Bordered by the Vosges Mountains on the West and Germany’s Rhine River to the East, Alsace is one of France’s most picturesque wine regions. The wines of Alsace are predominantly dry whites that offer rich, pure varietal fruit with a pronounced earth/mineral character. Fifty-one Grand Cru vineyards top the region’s hierarchy of quality.
Background
Concentrated, full-bodied dry white wines
Purity of fruit and terroir
New oak rarely used
Wines labeled by grape variety
Climate
Dry with warm, sunny summers
Rain Shadow effect
Soils: Large mix due to rift valley georgraphy
Granite
Chalk
Sandstone
Loam
Alluvial
Volcanic
Geographical boundaries
Vosges Mountains
Rhine River
Regions
Bas Rhin (South
Haut Rhin (North)
Tremendous diversity of soil types.
Primary Grape Varieties
Noble Varieties
Riesling
Gewurztraminer
Muscat
Pinot Gris (Tokay d’Alsace)
Sylvaner planted in Zotenberg vineyard
Other Varieties
Pinot Blanc
Auxerrois
Sylvaner
Chasselas
Chardonnay
Pinot Noir
Appellations
Alsace AOC (1962)
Alsace Grand Cru (1983)
51 Grand Crus (51st Grand Cru as of 1/12/07)
Noble Varieties only
Quality criteria
Cremant d’Alsace AOC (1976)
Late-Harvest Wines & Terms
Vendange Tardive (VT)
Late-harvest wines
Rich, full-bodied in style
Not necessarily sweet
Selection de Grains Noble (SGN)
Dessert wines from botrytis fruit
Edelzwicker
Blended carafe wine
Minimum alcohol content for AOC Alsace
8.5% abv
The minimum alcohol content of Alsace Grand Cru
11% abv
Name the permitted varietals used for Alsace AOC
Riesling, Gewurz, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Muscat, Sylvaner, Pinot Noir, and Chasselas
What is Klevener de Heiligenstein and where is it from?
The Alsace wine made from the savagnin rose grape
Where is Sylvaner a permitted varietal for Grand Cru classification?
Zolzenberg
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