Alsace Flashcards
Under German rule from when to when
1870 - 1918
AOC status when?
1962
Location and size?
Northeastern French on border with Germany
47.5 degrees to 49 degrees.
Between Vosges Mountains in the West and the Rhine river in the East.
120 x 6 km. 21 200 ha
Region with two parts which are?
Bas-Rin
Haut-Rin
Best growing sites are where
Haut-Rhin
The south-west and south-east facing slopes.
N to S
Altitude 175m - 240m
Climate
Semi-continental
Low rainfall
Rain shadow (Vosges Mountains)
Dry and sunny
Long northern summer days. Lots of sun without being too hot, Good for extended ripening.
Alsace soils are made up of ?
Diverse as it lies on a geological fault Granite Limestone gneiss schist sandstone
Main town
Strasbourg
7 AOP Alsace permitted grape varieties.
- Riesling
- Gewurztraminer
- Pinot gris
- Muscat
- Pinot Blanc
- Sylvaner
- Pinot Noir
How many organic producers in Alsace?
50
Name of one of the first Biodynamic vintners in Alsace.
Francois Bouchet
The three AOP Appellations of Alsace
- 3 AOP’s
-
Alsace AOP - 74% of Alsace production. - 92% still white wine.
- 2 sub categories. -Alsace Communal &; Alsace Lieu-dit.
-
Alsace Grand Cru AOP.
- Limited special vineyard wines.
- 4 % of production.
- 51 Grand Cru AOP’s
-
Cremant d’Alsace AOP.
- Sparkling and Rose
- 22%
The wines of Alsace are named after which of the following?
- Chateau
- Villages
- Vineyards
- Grape varietal
Grape varietal
How often is the Grand Cru Status reviewed for AOP Alsace Grand Cru?
Every 14 years.
Name an important Alsace Grand Cru AOC stipulation regarding soil.
- It must be uniform.
- It may not be Granite and limestone based.
Oldest Alsace Appellation?
AOP Alsace
Alsace AOP wines list the grape variety on the label, What minimum % is required of the listed variety.
What is the name of the required bottle used.
What is the bottle commonly called?
- 100% of the varietal
- vin du Rhin (Rhine wine bottle)
- flûtes d’Alsace
Name the two special late harvest classifications in Alsace.
- Vendange Tardive (VT) “late harvest”
- Sélection de Grains Nobles (SGN). “selection of noble berries”, i.e. grapes affected by noble rot,
what are Eidelzwicker and Gentil?
Blends categorised within the Alsace AOC.
Which Alsace blend is called “Noble blend” in English and what is the blend?
- Edelzwicker
- Used to be made from only the noble varieties
- Deregulated in 1970.
- Name now used for nostalgic reasons.
- Today its usually a poor, inexpensive, bland bend of any varietals.
- Not governed by any AOC laws. The different grape varieties can therefore be vinified either together or separately, and the use of a vintage designation is optional.
Edelzwicker is one AOC Alsace blend, what is the other?
Give some info about its stipulations.
Gentil
Stringent production methods.
Must comprise at least 50% Riesling, Gewurztraminer and/or Muscat, with the rest being made up of Pinot Blanc, Sylvaner and/or Chasselas.
Each variety must be individually vinified and qualify as AOC Alsace wine prior to blending.
Give the old name for Pino Gris.
Tokay Pino Gris.
Tokay was dropped so to avoid confusion with Hungary’s Tokaij.
Name the two sub Alsace AOP Categories.
Alsace Communal AOP - Wines of heightened character. and quality standards.
Alsace Lieu-Dit AOP- Given to a plot or vineyard because of a unique terroir expression. Stringing production Standards. and viticultural requirements.
Tell me about bottling in Alsace AOP
Bottling must happen in area of production.
Which Body does a quality control check of Alsace AOP wines?
INAO. - Institut national de l’origine et de la qualité.
A French organisation charged with regulating French agricultural products with Protected Designations of Origin (PDOs).
Controlled by the French government, it forms part of the Ministry of Agriculture. The organization was co-founded by Châteauneuf-du-Pape producer Baron Pierre Le Roy.
How many Alsace Grand Cru AOP’s are there?
51
Production of Alsace wines in % by Alsace Grand Cru AOC’s
4%
Grapes permitted in Alsace Grand Cru AOC’s
- Riesling
- Gewurztrauminer
- Pino Gris
- Muscat
Which Alsace Grand Cru AOC’s ar permitted to blend grapes?
- Kaeferkopf
- Altenberg De Bergheim
Which Alsace Grand Cru AOC is permitted to use grapes aside from the required Grand Cru Status grapes?
Which grape?
Zotsenberg
Sylvaner.
How many Cremant d’Alsace AOC’s belong to the Cremant d’Alsace Producers Union?
More than 500.
When was Crémant d’Alsace AOC recognised and by who?
1976
INAO
Capital of Alsace?
Strasbourgh
Crémant d’Alsace requires how many months on the lees?
9 months
The two late harvest wines that may be given AOP Alsace or AOC Alsace Grand Cru status are?
Vendange Tardive (VT)
Sélection de Grains Nobles (SGN)
Requirements for AOP Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles.
- Grapes must be hand picked.
- Single variety.
- Declare vintage
- Gewurztrauminer, Pino Gris, Riesling or Muscat.
- No Chaptalisation.
- Minimum must weight (published annually)
- Tested by blind tasting.
Name 6 of the 51 Alsace Grand Cru AOP’s
- Brand
- Engelberg
- Frankstein
- Kastelberg
- Osterberg
- Rangen
- Sommerberg
- Spiegel
Noble varieties of Alsace
Riesling
Gewurztraminer
Pinot gris
Muscat
Other varieties of Alsace
Pinot Blanc
Sylvaner
Pinot Noir
