In the Côtes de Toul AOP, light red wines are produced from Pinot Noir and white wines contain Auxerrois and Aubin.
Gris de Toul
Rosé wines, made in a pale vin gris style, include a high proportion of Gamay and Pinot Noir made in Cotes de Toul, Lorraine
Latitude of Alsace
48° 4’ N
Elevation of Alsace
175-214 meters
Edelzwicker
“Edelzwicker”: one or more grape varieties (may or may not be vintage-dated)
Varietals used for Vendanges Tardives (VT) in Alsace
Vendanges Tardives (VT): Single variety wines produced from (and labeled as) Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Muscat, Muscat Ottonel or Pinot Gris
Varieties used for Selection de Grains Nobles (SGN) in Alsace
Sélection de Grains Nobles (SGN): Single variety wines produced from (and labeled as) Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Muscat Blanc / Rosé à Petits Grains, Muscat Ottonel or Pinot Gris
Region of production for Trimbach in Alsace
Haut-Rhin
Winery location for Trimbach in Alsace
Ribeauvillé
Year Trimbach was established in Alsace
1626
Summary of Trimbach in Alsace
Summary: Currently, brothers Bernard and Hubert Trimbach run Maison Trimbach; Bernard’s sons Pierre (winemaker) and Jean (sales) mark the twelfth generation to work at the estate. Trimbach is known for its “purist” vision, producing dry wines that are labeled by proprietary names rather than grand cru designation. The classic examples of this are their Clos Sainte Hune and Cuvée Frédéric Emile Rieslings, which pre-date the 1983 AOC Grand Cru designation.
Clos Sainte Hune
Clos Sainte Hune: historical 1.67-ha monopole within the Grand Cru Rosacker, owned by the Trimbach family for over 200 years; average vines are 50 years old; soil is limestone
Riesling is what this wine is made of.
Cuvée Frédéric Emile
“Cuvée Frédéric Emile”: blend of Geisberg and Osterberg Grand Crus, named for Frédéric Emile, who is known for providing a new guarantee of quality and authenticity for Trimbach in 1898.
What wines are produced from the famous “Cuvee Frederic Emile” label by Trimbach?
Riesling “Cuvée Frédéric Emile”
Riesling “Cuvée Frédéric Emile” VT
Riesling “Cuvée Frédéric Emile” SGN
Brief description of style and vinification techniques for Trimbach in Alsace.
Brief Description of Style / Vinification Techniques: Grapes are hand harvested as late as possible in order to achieve maximum ripeness, then pressed in a pneumatic press. The juice runs into the cellar by gravity and clarifies naturally prior to fermentation, which takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks for two to three weeks. All wines—with the exception of VT and SGN bottlings—are vinified to completely dry with no residual sugar, and malolactic fermentation is avoided. Wines are fined, filtered and bottled early. The wines age in bottle for at least one year and up to five years prior to release, depending on cuvée.
Region of production for Zind-Humbrecht
Haut-Rhin
Winery location for Zind-Humbrecht
Turckheim
Zind-Humbrecht was established in what year?
1959
Summary of Zind-Humbrecht
The Humbrecht family has been winegrowing in Alsace since 1620, but the present-day winery was formed when Leonard Humbrecht married Genevieve Zind in 1959. During the 1960s and 70s, Leonard expanded their vineyard holdings, including the acquisition of Clos Saint Urbain. Their son Olivier Humbrecht, MW, has managed the domaine since 1989 and helped his family build a new winery and cellar in 1992. The domaine has been organically and biodynamically farmed since 1997, earning organic certification in 1998 and biodynamic certification in 2002. Humbrecht is known as a staunch advocate for biodynamic farming and non-interventionist winemaking practices.
Famous bottling for Zind Humbrecht
Grand Cru Rangen de Thann: acquired in 1977, including the steep, south-facing 5.5-ha Clos Saint Urbain on sedimentary volcanic soil; planted to 2.7 ha Pinot Gris, 2.3 ha Riesling, 0.5 ha Gewurztraminer
Capital city of Alsace
Strasbourg
Inaugural Vintage (for top wines) on Zind-Humbrecht?
Inaugural Vintage (for top wines): Riesling Grand Cru Rangen Clos Saint Urbain in 1978