Posts Tagged ‘alsace wines’

French wine can be described as a broad term which encompasses many different kinds of wine, distinguished on the basis of the region from which they are cultivated. The regions are Alsace, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Corsica, Ctes du Rhone, Languedoc-Roussillon, Loire Valley, Provence and South West. As each region differs from the other in terms of the kind of cultivation, the vineyards, the grapes used, the geographical location as well as the climatic condition, the wine from each area will have a different taste as compared to the wines from other areas.

Each area has its own specialty. Alsace wine is a sweet dry white wine. The Alsace wines include Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot blanc, Tokay pinot gris, Sylvaner and Crmant d’alsace. Bordeaux is the most important wine region, not only in France but all over the world. It has more than seven thousand chateaux. Some of its famous wines are Moulis, Listrac, Pomerol and Fronsac. Burgundy is famous for Chablis, Pommard, Corton, Volnay and Montrachet. The region of Corsica is known for Ajaccio and Patrimonio, which are subtle rose and dry white wines. Ctes du Rhone is known as the most diverse region of wine in France. Some of its famous wines are cte rtie, condrieu, hermitage, chteauneuf du pape, ctes du ventoux. The wine for which the area of Languedoc-Roussillin is famous for are Corbires, Coteaux du Languedoc, Ctes du Roussillon, Saint Chinian and Costires de Nimes.

Loire Valley is known for its white wines, in particular Muscadet, Anjou, Coteaux du Layon, Saumur, Touraine, Bourguel, Vouvray Pouilly Fum and Sancerre. Provence is known for its Bandol, Bellet and dry and fruity rose wine. The South West region of France is a traditional wine region. The wines from this region are Cahors, Juranon, Madiran, Bergerac and Monbazillac. A connoisseur knows that each wine has its own unique taste, aroma and flavor.

Author: Jimmy Sturo
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The Alsace region lies in northeastern France and is an area of land approximately 50 km wide and 190 km long running along the border between France and Germany and which has been producing wine since the Romans first occupied the area in about 12 B.C. The principle city of the region is Strasburg, the home of the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights, which lies on the banks of the Rhine and is often mistakenly thought by many to be a German city.

Approximately six thousand wine growers live in this smallest of the French winemaking regions and the people of this area are very proud of their centuries old winemaking tradition.

Alsace is situated between to Vosges mountains to the west and the Black Forest to the east and is thus sheltered from both easterly and westerly winds. This makes the area particularly hot in the summer and leaves it very cold in the winter. The soil in this area is very diverse including sand, granite, clay and marl and the combination of the climate and soil conditions means that this is not the easiest of areas in which to grow grapes. Nevertheless, the region produces some of the finest Riesling, Pinot Blanc and Gewrztraminer grapes.

The area produces about 20 percent of France’s annual production of wine (approximately 165 million bottles) and the vast majority of the grapes grown are used in the production of a number of world famous white wines whose names echo their German influence. The most well known of these are Riesling and Gewrztraminer, which together account for about 40 percent of Alsace wines but other wines include Tokay and Sylvaner.

Although perhaps not well known, Tokay is a full-bodied white wine made from the Pinot Gris grape with a wonderful aroma of wood and spice and is perfect alongside Quiche Lorraine. As a full-bodied wine it is also an excellent choice as an accompaniment for meat for people who prefer a white rather than a red wine.

Sylvaner, which was originally made in Austria, has been produced in Alsace for about two hundred years and is a fruity and dry white wine which is often served with both fish and pork.

Another excellent wine from this region is the Crmant d’Alsace, a sparkling white wine made in the manner of Champagne. Crmant d’Alsace is a blend of Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris or Pinot Noir grapes and has an aroma of red fruits, apricots and almonds.

If you are buying an Alsatian wine, either for yourself or as a wine gift, be sure to look for the words ‘Grand Crus’ on the label which distinguishes a wine as being one of this region’s best wines.

Author: Donald Saunders
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