Wset - Alsace

Question 1

What’s the climate like in Alsace?

Answer 1

cool to moderate continental climte

Question 2

What’s the mountain range called that gives Alsace shelter?

Answer 2

Vosges Mountains
It shelter Alsace’s vineyards from the prevailing westerly, rain-bearing wind and the lack of clouds results in sunnay summers and dry autumns.

Question 3

Where are the best vineyards located?

Answer 3

on the steep slopes with east and south-east aspects in the south of alsace.

Question 4

Where can you find the most production of Cremant d’Alsace?

Answer 4

in the plain between the Vosges foothills and the Rhine in the north of Alsace

Question 5

How does the grape growing practices vary depending on whether the vineyards are on slopes or on the plain?

Answer 5

on the slopes the vines are trained low to benifit from radiated heat and the rows are oriented to maximise the vine’s exposure to the sun. Harvesting is done by hand.
On the plain the vines are trained high to minimise the risk of spring frosts. Organic and biodynamic viticulture is more widely practised here than in some other parts of France, in part due to the low disease pressure in the sunny, dry conditions.

Question 6

When do they usually harvest in Alsace?

Answer 6

Due to the different varieties, the harvest season can start in the end of August for grapes for sparkling wine and may last until the end of november or even the beginning of december for VT and SGN

Question 7

What does VT mean?

Answer 7

Vendanges Tardives - “Late Harvest”
these wines must be made for one of the nobel varieties and must have a specific minimum suger ripeness depending on grape variety.

Question 8

What does SGN mean?

Answer 8

Sélection de Grains Nobles
These wines can only be made with one of the noble varieties and must have a certain minimum suger ripeness depending on the grape variety. The suger level are set higher than VT, and usually achieved with noble rot.

Question 9

Which are the four noble grape varieties?

Answer 9

Riesling
Gewurztraminer
Pinot Gris
Muscat

Question 10

What’s the vast majority Alsatian wines made from?

Answer 10

A single grape variety!
A blend tends to be inexpensive and made from juice that was not selected for varietal wines.

Question 11

What’s a blend called?

Answer 11

Edelzwicker
or
Gentil

Question 12

What’s the most common wine making technique used in Alsace?

Answer 12

since most of the grape varietals are aromatic the winemaking is focused on retaining the aromas and flavours of the grapes.
Some traditional producers use large old oak barrels, often more than 100 y. old.
Modern winemakers use stainless steel vats.
Mlf is not common

Question 13

What’s the character of an Alsatian wine when it comes to sweetness levels?

Answer 13

VT can vary in style from dry to medium sweet
SGN are sweet
The rest are traditionally dry, but in recent years more wines, particularly grand cru level, have been made with noticeable sweetness.

Question 14

What’s the terms of the different levels of sweetness?

Answer 14

sec
demi-sec
moelleux
doux

Question 15

Which are the most widely planted noble varity?

Answer 15

Riesling

Question 16

What’s the character like for the best rieslings from alsace?

Answer 16

the best are med-full- bodied, dry with medium alc. high acidity and display citrus and stone fruit aromas often with a pronounced stony/steely character.

Question 17

What’s the character of a Gewurztraminer?

Answer 17

it’s renowned for it’s pungent aromatic spicy nose, reminisent of lychees, roses and sweet baking spice.
The skin has a light pink tinge, giving a golden colour to some of the wines.
Tend to be full-bodied, rich oily texture, low to medium acidity and high alc.

Question 18

What’s the character of a Pinot Gris from Alsace?

Answer 18

rich, fullbodied, high in alc, more acidity than Gewurz.
similar colour to Gewurz, but less aromatic
on the palate it can be richly in textured and have a pronounced flavour intensity with fresh and dried fruits and honeyed character

Question 19

How many different grape varieties called Muscat are there in Alsace?

Answer 19

two,
Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains
Muscat Ottonel

Question 20

What the differense to the two different Muscat varieties?

Answer 20

Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains are intensly aromatic with flavours of orange blossom, rose and grape. light to medium body, low to medium acidity. But unfortunately prone to poor fruit set and rot.
Muscat Ottonel is more widely planted because it can be relied on to crop more regularly.

Question 21

Name another widely planted grape variety that’s not one of the noble ones

Answer 21

Pinot Blanc
Auxerrois
Sylvaner
Pinot Noir

Question 22

What’s the character and where can you find Pinot Blanc in Alsace?

Answer 22

It tends to be grown in more fertile soils of hte plain rather than on the better slope sites.
Mostly used for sparkling wines, but as still wine it’s light, simple and refreshing.

Question 23

What’s the character of Auxerrois?

Answer 23

similar to Pinot Blanc, but slightly spicier and more full-bodied.

Question 24

What’s the character of Sylvaner?

Answer 24

delicatlely perfumed, some richness.
best young

Question 25

What’s the character of Pinot Noir from Alsace?

Answer 25

It’s the only black grape allowed in Alsace.
these wines lack body and concentration and were often at their best as a light red or rosé.

Question 26

Which are the two principal levels of appellation for still wines in Alsace?

Answer 26

Alsace
Alsace Grand Cru

Question 27

If a wine goes under the appellation Alsace, what can you expect?

Answer 27

the wine is made from a single grape variety, needs to be labelled.

some wines are blends, they’re not varietally labelled.

Question 28

If a wine goes under the appellation Alsace Grand Cru, what can you expect?

Answer 28

There are over 50 vineyards that have their own grand cru appellation
Produced from a single noble grape variety, with a few exceptions
the label must state the name of the vineyard, vintage and the grape variety

Question 29

why does some grand cru producers choose not to label their wine as a grand cru?

Answer 29

Because in Alsace some of the grand cru vineyards are far too large and are not worthy of the appellation; therefor some choose not to label their wine as a grand cru