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Alsace has been singled out as one of the hot regions in the world to visit this year by the Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2010. The annual Best in Travel guide aims to give “a collection of the world’s best journeys, destinations and experiences for the year ahead” to “take travellers out of the ordinary”. One of the highlights of the guide is the Top 10 regions which brings Alsace to the forefront.
Located on France’s eastern border, on the west bank of the Rhine river, Alsace is widely acclaimed as one of the most beautiful and distinctive regions of France. It received global recognition in 1988 when Unesco awarded Strasbourg’s Grand Ile the World Heritage status (the first time this accolade was given to an entire city).
Lonely Planet describes Alsace as a “mountainous, vine-ribboned region” and according to the guide the “defining experience” would be “cycling among vineyards and wine cellars along the rural Route du Vin d’Alsace (Alsace Wine Route) one day and overdosing on city culture the next.”
The Guide recommends the Fêtes du Vin (wine festivals) taking place in villages all over Alsace during the summer, the “Chambres d’Hôte” (B&Bs) in the wine country, the Winstubs (literally “wine rooms”, local wine bars also serving food) offering local gastronomic specialities.
Wine tourism
Alsace has been a pioneer in wine tourism in France with the development of the Wine Route which has, over the past 50 years, contributed to the success of Alsace wines. Famous for its exceptional natural beauty, the Wine Route leads visitors across rows of undulating, vine-covered hills, and through delightful quaint villages with narrow streets and charming flower-decked houses.
Visitors can easily explore the heart of the vineyards, along one of the 46 wine trails. Lined with countless signs posting maps and information, each trail reveals the work of the winegrower, the art of Alsace wine and the specific characteristics of each grape variety.
Sheltered from oceanic influences by the Vosges mountains, Alsace enjoys some of the lowest rainfall in France (just 400-500mm or 16-20 inches per year). It is blessed with a semi-continental climate - sunny, warm and dry, which while offering a fantastic advantage to tourists, also provides the perfect conditions for winemaking as it encourages the slow, extended ripening of the grapes, resulting in elegant, complex aromas and flavours.
With a very rich gastronomic heritage, Alsace has all the cards in hand to make the perfect holiday destination. To get your share of this “unforgettable experience” don’t forget to place Alsace Wine Route at the top of your destination list for 2010.
Alsace and its Wine Route
The Alsace region is located in the North East corner of France. Situated on the Vosgian foothills, at an altitude of 200 to 400m the vineyards take maximum advantage of their exposure to the sun, particularly as the vines are trained along high wires.
The Alsace Wine Route has become famous the world over for its exceptional natural beauty, its simple course and for the instant connection its visitors feel with the region and its growers. The Alsace Wine Route winds its way from north to south, for more than 170 kilometres (106 miles) along the eastern foothills of the Vosges.
Visitors can easily explore the heart of the vineyards, along numerous vineyard paths, or wine trails, leading to the crest of each slope, where signs explain the work of the winegrowers and the diversity of the grape varieties grown. There are no fewer than 46 of these wine trails, winding their way through the heart of the vines and the picturesque towns.
For a two-hour walk, at most, each wine trail offers a view of the colours and flavours of Alsace, and a connection with the personalities of the growers that bring them to life.
They are dotted of “winstubs” (local wine bars also serving food) and tasting cellars which welcome visitors and communicate their passion for wine.
Alsace wines
• The Alsace region has an area of 8280km2. The region, famous for its production of aromatic white wines, boasts 4,930 small vineyards covering 15,535ha.
• Alsace wines (alsacewines.co.uk) are generally made from one of the following seven grape varieties:
o Sylvaner
o Riesling
o Pinot Blanc
o Pinot Gris
o Gewurztraminer
o Muscat d’Alsace
o Pinot Noir
• The grape varieties are featured on the labels of the bottles. Each wine is made 100% from the named single grape variety.
• The Alsace offer consists of a range of the following categories:
o AC Alsace: Made mostly from single grape varieties and named after the grape from which they are made, or occasionally made from a well-balanced blend of grape varieties from the region.
o AC Alsace Grand Cru: Made from grapes grown to particularly strict standards for yield and quality, and within fifty precisely designated vineyards.
o AC Crémant d’Alsace: The sparkling wine of the region and second only to Champagne in France, Crémant d’Alsace is developed by secondary fermentation, and predominately made from Pinot Blanc, but also from Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Riesling or Chardonnay. AOC Crémant d’Alsace represents 22% of the region’s wine production.
o Vendanges Tardives / Sélection de Grains Nobles: Late-harvest sweet wines, with intense, complex aromas, powerful structure and a long finish.
• The total annual production of white wines from Alsace amounts to an average of 150 million bottles. Roughly one quarter of the annual production is exported.
Buying and Serving tips:
• The aromatic wines of Alsace are ideal served with Asian cuisine as they really complement spicy, hot and sweet and sour flavours, thanks to their purity of fruit, good acidity and lack of tannin.
• The ideal serving temperature for still Alsace wines is 8-10°C, whereas Crémant d’Alsace, the sparkling wine of the region, is best served at 5-7°C.
• Alsace wines do not generally need extensive ageing to release their full aromas; six months to five years is enough in most cases, although the finest wines may benefit from longer ageing.
• Wines from Alsace stand out on the shelf as they come in flute shaped bottles, the “flûte d’Alsace”.
Alsace grape varieties
Pinot Blanc
Well rounded and delicate, fresh yet supple, it represents the happy medium in the range of Alsace wines. Pinot Blanc is Alsace’s aperitif of choice. It is also an easy accompaniment to seafood as long as the sauce does not contain too much sugar.
Riesling
Dry, refined and delicately fruity, it has an elegant bouquet with sometimes mineral or floral notes, giving it good ageing potential. Recognised as one of the world's finest white wine varietals, it is a gastronomic wine par excellence. Its high acidity, moderate alcohol and mineral character make Riesling the perfect wine for seafood.
Pinot Gris
Rich, full bodied and with a long finish, it displays woodland aromas, sometimes slightly smoky, with characteristic opulence and roundness. It is the most suitable of Alsace wines for white meat, especially poultry.
Gewurztraminer
Full bodied and exuberant, powerful and seductive, it is the best-known Alsace wine. Its deep bouquet displays rich aromas of fruit (mango, lychee), flowers (rose petals), or spices (the prefix "Gewurz" means "spice"). It has a roundness and oiliness that contrast with the tightness and leanness of Riesling, and has more residual sugar and alcohol than Riesling. Its qualities enable it to take on the hottest spices and herbs with ease.
Sylvaner
A remarkably fresh, light wine with a delicate flavour, it is refreshing, vivacious and easy to enjoy.
Muscat d’Alsace
Very aromatic and wonderfully grapey, it is a dry wine, very different from the sweet Muscats of the Mediterranean.
Pinot noir
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