Join us in this trip in the French vineyards and discover the French emblematic terroirs and the secrets of each wine region. First stop: Alsace. Are you ready to discover a rich terroir where the wines are exceptional?
How well do you know the Alsatian vineyard?
With a surface area of 15,600 hectares planted in AOC on 2 departments (Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin), Alsace is a vineyard of great white wines.
Terroir and grape varieties: 5 white grape varieties (riesling, gewurztraminer, sylvaner, pinot gris, muscat) and 1 red grape variety (pinot noir) are planted on limestone, granite, schist, gneiss and sandstone soils.
The Alsatian vineyard benefits from a temperate-continental climate. The south and south-east exposure, as well as the particularly high level of vine production, give the grapes maximum solar radiation. All these characteristics give Alsatian wines extraordinary characteristics.
The vineyard of Alsace and a typical village
A few numbers:
• The vineyard has 3 appellations: Alsace grand cru, Alsace and Crémant d’Alsace;
•;Around 5,000 winemarkers in the vineyard;
• Production distribution: 70% dry and sweet white wine, 20% sparkling wine, 10% red wine
There is nothing better than tasting a great wine in the vines! Surrounded by Strasbourg and Mulhouse, the vineyard is spreading over a hundred kilometers at the bottom of the Vosges mountains. Some vines are at an altitude of over 460m on the mountains, giving a breathtaking landscape. We can see hills and mountains and typical Alsatian villages giving a particular charm to the vineyard and its region.
What wine and food pairings?
Grape varieties of Alsace
Now that we have presented the vineyard, would you like to taste its wines? In order to associate the white wine of Alsace, we advise you to serve it with fish, seafood, cold or hot starters. The flower, yellow fruit and mineral aromas will go perfectly with these courses while remaining in a certain balance, a beautiful finesse and acidity.
As for the Pinot Noir d’Alsace (red), it will go perfectly with poultry and white or red meats. On the nose the wine has aromas of red and black fruits, spicy and woody notes; on the palate it is fine and fruity.
How to visit Alsace in summer?
Discover the Alsatian vineyard as you wish: on foot along the vineyard paths, by bike on the Véloroute that links Marlenheim to Thann, by becoming a “winemaker for a day”, by taking part in the gourmet walks, or directly in the wineries.
Alsatian vines
Local companies will take you on a tour of the Alsace Wine Route by van, bus or bicycle; and meet the winegrowers who produce the wonderful wines of Alsace: Crémant, Riesling, or Gewurztraminer. Indeed, they will share with you their passion, their winemaking techniques and their terroirs as well as their history.
As the Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins d’Alsace would say, wine tourism in Alsace: “It’s walking in the vineyard, going along paths, exploring villages, looking up at a roof, detailing a gate, a sign in the stone, being surprised by the straightness of the rows of vines, entering a cellar, tasting“. So, what are you waiting for to discover all the secrets of the Alsatian vineyard?
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More info on: Vins d’Alsace