As in the article in French, we avoided putting city names too complicated to read! Enjoy 😉
Alsace is a cultural and historical region on the border of Germany and Switzerland. It has a surface area of 8,280 Km², its main cities are Strasbourg in the north, Colmar in the centre and Mulhouse in the south.
Sheltered from oceanic influences by the Vosges mountains. The Alsatian vineyard extends over nearly 15,500 hectares. It is located on the sub-Vosges hills, from Thann in the south to Marlenheim in the north. A few communes further north, near the German border, in the Wissembourg region also benefit from the Alsace AOC. The diversity of the soils makes it possible to obtain a very wide range of wines from the same grape variety. On the other hand, the Alsatian vineyard can boast one of the most beautiful wine routes in France. On more than 100Km, it is a succession of small villages with typical houses, sumptuous dignified landscapes.
A place of passage, this region located on the banks of the Rhine has suffered throughout its history of frequent invasions. In spite of this, the Alsatians have always known how to face adversity and rebuild their vineyards. The 14th and 15th centuries represented a period of prosperity for Alsace. Indeed this region was not affected by the Hundred Years War (1337-1453). At that time, it was part of the Holy German Empire. On the other hand, the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) marked the end of Alsatian prosperity. It is a bloodless province which joined the kingdom of France in 1648 (Treaty of Westphalia). Once again prosperous, the vineyard will not escape the phylloxera. After the war of 1870, Alsace becomes German. The noble plants are uprooted and replaced by common grape varieties, big producers. The region became French again in 1918, it will take many years to reconstitute the vineyard. This is the reason why Alsace wines only obtained the AOC in 1962. Since this date, efforts have continued: creation of the AOC Alsace Grand Cru and Crémant d'Alsace. New provisions concerning late harvests and selection of noble grains, etc. This explains why, out of the 150 million bottles produced each year, nearly 35 million are exported.
Beware - for Alsace wines, there is very often confusion between grape varieties and appellations. You will never find on a label Riesling Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Sylvane, ... controlled. The AOC refers to a geographical entity, there is however an exception the Muscadet in the Loire Valley.
Now let's talk about the most important for the elaboration of wine, the Alsatian grape varieties and their aromas:
The Sylvaner Remarkably fresh and light, with a discreet and thirst-quenching fruitiness, it knows how to show a beautiful vivacity.
Pinot Blanc It is tender and delicate, combining freshness and suppleness, it represents a happy medium in the range of Alsace wines.
Riesling It is dry, racy and delicately fruity, it offers a bouquet of great finesse with mineral or floral nuances, which make it an excellent wine for laying down. Recognized as one of the best white grape varieties in the world, it is a gastronomic wine par excellence.
Muscat d'Alsace It is very aromatic and expresses the flavour of fresh fruit wonderfully. It is distinguished from the sweet muscats of the Midi (region) by its dry character.
Pinot Gris It is robust, round and long in the mouth, it has aromas of the undergrowth, sometimes slightly smoky. It develops a richness and a very characteristic flavour.
Pinot Noir The only grape variety in Alsace to produce a red or rosé wine whose typical fruity taste evokes cherry, it can be aged in oak barrels, which adds to its aromas a more robust and complex structure.
Gewurztraminer It is full-bodied and exuberant, powerful and seductive, sometimes slightly mellow, it is the most famous of the Alsace wines. Its intense bouquet develops rich aromas of fruit (mango, lychee), flowers (rose) or spices (Gewurz = spicy).
Let's now talk about the Alsatian appellations, there are 3 of them:
AOC Alsace The label usually mentions the name of the grape variety concerned and can also bear a brand name such as "Edelzwicker" or "Gentil" for a blend of several white grape varieties. Complementary geographical indications may also appear on the label (localities, communes, etc.).
AOC Alsace Grand Cru It is awarded to wines that meet a number of quality criteria: strict delimitation of the terroirs, more limited yield, specific rules of vine management, minimum natural richness, pleasure tasting, ... The label must mention the vintage year, one of the fifty localities that can benefit from this appellation, and generally indicates the grape variety. Among the Alsatian grape varieties, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris and Muscat are accepted, except in exceptional cases. The Alsace Grand Cru appellation is a tribute to the choice terroirs, which give the wines a particular expressive strength and authenticity.
AOC Crémant d'Alsace It crowns the lively and delicate wines of Alsace, made according to the traditional method, mainly from Pinot Blanc, but also from Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Riesling or Chardonnay. These wines are today the leading French crémant, the rarer crémant rosé is made from Pinot Noir alone.
Some additional information that can be found indicated on the bottles:
Late Harvest It comes from grape varieties identical to those allowed in the great vintages, harvested at over-ripeness, often several weeks after the beginning of the harvest. To the aromatic character of the grape varieties is added the power due to the phenomenon of concentration and the development of noble rot.
Selections of noble grains They are obtained by successive selections of grains affected by noble rot. Concentration makes the identity of the grape variety more discreet, to the benefit of exceptional power, complexity and length in the mouth. This is a true masterpiece.
Let us now address an important point for the elaboration of a wine: the different soils that can be found in Alsace, whether on the edge of the Vosges or directly on the Vosges mountains:
The soils on the edge of the Vosges:
Granitic and Gneissic They are located on the slopes of the Vosges Mountains, they are composed of magmatic rocks which disintegrate to form a coarse sand called granitic arena, with low water retention but rich in mineral elements. The wines produced from these acidic terroirs are always very expressive in their youth, with a light structure.
Schist Soils is a flaky rock resulting from the compression of clay. Fairly rare in Alsace, these terroirs are rich in fertilising elements. Structured around freshness and elegance, the wines produced on these terroirs take their time to blossom.
Volcano -sedimentary soils Resulting from the consolidation of lava and volcanic ash, the rocks and compacts. These stony and dark soils retain heat well and transcend the grape varieties. The wines, with their smoky aromas, are full-bodied and well-structured.
Sandstone soils are made up of quartz sands. Geologically quite similar to granitic terroirs, with the same acidic and sandy character, sandstone terroirs have a different expression: the wines made there are less aromatic. They also require more time for their complexity to develop.
The sub-Voscian hills
Calcareous Soils These are limestones of marine origin that disintegrate easily and form very stony soils. On these chemically basic terroirs, the wines are marked by a beautiful acidic structure, broad and powerful. Rather closed in their youth, they evolve towards a lemony character with time.
Marl-Calcareous Soils They are composed of thick deposits of clay (marl) and calcareous pebbles. The power of the marls is supported by a long and complex offered by the limestone. The wines are generous and long in their youth, and age admirably in minerality. The greater the share of limestone, the greater the share of limestone, the more finesse the wine develops.
Marno-sandstone soils a sandstone variant of the marly-limestone terroir, this is a scree whose pebbles here are sandstone. The marl gives power to the wines while the sandstone makes them lighter. The aromas are more complex than on a marly terroir and more generous than on an exclusively sandstone terroir.
Soil Marno- Calcaro- sandstone The variety of these sedimentary terroirs makes them rich in minerals. These deep soils are fertile and retain water well. If marl brings power, limestone and sandstone give finesse. The wines take their time to harmonize these somewhat antagonistic components.
Soils Calcaro - Sandstone Cemented by limestone, the quartz grains of these rocks hardly alter. The soils, very stony, have a very low mineral fertility. The wines are tense, with intense floral expressions.
Clay and Marl Soils ,Clay is the main component of these soft but compact rocks, giving heavy and fat soils, very interesting in dry years. Soil fertility is high thanks to the clay's ability to retain mineral elements. The wines have a powerful structure and take a long time to develop. The strong presence of clay explains a perception of tannins, although these are white wines.
Now let's talk about tourism in Alsace which is very rich and diversified!
There is of course the traditional wine route which is renowned for its exceptional itinerary and the simplicity of its route, the wine route to discover the region and its winegrowers. From valley to hillside, it runs at the foot of the Vosges over more than 170Km and crosses the entire vineyard, from Marlenheim to Thann, meeting some 1000 producers. It also includes an isolated area around Wissembourg, in the extreme north of Alsace.
Of course there is much more to discover, such as Colmar which is the little Venice of northern France, rich in colour and winegrowers around the city. Strasbourg a city marked by the renaissance and its gothic cathedral where there is also the seat of the European parliament. There is also Neuf-Brisach city fortified by Vauban which is beautiful to visit!
we have put the itinerary of the Alsace wine route 🗺 for you!
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