Online Encyclopedia
Alsace wine
The wine producing region of Alsace in France primarily produces white wines. Its wines, which have a strong Germanic influence, have the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlées Alsace AOC, Alsace Grand Cru AOC and Crémant d'Alsace AOC. It produces some of the world's most noted dry rieslings and is the only region in France to produce mostly varietal wines, typically from similar grapes as used in German wine.
Wine styles
Almost all wines are white, except those made from the pinot noir grape which are very pale red, often rosé. Typically they are dry, although some are off dry (and not labelled as such, causing confusion among buyers). There are two late harvest styles, vendange tardive and Sélection de Grains Nobles (SGN) (similar to German trockenbeerenauslese). Sparkling wines known as Crémant d'Alsace are also made.
Grape Varieties
- Sylvaner
- Muscat grape
- Riesling
- Gewürztraminer
- Klevener de Heiligenstein
- Pinot auxerrois
- Pinot gris
- Pinot noir
Growers
Some of the best known growers include Trimbach , Zind-Humbrecht and Josmeyer .