Alsace Flashcards

1
Q

Were vines present in Alsace before man?

A

Yes - wild vines flourished in the tangled forests of the greater rhine river valley long before man.

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2
Q

When were the vines domesticated in Alsace?

A

Domestication of the vines began with the arrival of the Romans in the 2nd century

  • This is when wine shipments were first documented.
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3
Q

How many wine producing villages were there in the 9th century?

A

There were 160 wine producing villages in 9th century Alsace.

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4
Q

When did France Annex Alsace?

A

France Annexed Alsace at the end of the 17th century.

  • Louis XIV gave land grants to settle the land.
    • (Germany reclaimed Alsace in 1871)
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5
Q

In 1941 what % of the Alsatian vineyards were planted to Hybrids?

A

About 30% of Alsaces’ vineyards were planted to Hybrids in 1941.

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6
Q

In 1949, how were hybrids fought against?

A

France decreed the removal of all existing hybrids

  • If hybrids were found commune would lose rights to AOC if they were found.
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7
Q

What is the name of the common wine bottle in Alsace?

A

The Flute bottle.

  • It is long and tapered.
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8
Q

How are Alsace wines labeled?

A

In the Germanic Tradition

  • The grape varietal instead of the place.
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9
Q

What is the only other region that can legally grow Riesling?

A

Languedoc-Roussillon

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10
Q

What is the size of Alsace?

A

75 miles long

  • On average 3 miles in width.
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11
Q

How many acres are in Alsace?

A

53,000 acres / 21,200 ha

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12
Q

What is the latitude of Alsace

A

Between the 47th and 49th parallel North.

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13
Q

What is Alsace’s climate?

A

Continental Climate.

  • Summers are hot and winters are cold.
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14
Q

What is typical of a continental climate?

A

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.
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15
Q

What mountain range protects Alsace from Atlantic Ocean influences?

A

The Vosges Mountains.

  • They are high enough to block rain laden clouds pushed by the west winds.
  • Alsace lies in a Rain Shadow
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16
Q

How much rain does Alsace receive?

A

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)
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17
Q

How many hours of sunshine per year does Alsace receive?

A

1,800 hours

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18
Q

What is the common Altitude of the Alsatian Vineyards and their aspect?

A

660-1320 feet / 198-396 meters

  • Most facing south or southeast to capture optimal sunlight and maximum warmth.
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19
Q

What is the result of being in a northerly climate that is bathed in sunshine?

A

Grapes are bathed in sunshine and ripen slowly creating complex aromatics

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20
Q

Springtime weather in Alsace?

A

Mild and accompanied by frosts which can severly reduce the potential crop.

  • Vines grown on plains are trained high to avoid frost damage.
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21
Q

Summertime weather in Alsace?

A

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.
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22
Q

Autumn weather in Alsace?

A

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.
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23
Q

Winter weather in Alsace?

A

Winters are cold.

  • Throws vines into dormancy.
  • Riesling really benefits from this.
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24
Q

What is the geology of Alsace?

A

Alsace lies in the Rhien Graben

  • A section of the rift system that zigzags across Europe from the Mediterranean to the North sea.
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25
Q

What is a graben?

A

A grave like trench.

  • Alsace on one side and Baden, Germany on the other.
  • The Rhine river did not form this.
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26
Q

What formed the Rhine graben?

A

Resulted from the plains falling along parallel fault lines.

  • Similar to Burgundy, Jura, Saône.
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27
Q

Paleozoic era in Alsace?

A

542-251 million years ago.

  • Pressure caused the up thrust of cooling magma which solidified into igneous rock.
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28
Q

Mesozoic era in Alsace?

A

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.
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29
Q

Cenozoic era in Alsace? Phase 1

A

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.
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30
Q

Cenozoic era in Alsace? Phase 2

A

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.
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31
Q

How many varieties were planted in Alsace in 1840?

A

Over 150 different varieties in the Rhine River Valley!

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32
Q

How many major soil types are there in Alsace?

A

13 soil types in Alsace

  • volcanic elements,
  • granite,
  • gneiss,
  • schist,
  • sandstone,
  • limestone,
  • marl,
  • sand,
  • loess,
  • loam.
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33
Q

How many primary grape varietals are there in Alsace?

A

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)
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34
Q

What are the secondary grapes of Alsace?

A

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)
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35
Q

What percentage of Alsace wines are varietal wines?

A

80% of Alsatian wine is varietal

  • If a grape is listed on the label the wine must be 100% varietal.
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36
Q

What is Edelzwicker and Gentil?

A

These are blends.

  • Pinot blanc and Pinot D’Alsace can also be blends but aren’t always.
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37
Q

What are the parameters of Gentil?

A

Gentil wine must follow the following regulations :

  1. Must contain 50% of “Noble” grape varieties.
    • (Riesling, Muscat, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer)
  2. The balance of the blend can be comprised of lesser grapes such as Sylvaner, Chasselas and/or Pinot Blanc
  3. Each variety must be vinified separately.
  4. Finished Product must undergo tasting panel approval and
  5. The vintage must appear on the label.
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38
Q

What are the Edelzwicker Parameters?

A

Blend of any white grapes approved for the Alsace AOP.

  • These grapes may be vinified together or separately
  • Vintage is optional.
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39
Q

Are either Edelzwicker or Gentil an AOC

A

No - they are categories within the Alsace AOC.

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40
Q

What are “Wines of Terroir”?

A

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.
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41
Q

Are Crémants d’Alsace blended?

A

Yes

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42
Q

What percentage of Alsatian wine is a blend?

A

Blends comprise 20% of Alsace’s total production.

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43
Q

What is unique about Pinot Blanc or Klevner?

A

A wine labelled “Pinot Blanc” or “Klevner” can be :

  • 100% Pinot Blanc or
  • 100% Auxerrois Blanc or
  • A blend of both.
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44
Q

What grapes can Pinot d’Alsace include?

A

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.

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45
Q

How many :

  • Growers
  • Producers
  • Estates
  • Co-ops
  • Negociants

are there in Alsace?

A

In Alsace there are :

  • 4,400 growers
  • 1,200 producers,
  • 900 estates,
  • 19 co-ops
  • 73 Négociants.
46
Q

80% of Alsace’s total wine production is carried out by how many producers?

A

It is carried out by 175 producers.

47
Q

What % of the U.S. Market is Trimbach?

A

33% of the U.S. market is Trimbach

  • (Family owned and operated for 13 generations)(Father to Son)
48
Q

How many wines does a typical producer make each year?

A

Each producer typically makes 6-8.

  • Can often be more because of special terroirs, single vineyards, and sweet wines.
49
Q

What % of the production is white wine?

A

90% of Alsatian wine is White wine.

  • The balance is red/rosé.
50
Q

What % of Alsatian wine is consumed in France?

A

75% of Alsatian wine is consumed in France.

51
Q

Alsatian wines are historically dry or sweet?

A

Dry - lacked residual sugar.

52
Q

How has global warming effected the ripeness of grapes and the dryness of Alsatian wines?

A

Global warming has caused the following changes :

  • Riper grapes with higher sugar levels means less need to chaptalize.
  • Fermentations stop before all the grape sugars are converted into alcohol.
  • There are now non-dessert wines from Alsace that are noticeably sweet upon the palate.
53
Q

How did Riesling R.S. change in 2008?

A

Riesling was given a maximmum R.S. level of 0.9% (9 g/l)

  • This ruling does not apply to Grand Cru wines or wine labelled with a lieu-dit!
  • This does not apply to sweet/dessert categories of V.T or Sélection de Grain Nobles.
54
Q

Are there R.S. laws for other Varietals?

A

No - fermenting to dryness or not is completely elective.

55
Q

How are Alsatian wines normally fermented?

A

Stainless steal or fermented in large neutral oak casks.

  • Because of the cool weather the casks ferment at optimal cool temperatures despite not being temperature controlled.
56
Q

Do Alsatian wines undergo Malo-lactic fermentation or new oak aging?

A

No - as a general rule.

57
Q

How long is fermentation?

A

If the wine is age-worthy it is long and usually accompanied by sur-lie aging.

58
Q

What are characteristics of Alsatian red wine?

A

Alsatian red wine has the following characteristics :

  • Given its northerly location it usually was “almost-red”
  • Alsace is now seeing deeper pigments so growers are now lowering yields to maximize phenolic maturity and achieve more saturated color.
59
Q

How is Alsace changing in terms of ripeness?

A

In terms of ripeness Alsatian wines are :

  • Normally the would have high ripeness in a vintage 1-3x per decade.
  • Now happens almost every year.
  • Grapes are now picked at 22-24% (22-24g/liter) suger with potential alcohol level of 13-14% alcohol.
60
Q

What production method is used for Crémant d’Alsace?

A

Crémant d’Alsace is made via Méthode Traditionnelle.

  • Production is on the rise.
  • Consequently so are vineyards dedicated to Pinot Blanc.
61
Q

How many producers make Crémant?

A

There are 500 producers who make crémant.

  • This dates back to 19th century.
62
Q

What are the harvesting and production laws for Crémant d’Alsace?

A

By law harvesting and production must be :

  • Hand picked
  • White varieties must be whole cluster pressed.
  • Rosés made exclusively from Pinot Noir and can be made via Saignée or Maceration.
  • Wine must age 9 months sur lie (on the less in the bottle, after the second fermentation) and cannot be released less than one year after the tirage/bottling.)
63
Q

What are the sweetness designations for Crémant d’Alsace AOC?

A

The sweetness designations are :

  • Extra Brut: No Dosage
  • Brut <1.2% R.S.
  • Extra Sec (Extra Dry): 1.2-1.7% R.S.
  • Sec (Dry): 1.7-3.2% R.S.
  • Demi-Sec: 3.2-5% R.S.
64
Q

What varietal styles can appear for Crémant d’Alsace?

A

Crémant d’Alsace can be

  • 100% Chardonnay
  • 100% Pinot Gris
  • 100% Riesling
  • Blanc de Noir (100% Pinot noir)

** Most Crémant d’Alsace is a blend)

65
Q

What is Vendages Tardives?

A

Late harvest wines. These contain considerable R.S. and made from:

  • Riesling,
  • Pinot Gris,
  • Muscat,
  • Gewurztramier.
66
Q

When is V.T. harvested?

A

Very late in the season when they are overripe.

  • Must be harvested by hand.
67
Q

Can V.T. have Botrytis?

A

Yes, it can but is not mandatory.

68
Q

How does V.T. get its sweetness

A

Fermentation terminates naturally when the yeasts die.

  • This leaves unfermented or residual sugar in the wine.
69
Q

Does V.T. use Malo-lactic fermentation?

A

No - it is not encouraged because it needs acid to balance out its high sugar level.

70
Q

What is Sélections de Grains Nobles?

A

Late Harvest wines MUST BE effected by Noble Rot and made from:

  • Riesling,
  • Pinot Gris,
  • Muscat,
  • Gewurztramier
71
Q

How is SGN made?

A

SGN wines are made with the following criteria :

  • Handpicked
  • Berry-by-berry
  • Through multiple passes in the vineyard.
72
Q

How many appellations are there in Alsace?

A

There are 53 AOCs

  • 51 Grand Crus (started in 1975)
  • 1 for Crémant (1976)
  • 1 Alsace AOC in 1962
73
Q

What subcategories exist for the Alsace AOC?

A

There are 2 sub-categories:

  • Communal
  • Lieux-Dit
74
Q

Is there an IGP or Vin Sans IG in Alsace?

A

No

75
Q

How does grape sourcing work in Alsace AOC?

A

They can hail from any vineyard in Alsace. Literally anywhere within the region.

76
Q

What styles of wines can be made in Alsace AOC?

A

Alsace AOC wines can be :

  • Whites
  • Reds
  • Rosé
  • Dry or Sweet
  • Blend or Varietal
  • May boast a village, single vineyard designation, or special cuvée on the label
77
Q

How many communes are in the sub-category of Alsace AOC?

A

There are 13 communes in the sub-category of Alsace AOC

  • These are desiged to recognize wines of heightened character.
  • Quality standards are higher than for Alsace AOC.
78
Q

What are the 13 communes? (Not on exam!)

A

The 13 communes are :

  • Bergheim
  • Blienschwiller
  • Coteaux du Haut Koenigsbourg
  • Côtes de Rouffach
  • Côtes de Barr
  • Klevener de Heiligenstein
  • Ottrott
  • Rodern
  • Scherwiller
  • St. Hippolyte
  • Vallée Noble
  • Val St.-Grégroire
  • Wolxheim
79
Q

What are Alsace “Lieu-Dit”?

A

Alsace Lieu-Dit is the name given to a plot of land or vineyard because of its notable and significant expression of terroir.

  • More stringent production standards which include
    • Grape varietal limitations
    • vine density
    • pruning methods
    • trellising
    • restrictive yields
    • grape maturity levels at harvest.
80
Q

How are Lieux-Dite production methods more stringent?

A

Lieux-Dite productions methods dictate:

  • Varietals planted
  • vine density
  • pruning methods
  • Trellising
  • Higher grape maturity level at harvest
  • More restrictive yields.
81
Q

Are V.T. and SGN allowed for communal and lieu-dit designations?

A

Yes, these are styles not AOCs.

82
Q

How can a wine be a grand cru?

A

If the grapes were grown on a Grand Cru Vineyard site.

83
Q

What is ranked in Alsace Grand Cru AOC - The Vineyard or the Producer?

A

Vineyards not the producer thus there can be many producers farming one Grand Cru vineyard.

  • Only 51 vineyards are Grand Cru.
84
Q

What percentage of Alsace wine is Grand Cru?

A

4%

85
Q

What wines can be made from the 51 Alsace Grand Cru AOCs

A

White wine only specifically:

  • Riesling
  • Pinot Gris
  • Muscat
  • Gewurztraminer.

** Slyvaner is permitted for Zotzenberg Grand Cru only. **

  • Zotzenberg can also be crafted from Gewurztraminer, Riesling, or Pinot Gris.

** These wines may be sweet or dry and a special cuvée name may appear on the label.

86
Q

What grapes can make Grand Cru Zotzenberg besides Slyvaner?

A

Zotzenberg can also be :

  • Riesling
  • Gewurztraminer
  • Pinot Gris
87
Q

What styles of wine can be made in Alsace Grand Cru AOC?

A

Alsace Grand Cru AOC can be

  • Dry,
  • Sweet,
  • Special Cuvée on the label.
88
Q

Which Alsace Grand Cru AOCs can be blends are blends?

A

2 Grand Cru Vineyards can make blends. They are :

  • Altenberg de Bergheim &
  • Kaefferkopf- Can be a single variety (Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, or Riesling) or may be a blend.
89
Q

What are the requirements for Altenberg de Bergheim if it is a blend?

A

Requirements are that :

  • Must be comprised of at least 50% Riesling (Maximum use of 70%)
  • Plus a minimum of 10% and a maximum of 25% Gewurztraminer and/or Pinot Gris.
  • Plus no more than 10% of Chasselas, Muscat à Petit Grains Blanc, Muscat Ottonel, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Noir in sum if these vines were planted before 2005.
90
Q

What are the requirements for Kaefferkopf if it is a blend?

A

The requirements are that it :

  • Must contain 60-80% Gewurztraminer,
  • 10-40% Riesling
  • No more than 30% Pinot Gris.
  • Muscat à Petits Grains Blanc, Muscat à Petits Grains Rose, and Muscat Ottonel together they may contribute no more than 10% of the blend
91
Q

Do Grand Crus need to label by grape variety?

A

It is no longer mandatory

92
Q

What are the Alsace AOC Maximum yields?

A

Maximum yields are

  • White - 4.8 tons/acre (80 hl/ha)
  • Pinot Noir Rosé - 4.5 tons/acre (75 hl/ha)
  • Pinot Noir Red - 3.6 tons/acre (60 hl/ha)- (73% of total production)
93
Q

What are the Alsace COMMUNAL AOC Maximum yields?

A

Maximum yields are :

  • White - 4.3 tons/acre (72 hl/ha)
  • Red - 3.6 tons/acre (60 hl/ha)- (a sub-designation)
94
Q

What are the Alsace LIEU-DIT AOC Maximum yields?

A

Maximum yields are :

  • White - 4.1 tons/acre (68 hl/ha)
  • Red - 3.6 tons/acre (60 hl/ha)- (a sub-designation)
95
Q

What are the ALSACE GRAND CRU AOC Maximum yields?

A

Maximum Yields are :

  • 3.3 tons/acre (55 hl/ha)
  • Remember its all white! (4% of total production)
96
Q

What are the CRÉMANT Alsace AOC Maximum yields?

A

Maximum yields are 4.8 tons/acre (80 hl/ha)-

  • (23% of total Alsace production)
97
Q

What grapes can be in Crémant d’Alsace?

A

Crémant is primarily made from :

  • Pinot Blanc but also includes:
    • Riesling
    • Pinot Gris
    • Chardonnay
    • Auxerrois
    • Pinot Noir
98
Q

Is the term Réserve or Réserve Personelle regulated?

A

No.

99
Q

Name 2 of the most prominent viticultural practices in Alsace?

A

Two prominent practices are:

  • Organic and
  • Biodynamic growing.
100
Q

Did Alsace have France’s first Biodynamic Estate?

A

Yes - Eugene Meyer

101
Q

What was the first biodynamic estate in France?

A

Eugene Meyer

102
Q

What is the recipe for the collective compost piles?

A

The Recipe is :

  • 50% Cow Manure
  • 33% Horse Manure
  • 7% Sheep Manure
  • 7% Pomace
  • Balance vine clippings
103
Q

Why do Alsatian vignerons use the plow?

A

Alsatian vignerons use the plow because :

  • Encourages vine roots to grow down deep into the soil.
  • Roots tap into more minerals.
  • Roots are less susceptible to taking on too much water after a rain.
104
Q

What do Alsatian Vignerons grow grass between rows?

A

Alsation growers grow grass between rows :

  • To prevent the loss of topsoil due to erosion.
  • The grass also competes with the vines for water and minerals –> this results in lower yields.
  • Grass adsorbs humidity and minimizes the threat of fungus disease.
105
Q

Can the harvest date be changed?

A

Yes, the harvest date can be changed.

  • The association of Vignerons d’Alsace sets the earliest date at which harvest can begin but
  • A special request to the INAO can be made.
106
Q

When does harvest begin and end in Alsace?

A

Harvest starts in :

  • September -

Harvest ends in :

  • November.

** Different grapes have different ripening curves.

107
Q

Why are Alsace Grand Crus still hand harvested?

A

The slopes they are grown on are to steep for Machinery.

108
Q

What is unique about the yields for the Alsace AOC in terms of other regions?

A

They are the highest in France - 4.8 ton/acre (80 hl/ha).

109
Q

Do most Alsace Grand Cru growers reach the 3.3 tons/acre maximum yield?

A

No, most prune and green harvest to achieve much lower yields (3 tons/acre or 50 hl/ha)

110
Q

What is the drinking window for most Alsace wine?

A

6 months - 5 years after release.

111
Q

How does Riesling age?

A

Can be cellared for decades.- Will lose its up front fruit character and develop subtle notes of pine nut.