Alsace Flashcards
Were vines present in Alsace before man?
Yes - wild vines flourished in the tangled forests of the greater rhine river valley long before man.
When were the vines domesticated in Alsace?
Domestication of the vines began with the arrival of the Romans in the 2nd century
- This is when wine shipments were first documented.
How many wine producing villages were there in the 9th century?
There were 160 wine producing villages in 9th century Alsace.
When did France Annex Alsace?
France Annexed Alsace at the end of the 17th century.
- Louis XIV gave land grants to settle the land.
- (Germany reclaimed Alsace in 1871)
In 1941 what % of the Alsatian vineyards were planted to Hybrids?
About 30% of Alsaces’ vineyards were planted to Hybrids in 1941.
In 1949, how were hybrids fought against?
France decreed the removal of all existing hybrids
- If hybrids were found commune would lose rights to AOC if they were found.
What is the name of the common wine bottle in Alsace?
The Flute bottle.
- It is long and tapered.
How are Alsace wines labeled?
In the Germanic Tradition
- The grape varietal instead of the place.
What is the only other region that can legally grow Riesling?
Languedoc-Roussillon
What is the size of Alsace?
75 miles long
- On average 3 miles in width.
How many acres are in Alsace?
53,000 acres / 21,200 ha
What is the latitude of Alsace
Between the 47th and 49th parallel North.
What is Alsace’s climate?
Continental Climate.
- Summers are hot and winters are cold.
What is typical of a continental climate?
Continental climates are marked by High diurnal temperature differences.
- Cool nights help to preserve the grape’s natural acidity keeping the wine both fresh and vibrant on the palate.
What mountain range protects Alsace from Atlantic Ocean influences?
The Vosges Mountains.
- They are high enough to block rain laden clouds pushed by the west winds.
- Alsace lies in a Rain Shadow
How much rain does Alsace receive?
15.5-19.5 inches / 394-495 mm per year.
- Alsace gets some of the lowest rainfall in France.
- (West side gets 90 inches / 2,286 mm a year)
How many hours of sunshine per year does Alsace receive?
1,800 hours
What is the common Altitude of the Alsatian Vineyards and their aspect?
660-1320 feet / 198-396 meters
- Most facing south or southeast to capture optimal sunlight and maximum warmth.
What is the result of being in a northerly climate that is bathed in sunshine?
Grapes are bathed in sunshine and ripen slowly creating complex aromatics
Springtime weather in Alsace?
Mild and accompanied by frosts which can severly reduce the potential crop.
- Vines grown on plains are trained high to avoid frost damage.
Summertime weather in Alsace?
Summers are warm, dry, and sunny with sporadic thunderstorms and hail.
- Drought can pose a problem in some years.
- Vineyards on slopes are trained slightly closer to the ground to maximize heat.
Autumn weather in Alsace?
Autumn weather is marked by humidity.
- Noble Rot can therefore develop.
- Noble rot dessicates the grapes and concentrates its sugars.
- Thunderstorms and hail are possibilities.
Winter weather in Alsace?
Winters are cold.
- Throws vines into dormancy.
- Riesling really benefits from this.
What is the geology of Alsace?
Alsace lies in the Rhien Graben
- A section of the rift system that zigzags across Europe from the Mediterranean to the North sea.
What is a graben?
A grave like trench.
- Alsace on one side and Baden, Germany on the other.
- The Rhine river did not form this.
What formed the Rhine graben?
Resulted from the plains falling along parallel fault lines.
- Similar to Burgundy, Jura, Saône.
Paleozoic era in Alsace?
542-251 million years ago.
- Pressure caused the up thrust of cooling magma which solidified into igneous rock.
Mesozoic era in Alsace?
251-65 million years ago.
- Jurassic transitioned into the Cretaceous time division.
- Alsace was covered by an inland sea.
- Igenous rock eroded and was covered by sedimentary deposits.
Cenozoic era in Alsace? Phase 1
65 million years ago.
- Phase 1 - mammals came to dominate the earth.
- Tremendous upheaval and buckling of land forms as the afro-arabian and euro-asian crustal plates collided.
- Great dome of earth rose in Alsace then fell along parallel fault lines.
Cenozoic era in Alsace? Phase 2
Western side of the graben was not a clean break.
- Multiple Fractures or fault bundles developed across fault lines.
- Faulting exposed many different geological epochs and eroded to form the Vosges foothills.
- Earth movement and erosion created complex network of soils.
- In total over 300 million years of rock formation and decomposition.
- Most of the best soils are found on the slopes of the Vosges foothills.
How many varieties were planted in Alsace in 1840?
Over 150 different varieties in the Rhine River Valley!
How many major soil types are there in Alsace?
13 soil types in Alsace
- volcanic elements,
- granite,
- gneiss,
- schist,
- sandstone,
- limestone,
- marl,
- sand,
- loess,
- loam.
How many primary grape varietals are there in Alsace?
There are 7 primary grapes in Alsace
- Riesling
- Pinot Blanc (Pinot Vrai or Klevner)( largely used in Cremant)
- Gewurtztraminer (no umlaut)
- Pinot Gris
- Pinot Noir
- Sylvaner
- Muscat à Petit Grains (cultivated as of the 15th century)
- Muscat Ottonel (cultivated as of the 19th century)
What are the secondary grapes of Alsace?
There are 4 secondary grapes in Alsace.
- Chardonnay (only authorized for cremant)
- Chasselas
- Auxerrois Blanc (is factored into the Pinot Blanc total with regard to percentage of area under vine)
- Klevener de Heiligenstein ( the non-aromatic verision of Savagnin Rose a.k.a. Gewurztraminer)
What percentage of Alsace wines are varietal wines?
80% of Alsatian wine is varietal
- If a grape is listed on the label the wine must be 100% varietal.
What is Edelzwicker and Gentil?
These are blends.
- Pinot blanc and Pinot D’Alsace can also be blends but aren’t always.
What are the parameters of Gentil?
Gentil wine must follow the following regulations :
- Must contain 50% of “Noble” grape varieties.
- (Riesling, Muscat, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer)
- The balance of the blend can be comprised of lesser grapes such as Sylvaner, Chasselas and/or Pinot Blanc
- Each variety must be vinified separately.
- Finished Product must undergo tasting panel approval and
- The vintage must appear on the label.
What are the Edelzwicker Parameters?
Blend of any white grapes approved for the Alsace AOP.
- These grapes may be vinified together or separately
- Vintage is optional.
Are either Edelzwicker or Gentil an AOC
No - they are categories within the Alsace AOC.
What are “Wines of Terroir”?
A term used by Jean-Michel Deiss
- Co-plants different grape varieties,
- Picks and ferments them together,
- Then labels the wines after the vineyard in which they grew.
- Field blends.
Are Crémants d’Alsace blended?
Yes
What percentage of Alsatian wine is a blend?
Blends comprise 20% of Alsace’s total production.
What is unique about Pinot Blanc or Klevner?
A wine labelled “Pinot Blanc” or “Klevner” can be :
- 100% Pinot Blanc or
- 100% Auxerrois Blanc or
- A blend of both.
What grapes can Pinot d’Alsace include?
Pinot d’Alsace can include any of the following authorized grapes :
- Auxerrois Blanc,
- Pinot Blanc,
- Pinot Noir (vinified as a white wine)
- Pinot Gris.
- There are no minimums or maximums.
** By law it can be 100% of any of these grapess but in practice is normally a blend.