Famed for wine, culture, landscape, history, a rich gastronomy, and ‘chocolate-box’ villages, Alsace is the most unique wine region in France. But due its chequered political history and geographical location it has a split personality, so where does its heart lie?
Situated in the most north-easterly corner France bordering Germany, in the last 150 years it has belonged to France, then Germany, then France, then Germany and finally since 1945 to France. No surprise then that it has elements of both in its culture, architecture, cuisine and wines. The wine bottle shapes are the tall flutes, usually associated with Germany. The predominant grapes sound Germanic – Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Sylvaner. But the wines have levels of alcohol and body more associated with France.
In March I was fortunate to take part in a study trip of Alsace with the Association of Wine Educators. Here are a few nuggets I learnt about the region.
Alsace History & Vineyard Area
Centuries ago the vineyard area of Alsace was twice what it is today, and half was planted with black grapes including Pinot Noir, Gamay and other ‘lost’ black varieties. The total vineyard area of Alsace today is 15,500 hectares, and this is just half that of Burgundy. However unlike other French wine regions which have reduced their vineyard area in the last 50 years, the vineyard surface area in Alsace increased by 60% between 1970 and 2007.
Alsace Cremant Production
Alsace is the biggest producer of Cremant in France, even bigger than the Loire. Cremant was created in the late 19th century by Julien Dopff after he went to the World Export Fair in Paris and discovered the ‘Champagne method’ of making sparkling wine. But at the time Alsace was under German rule and it was forbidden to use French grapes (like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir) in the production of Alsace wines.
Cremant is today mainly made from Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois, but it can be exclusively Chardonnay. Cremant Rose must be produced by the Saignee method (by skin contact), it and cannot be made by blending white and red wine together as in Champagne. Cremant accounts for around 25% of Alsace wines.
Dry/Sweet Scale
Alsace wines can be confusing for the consumer as it’s never quite clear whether there is a dry, medium or sweet wine in the bottle. Since 2021 there are new rules which came into effect for the 2022 vintage. The four categories are dry (sec), medium-dry (demi-sec), mellow (moelleux) and sweet (doux). These must be shown on the label with the relevant word, or on a visual scale with sweetness levels and an arrow clearly pointing to one specific level. But it’s not just about sweetness, as the four sweetness categories are defined using an EU model that takes account of the tartaric acid content as well as the sugar.
Premier Cru in Alsace
Alsace famously has Grand Crus but no Premier Crus! There are around 400 ‘Lieux-Dits’ (specifically-named, distinct vineyards) which can be included on the label. In 2016 when the consultation process started, 100 lieux-dits were being considered for the new Premier Cru status. But now, after navigating numerous cultural, legal and bureaucratic obstacles and objections, just 15-20 lieux-dits are being considered. It may take many years more before they are approved by the relevant authorities.
Sustainability
30% of Alsace’s wine production is organic, and 7% is certified biodynamic, the highest percentage of any French region.
All-in-all, Alsace is a fascinating region worthy of any wine-lovers’ attention. You could say that it has the best of both worlds – French flair and German precision.