Alsace (69)

Quality Standards - The Key to the First Alsatian Wine Bloom

This key moment in Alsatian viticulture is documented in the regulations of a winegrowers' association in Riquewihr, which set a specific harvest time and dictated which grape varieties should be planted. At the height of Alsatian viticulture, an area was cultivated that was twice the size of today's vineyard areas in Alsace.

Alsatian Catastrophes - Thirty Years' War and Phylloxera

The winegrowing in Alsace came to a sudden end when the horrors of the Thirty Years' War swept over the vineyards from Strasbourg to Colmar, having devastating effects on both the winemakers and their vines. By the middle of the 19th century, viticulture in Alsace had recovered again, reaching a new peak of 30,000 hectares cultivated. But starting in 1863, phylloxera began its destructive march from Languedoc, reaching Burgundy in the 1880s and finally arriving in Alsace in 1903.

Today, about 15,000 hectares of vineyard area are still cultivated in Alsace, resulting in approximately 150 million bottles of Alsatian wine.

Grape Varieties in Alsace

Mostly, white grape varieties are grown, but also Pinot Noir. Listed in descending order of vineyard area, these are

• Riesling
• Pinot Blanc
• Gewurztraminer (yes, without umlaut)
• Pinot Gris
• Sylvaner (yes, with "y")
• Muscat d'Alsace

All of them thrive on a variety of soils, as the terroir of Alsace is very diverse, consisting of both deep-seated rocks like granite and gneiss as well as limestone, marl, and sandstone. The soil composition in Alsace guarantees excellent wines, especially evident in the Grands Crus.

Great Sites - Grand Cru d'Alsace

Overall, Alsace can boast 51 Grand Cru sites covering a total of 1,680 hectares. It all began in 1975 with the site Schlossberg in Kientzheim. In 1983, renowned sites like Altenberg, Hatschbourg, Kitterlé, and Eichberg followed. Finally, in 1992, another 25 Grand Crus were added, including Mandelberg, Schoenenberg, and Muenchberg.

Edelzwicker - The Special Cuvée

The white wine grape varieties of Alsace can be wonderfully blended into cuvées, which are marketed under the name Edelzwicker. Gentil d'Alsace is also a common title for cuvées.