Alsace
Alsace is undoubtedly one of the most charming and uniquely distinct wine regions of France. Famed for wine, culture, landscape, history, gastronomy, and above all for its picturesque ‘chocolate-box’ villages, Alsace offers something for everyone. Colmar, which sits right in the middle of the region, is the perfect base of any wine tour and is one of the prettiest towns in the whole of France.
In the north-east corner of the country bordering Germany, Alsace is not split into separate sub-regions, and is considered a relatively homogenous area (although it has very varied soil types). The wine route, which is THE oldest in France, extends about 120 kms from near Mulhouse in the south to Strasbourg in the north. Beautiful villages dot the landscape and Grand Cru vineyards are found in the best terroirs. The Vosges mountain to the west provide a scenic backdrop.
The vast majority of Alsace wine is white and sparkling, though there is some red made from Pinot Noir. The 4 ‘noble’ white grapes are Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer and Muscat, and there’s also Sylvaner, Auxerrois and Pinot Blanc. Alsace is a huge producer of Cremant (sparkling wine made in the traditional method), and also makes luscious dessert wines.
The climate is temperate with long, warm summers and mild winters. The Vosges mountains to the west soaks up all the rain making Colmar one of the driest and sunniest towns in the whole of France. Situated in a ‘rift valley’, Alsace has a huge diversity of different soil types ranging through limestone, sandstone, loess, granite, schist and clay.
Fun Fact
Past Tours to Alsace
The Alsace vineyards offer a range of exceptional wines. Rich in history and architecture and boasting a unique landscape, the Alsace Wine Route, one of the oldest in France, crosses these different wine districts. Our recent wine tour through this region took us to chocolate-box villages and vineyards on steep slopes, producing an incomparable range of rich and aromatic wines, from the driest and most delicate to the most opulent and full-bodied.
