Discover the vineyard and the wines of Alsace

Would you like to know more about the wine region and Alsace wine? ? Beaux-Vins takes you to discover this beautiful region !

Alsace is a region renowned for its mix of Germanic and Latin influences. With a rich history, the Alsatian vineyard is the main agricultural economy in the region. The Alsace wine route is a unique route. Inaugurated in 1953, it is one of the oldest in France. It crosses the small villages of the region. It starts from the feet of Mulhouse and extends to Strasbourg, passing through Colmar.

History of the Alsace vineyard

In the beginning were the Celts

The first traces of vines in Alsace date back to the Celts, but it was during the Roman conquest that the cultivation of the vine really began. Many soldiers from the Roman garrison were stationed in the area, on the border with Germany. This military presence greatly favored the development of viticulture in Alsace..

After many years of decline, it was in the Middle Ages that the vineyard was reborn. Christianization plays a big role in this and the region is marked by the figure of Saint Odile, patron saint of Alsace. Episcopal and monastic domains were formed under the reigns of the Merovingians and the Carolingians. In the year 900, more than 160 towns or villages already cultivated vines.

Thanks to the corporations governing the production of wine exported by the Rhine, fortified towns are born. The golden age of Alsatian viticulture takes place in the 17th century, in the midst of the Reformation.

Wars and disease kill the vineyard

If there is an eventful region of France in its history, it is Alsace ! The Alsatian vineyard is completely destroyed during the Thirty Years' War - between 1618 to 1648 —. Alsace was regularly tossed between France and Germany, passing regularly under one flag or the other over successive wars : attached for eight centuries to Germany, it goes to the French side under Louis XIV. Following the Franco-Prussian War, it is annexed in 1871 then returned to France in 1919 before being busy in 1940 to end up French until today.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the vineyard is developing well, but the Germans are not great consumers of wine. The annexation of 1871 therefore marks a turning point for the Alsatian vineyard which will decline. The phylloxera and the combats in 1945 will not improve the situation

The resurrection of the Alsatian vineyard

While the 19th century was marked by a search for quantity, the post-war period in 1945 will be a major turning point for the Alsatian vineyard in full qualitative reconversion. The effort was rewarded the same year when the Controlled Designation of Origin was promulgated. It will be definitively framed in 1962 by the INAO thanks to the negotiation of the CIVA. In 1947, the winegrowers of the Alsatian region are reviving in Kientzheim a brotherhood of medieval origin : the Brotherhood of Saint-Etienne. Finally, professionals give birth in 1953 the now famous Wine Route, supplemented by some fifty wine trails.

Geography of the Alsace vineyard

The Alsatian vineyard extends over 170 km from Thann, near Mulhouse, in the Haut-Rhin (68) — that is to say in the south - to Marlenheim, near Strasbourg, in the Bas-Rhin (67) — that is to say north —. The city of Colmar, in the center of the Alsatian vineyard, is considered the capital of the vineyard.

We must not forget that on the border with Germany in the North, a small wine-growing area isolated from the rest of the Alsatian vineyard is stuck to the German vineyard of the Palatinate.

Terroirs in Alsace

Soils and basements

Alsace does not have a single terroir, but a multitude of terroirs. I won't go into geological detail, but remember that most wine-growing municipalities have four or five types of subsoils that have a direct effect on the wine : granites, limestones, sandstone, gneiss, volcano-sedimentary and more if affinity. To take just one example, the Riesling will gain in length and power with a marl-limestone soil, while it will be thinner with granite.

The climate

Alsace, whatever we think, has a temperate semi-continental climate that offers severe winters and hot summers. Rainfall is low and the Vosges to the north protect the northern vineyards from the humid Atlantic winds.. The south-south-east exposure is generally favorable to the region's viticulture.

Alsace grape varieties

Of white, of white, of white

Although we find Pinot Noir and Gamay to produce red and rosé wine, 90 % of the Alsatian vineyard is intended for white grape varieties. Going from the driest grape to the most opulent grape, We find there 6 main white grape varieties : Sylvaner, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Muscat, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer.

There are of course other white grape varieties, but which I consider more anecdotal. I am thinking for example of Chardonnay, used exclusively to produce crémant.

The peculiarity of noble Alsatian grape varieties

Four grape varieties are considered noble in Alsace : the Riesling, le Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris and finally Muscat. Only these four grape varieties can be used to produce a sweet wine in Vendanges Tardives or Sélection de Grains Nobles. These are also the grape varieties most often found in the Grands Crus of the region.

The particularities of the bottle

Alsatian wines have two main characteristics compared to the rest of the French vineyard.

The first one, you will certainly have noticed it, lies in the shape of the bottle. The Alsatian flute is thin and slender. Technically, it should have a straight, cylindrical body with an elongated neck nearly five times the base diameter in height. The cylindrical part should be approximately one third of the total height. This bottle is mandatory for still wines.

The second particularity is the mention of the grape variety on the label of the bottle. Since the phylloxera crisis in the years 60, the vast majority of Alsatian wines are single-varietal. This precision gives us valuable information on the style of the wine without having to turn the bottle.. Two exceptions to this single varietal rule : the Edelzwicker and the Gentile.

Wine-growing peculiarities in Alsace

As I mentioned, there are exceptions to the identification of wine by grape variety : the Edelzwicker and the Gentile. Edelzwicker is the contraction of the word "Zwicker" for a blend and "Edel" which means the presence of noble grape varieties. When the noble grape varieties represent more than 50 % volume, the wine can get the more rewarding name of "Gentil".

Traditionally, the aging of the wine is done during 6 to 12 months in an oak barrel. These large barrels are passed down from generation to generation and no longer transmit woody aromas to the wine.

Alsace white wines may contain residual sugars, that is, part of the sugar contained in the grape has not been transformed into alcohol. These sugars, associated with good acidity, contribute to the balance of the wine. More and more winegrowers now indicate the degree of sweetness of the wine on the back label to help us choose our wine..

Names and regulations

Of course, there are several hierarchical levels :

• The AOC Alsace : a very important regional appellation since it represents more than 70 % of wine production

• The AOC Alsace and a specific Geographical Name : since 2011, by responding to specific production rules in an area, the winegrower can affix to the AOC Alsace the name of a municipality or inter-municipal entity. In all, 13 names can be indicated : Bergheim, Blienschwiller, Côtes de Barr, Rouffach coast, Haut-Koenigsbourg slopes, Klevener de Heiligenstein, Ottrott, Rodern, Saint-Hippolyte, Scherwiller, Noble Valley, Val Saint-Grégoire, Wolxheim.

• The Lieu-dit : the identification of a delimited place, but not classified as a grand cru meets even stricter rules than for the municipal.

• The AOC Alsace Grand Cru and its locality name : 51 delimited terroirs reserved for noble grape varieties make up this appellation. The Grands Crus are wines that meet the strictest production rules in the region

In addition to this hierarchy, we find the AOC Crémant-d'Alsace which concerns sparkling wines produced with the traditional method - formerly called the Champagne method —.

The mention Vendanges Tardives - VT- is reserved for the four noble grape varieties. The Vendanges Tardives must have a particularly high sugar content at harvest and the wine can only be marketed after 18 months of aging. So that the sugar concentrates in the grape berry, the development of Botritis cinerea, also called noble rot, is necessary. A phenomenon of evaporation will promote the concentration of sugar and aromas, bringing to these sweet wines and power.

The mention Sélection de Grains Nobles - SGN- is also reserved for 4 noble grape varieties. Once again, the sugar content at harvest must be particularly high and these wines can only be marketed after 18 months of aging. This wine obtained by harvesting grapes affected by noble rot, only the most dried out berries are preserved thanks to successive sorting. This increased concentration makes the intensity of the grape more discreet for the benefit of, of remarkable complexity and length in the mouth.

Economy of the Alsace vineyard

Thanks to the 15,500 hectares of vineyards operated by 4,000 farmers, nearly half of whom are cooperative members, it's over 150 million bottles that are produced each year. Alsace has the distinction of being the first wine region for direct purchase from the cellar. In total, 74 % of the bottles sold are sold on French soil, which 25 % direct sale. The 26 % the rest go to export with Belgium in the lead, Germany and the Netherlands.

With over 14 % organic agricultural land, Alsace ranks second among organic wine regions in France.

Jean-Nicolas Mouretin