Alsace wine or Alsatian wine (French: Vin d’Alsace; German: Elsässer Wein; Haut Rhin Alsatian: d’r Wii vum Elsàss; Bas Rhin Alsatian: de Win vum Elsàss) is produced in the Alsace region in France and is primarily white wine.

Is Alsace a French wine?

Alsace wine or Alsatian wine (French: Vin d’Alsace; German: Elsässer Wein; Haut Rhin Alsatian: d’r Wii vum Elsàss; Bas Rhin Alsatian: de Win vum Elsàss) is produced in the Alsace region in France and is primarily white wine.

What wine is Alsace known for?

Alsace wine will change your perception of a traditionally sweet Riesling. Besides Riesling, Alsace produces quite a lot of Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer and Crémant d’Alsace: a sparkling wine that is mushrooming in popularity.

What red grape is grown in Alsace?

In Alsace, we distinguish 7 grape varieties :

  • 6 white wines : Sylvaner, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Muscat d’Alsace, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer,
  • 1 rosé or red wine : the Pinot Noir.

How does Alsace labeling system differ from other wine regions of France?

Wine labeling, in Alsace, is different from other regions administered by the A.O.C. classification system. It was the first region of France to label its wine according to grape variety. All Alsace wines, that put the name of the grape variety on the label, must contain a 100% of that grape.

What is Alsace white wine?

Alsace is an ideal place to cultivate white varieties, given the semi-continental climate and its dry summers. While there are approximately a half dozen grape types planted in the region, there are three that stand out: Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris.

How many appellations does Alsace have?

Alsace has just four official appellations for its wines and spirits: Alsace Grand Cru covers the region’s highest-quality white wines produced from 51 official Grand Cru vineyard sites.

What does Alsace mean?

Alsace. / (ælˈsæs, French alzas) / noun. a region and former province of NE France, between the Vosges mountains and the Rhine: famous for its wines.

Is Alsace its own country?

Alsace is a region in north-eastern France that borders Switzerland and Germany. In fact, it is so close to Germany that you can travel by tram from the regional capital Strasbourg, to Kehl, the nearest German city, in just 15 minutes. Although Alsace is part of France, its borders have not always been clear.

How many wineries are in Alsace?

Alsace wine region boasts beautiful hilly vineyards stretching along the Rhine river in the northeast of France. 51 vineyards, each with their own designated Grand Cru appellation, are dispersed in two sub-regions, The Bas-Rhin and the Haut-Rhin.

What are the different types of wineries in Alsace?

Wines are produced under three different AOCs: Alsace AOC for white, rosé and red wines, Alsace Grand Cru AOC for white wines from certain classified vineyards and Crémant d’Alsace AOC for sparkling wines. Both dry and sweet white wines are produced.

What to drink in Alsace?

Pinot Noir: The only red wine from Alsace: fresh, light and fruity. The mellow, sweet Vendange Tardive (late harvest) and Sélection de Grains Nobles (selection of noble berries) wines will delight lovers of complex, powerful wines!

Is there AOC wine in Alsace?

Almost all production in Alsace is of AOC wine, since there is no Vin de pays region which covers Alsace. Thus, the only alternative to producing AOC wine is to declassify it all the way down to Vin de table, which generally means that neither grape varieties, region of origin or vintage may be identified.

What are the characteristics of Alsace wine?

Sparkling wines known as Crémant d’Alsace are also made. Much of the white wines of Alsace are made from aromatic grape varieties, so many characteristic Alsace wines are aromatic, floral and spicy. Since they very seldom have any oak barrel aromas they tend to be very varietally pure in their character.