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Alsace’s vineyards cover some 15,000 hectares of land between the Vosges mountains and the Rhine plain. We grow mainly white wines and crémants, with a few rosés and reds as well.
Alsace is famous for its very sweet, aromatic white wines. These types of wine are mainly produced from Gewurztraminer, Riesling and Pinot Gris grapes. Generally speaking, Alsace wines are produced from a single grape variety, and are recognized precisely by the grape variety.
Alsace Appellations
The vineyard has three groups of appellations:
- Alsace appellation. This AOC is subdivided into nine appellations according to the nine main grape varieties grown in Alsace’s vineyards.
- Appellation Alsace grand cru. Only noble grape varieties (Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris and Muscats) are allowed in this appellation. A total of 51 lieux-dits (or terroirs) are eligible for the Grand Cru appellation.
- Crémant d’Alsace appellation. This appellation covers all effervescent Alsace wines made from Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Riesling or Chardonnay. It is divided into crémants blancs and crémants rosés.
The most remarkable Appellations
The most prestigious appellations are, of course, the AOC Grand Cru, since it implies that the estates benefiting from it are located on one of the selected lieux-dits, and that they meet more stringent specifications than for a classic AOC Alsace.
There are also two other appellations that are noted for the quality of the wines they produce. These are the Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles appellations. These two appellations are based on the harvesting of over-ripe grapes or grapes affected by noble rot, in order to obtain grapes rich in natural sugar. The wines produced acquire intense aromas and a characteristic sweetness that gives them a high aging capacity. In Alsace, chaptalization is forbidden, so all the sugars are natural!
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