Guess again!

What about Alsace?

If you’re a typical American, I’d bet you probably don’t know that…

Alsace is a region in the Northeastern corner of France, right next to Germany and above Switzerland with 38,300 acres of vines, with over 13%  organic or biodynamic, making the region one of the greenest in France. In 2011, Alsace produced 12.5 million cases of wine.

Alsace has 13 different and very distinct types of soil from volcanic to limestone to clay, the most diverse terroir in France. 

Alsace is in the rain shadow of the Vosges Mountains making it the second driest region in France with around 20 inches of rain per year. Alsace also experiences a lot of sunshine with 1,800 hours annually. Warm days and cool nights allow for slow ripening, which produces complex, aromatic and balanced wines.

Alsace produces mostly white wines: still, sparkling, and sweet, but also Pinot Noir.

Crémant d’Alsace makes up 24% of the production and is produced in the tradition method from Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir (all Crémant d’Alsace Rosés are 100% Pinot Noir) or Chardonnay (only for Crémant production).Yum! Read about the Lucien Albrecht Cremant d’Alsace we opened for Mother’s Day!

So what should you pair with that Riesling from Alsace now that you know that it’s not necessarily sweet? Continue reading →