Alsace Study Guide Flashcards
What is the only grape permitted for Marc d’Alsace AOP?
Gewurztraminer
Which treaty ended the 30 years war in 1648 cementing Alsace’s French ownership?
Treaty of Westphalia
What year marks a divergence in French and German winemaking styles? Describe them
1945
German wines remained classically sweet, whereas Alsace producers fermented to dryness for a more powerful and food-friendly wine.
When did Alsace finally achieve AOC status becoming the last major French winemaking region to do so?
1962
What are the two departments of Alsace from north to south?
Bas-Rhin (north)
Haut-Rhin (south)
Which mountain separates Alsace from the rest of France and provides the region with one of France’s driest and sunniest climates due to the rain shadow effect it provides?
Vosges Mountains
What is the capital of the Haut-Rhin department?
Colmar
What is the climate classified as in Alsace?
Semi-continental
The best vineyards in Alsace have one of what 3 exposures?
Full south
southeastern
warm eastern
What are 8 soil types found in Alsace?
granite limestone schist clay gravel chalk loess grés de Vosges (pink sandstone)
What soil type dominates the steeper and higher altitude vineyards in Alsace? Lower slopes? Plain at the base of the slopes?
Volcanic sediment, granite, and schist on the steeper mountain slopes
limestone base on the lower slopes
richer alluvial clay and gravel on the plains
What % of AOP wine in Alsace is white?
90%
What % of France’s still white AOP wine is made in Alsace?
18% as of 2008
What are the 4 noble grapes of Alsace?
Riesling
Muscat
Pinot Gris
Gewurztraminer
What are the 3 varieties of Muscat grown in Alsace?
Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains
Muscat Rosé à Petits Grains
Muscat Ottonel
What are the synonyms for Pinot Blanc and Chasselas in Alsace respectively?
Klevner (Pinot Blanc)
Gutedel (Chasselas)
Along with the 4 noble varieties, what other 4 varieties may be bottled varietally for Alsace AOP?
Chasselas (Gutedel)
Pinot Blanc (Klevner)
Sylvaner
Pinot Noir
Auxerrois can be bottled varietally if labeled Pinot Blanc
What is the min % of grape stated that must be used for varietal bottles of Alsace AOP wine?
min 100%
except for Pinot Blanc which is often blended with the similar but not synonymous Auxerrois
What grapes may be used in a bottle of Alsace wine simply labeled “Pinot”?
Any proportion of related varieties Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Auxerrois?
What is the most planted grape in Alsace and the region’s last of the noble grapes to ripen?
Riesling
From what year forward does Alsace AOP require standard Riesling bottlings to be dry in style?
2008
What were two former synonyms for Pinot Gris in Alsace?
Tokay d’Alsace
Tokay Pinot Gris
How do Muscat and Gewürztraminer differ in regards to expression?
Muscat is floral with grapes notes whereas Gewürztraminer is more perfumed, sweet spiced and tropical
Gewurztraminer is also higher in alcohol and more likely to be off-dry
What is Klevener synonymous with? What grape is it not, but is related to?
Savagnin Rose
Related to Gewürztraminer as it is a variant of Traminer, but it is not Gewurztraminer
What are the 5 communes for production of Klevener de Heiligenstein?
Heiligenstein Bourgheim Gertwiller Goxwiller Obernai
What are the 2 blending designations for Alsace AOP? Which is considered superior? What is a third type but not listed on labels?
Edelzwicker and Gentil are the designations
Gentil is considered the superior designation
Field blends are a third type
What’s the difference between Gentil and Edelzwicker?
Gentil requires a min 50% of noble grapes with any other Alsace AOP grape comprising the rest. Base wines are vilified separately.
Edelzwicker do not need to be vintage-dated or indicate grape percentages and don’t necessarily have to be made from more than one grape by law.
Who is the top producer of Alsace field blends?
Marcel Deiss
What was the first Alsace Grand Cru designated? When? When were the remaining 50 designated?
Schlossberg in 1975
24 designated in 1983
25 more in 1992
1 (Kaefferkopf) was designated in 2007
Must Alsace Grand Cru AOP wines be single varietal? Produced from any grape?
Can be blends but must be produced from noble varietals.
Except for Zotzenberg which bottles Sylvaner varietally
What two Grand Crus permit blending?
Altenberg de Bergheim- Riesling dominated
Kaefferkopf- Gewustraminer dominated blend with PG
Is hand harvesting mandatory for Alsace Grand Cru?
yes
What are two producers of Zotzenberg Grand Cru?
Albert Setz
Domaine Boeckel
What are the min alcohol % for the four noble grapes for Alsace AOP? Alsace Grand Cru AOP?
Riesling: 10%/11%
Muscat: 9.5%/11%
Gewurztraminer: 11.5%/12.5%
Pinot Gris:11.5%/12.5%
In what year was the number of Grand Cru appellations increased from 1 to 51? Why was this done?
2011
to ease further restrictions or expansions of the grape varieties, yields, and techniques allowed for each grand cru
What is the smallest Alsace Grand Cru? Largest? Sizes?
Kanzlerberg (3ha)
Schlossberg (80ha)
What Grand Cru vineyard contains Trimbach’s Clos-Ste-Hune?
Rosacker
When was Trimbach’s first vintage of Geisberg Grand Cru?
2009
When were the late harvest designations of VT and SGN created? What do they stand for? For what AOPs may these be used?
1984
Vendanges Tardives
Sélections de Grains Nobles
Alsace/Vin d’Alsace AOP
Alsace Grand Cru AOP
May VT and SGN wines be a blend?
No, must be single varietal
What is passerilage?
French term for leaving grapes on the vine past normal harvest dates to dry and concentrate them
What is the min must weights for VT and SGN for the 4 noble grapes?
Riesling and Muscat
244g/L for VT
276g/L for SGN
Gewürztrainer and Pinot Gris
270g/L for VT
306g/L for SGN
What is the only red grape permitted in Alsace AOP wines? What styles is it produced in?
Pinot Noir
light red and rosé
What is the workhorse grape in Crémant d’Alsace AOP? What other grapes may be blended in?
Pinot Blanc (Klevner)
Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Auxerrois, Chardonnay, and/or Riesling
What is the only appellation that permits Chardonnay in Alsace? What is the only nobel grape that can be used in the production of these wines?
Crémant d’Alsace AOP
Riesling + PG are the only noble grape allowed.
What is the min % of Pinot Noir required for Crémant d’Alsace AOP rosé? How is this rosé produced?
min 100%
either through saignée method or short maceration
What are the grape requirements for rouge produced in Côtes de Toul AOP and Moselle AOP?
What are the grape requirements for blanc Côtes de Toul AOP and Moselle AOP?
Rosé?
Both are 100% Pinot Noir for red.
Côtes de Toul Blanc:
Auxerrois and Aubin
Moselle Blanc:
Min 70% Auxerrois, Pinot Gris, and Muller-Thurgau with Pinot Blanc, Riesling, and max 10% Gewürztraminer
Côtes de Toul Rosé (aka Vin Gris):
both Pinot Noir (min 10%) and Gamay must be present in combined min 85% with Pinot Meunier, Auxerrois and Aubin
Moselle AOP rosé
Min 70% Pinot Noir with Gamay
What two white grapes may be bottled varietally in Moselle AOP?
Pinot Gris
Muller-Thurgau
What are the two famous Clos of Rangen? Who owns them? What town is this near?
Clos St. Urbain (Zind-Humbrecht)
Clos St. Théobald (Domaine Schoffit)
Near Thann
What is the famous Clos of Vorbourg? Who owns it? What is the most famous grape produced here? What town is it near?
Clos St. Landelin
René Muré
Pinot Noir is the most famous (though the other 4 are grown here too)
Rouffach
What is the name of Domaine Willm’s famous Clos? In what Grand Cru is it within? What is the star grape? Village?
Clos Gaensbroennel
Kirchberg de Barr
Gewurztraminer
Barr
What are the two famous Clos sites located in the Kirchberg de Barr Grand Cru? Who owns them? What grape are they famous for?
Clos Gaensbroennel (Domaine Willm) known for Gewurztraminer
Clos Zisser (Domaine Klipfel) known for Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris
What is the name of Ernest Burn’s famous Clos? What Grand Cru is it located in? What village is it located in? What grapes is it produced as?
Clos Saint Imer
Goldert Grand Cru
Gueberschwihr
The Noble 4 plus Pinot Noir
What is Gres des Vosges
Pink Sandstone
What are the 3 allowed clones of Muscat?
Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains Muscat Rosé à Petits Grains
Muscat Ottonel
Which Grand Crus are not authorized for varietal Muscat?
Altenberg de Bergheim
Kaefferkopf
What is the northernmost Grand Cru in Alsace?
Steinklotz
What is the southernmost Grand Cru in Alsace?
Rangen
Post 2008, what is the max residual sugar for Riesling?
9g/L (if TA is 6)
6g/L (if chaptalization is used)
What varieties are authorized for Ottrott, Rodern, and Saint Hippolyte?
Only Pinot Noir
What varieties are authorized for Côte de Rouffach?
Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir
unique with White and Red!
What Alsace subzones are authorized for Muscat?
none
Who produces Cuvée Frédéric Emile, from which Grand Crus?
Trimbach, from Osterberg and Geisberg (single plot that overlaps the border between the two)
Who produces Clos St-Urbain, from which Grand Cru?
Zind-Humbrecht, from Rangen
Who produces Clos Hauserer, from which Grand Cru?
Zind-Humbrecht, from Hengst
Who produces Clos de Capuchins, from which Grand Cru?
Weinbach, from Schlossberg
