Central to this landscape of rolling hills and charming timber villages is the renowned alsace wine route route des vins dalsace, a 106 mile journey winding through more than 100 wine villages, 19 of which host 26 michelinstarred. Guide to the wines, villages and terroirs of alsace. Kientzheim to molsheim explore on foot route guides book 2. Discover alsace with andrew jefford, the multiawardwinning writer for decanter and world of fine wine magazines, recently appointed overall academic advisor for wine scholar guild tour alsace, walk the. Alsace wine study tour with andrew jefford cancelled. Two names who wont be there, but who are making waves in natural wine, or vin nature as i prefer to call it. Alsace wine region, france facts about the wines from alsace. The aims of alsace wine week i love alsace wines, as do many people who work in the wine trade, but knowledge of them among general wine drinkers is unfortunately quite limited. The alsace wine route is a symbol for the alsace region. The alsace wine route is ideal for walkers and hiking enthusiasts. Pinot gris rich, fruity, smoky and more understated than gewurztraminer. Official website for tourism on the alsace wine route. The vineyard or village is not mentioned unless the wine is a grand cru. Alsacebased sommelier romain iltis, who earned the title of best sommelier in france in 2012, says that alsatian pinot gris is like a white wine with a red wine structure because it has.
This beautiful region, with picturesque villages that make grimms fairy tales. Alsace does have a little red wine made from the burgundy grape, pinot noir. The towns architecture is so rich now thanks to its wealth from wine production during its heyday in the 15th to 17th centuries. London has gone natural wine mad this week, with the opening of the raw wine london fair. Jura wine with local food and travel tips ebook, wink. Wine paths has teamed up with the best local travel experts in alsaces most famous wine and spirits destinations so you can plan the bespoke trip of your dreams with their help. Its funny how you never tend to spend much time traveling in your own region, so as a resident of alsace, i decided to spend a day exploring the alsace wine route. Alsace aop, cremant dalsace aop and alsace grand cru aop. Renowned for its remarkable and simple itinerary, the alsace wine route invites you to discover the region and its wine producers. This tends to be quite lightweight, but can be delicious and interesting and more and more producers are now fighting this varietys corner, some even suggesting that pinot sites on top terroirs like the grand cru hengst are worthy of grand cru, or a new tier of premier cru status. Tourism on the alsace wine route official website holiday ideas. Wines of alsace guides to wines and top vineyards book 8 ebook. There are 15,500ha of aoc vineyards and 53 appellations 51 of which are designated grands crus. Yes, you heard right, alsace, a regions whose wines are not exactly at the peak of wine fashion these days, and thats a shame.
Alsace wines, which are also called as alsatian wines, are the wines that are produced in alsace, france. Alsace wine region in france, under germanic influence. See a new side of an old grape with vinepairs illustrated guide to pinot gris. There are no fewer than 46 of these wine trails in alsace, winding their way through the heart of the vines and the picturesque towns. F e trimbach riesling clos sainte hune vendanges tardives, alsace, france. On the whole, alsace is overwhelmingly devoted to white wine production, upwards of 90 percent.
Alsace offers charming wines of great quality and unmatched diversity. In the 1600s, alsace found itself caught between opposing sides in the thirty years war, and residents asked france for protection. This 600 page book profiles 300 producers, 118 wine villages, 51 grands crus, 84 lieuxdits, 28 clos and 4 wineproducing. Wines of alsace guides to wines and top vineyards book 8. The region of alsace, in the northeast of france, has a reputation to uphold. The vosges mountains protect and provide alsace with a backdrop for some of frances most stunning scenery. They are supplemented by a dozen crosscommunity routes which invite the visitor to journey through the wine region on foot or by bicycle. A guide to alsace varietals from the official us site of alsace wines, with descriptions of appearance, aroma, taste, and pairing suggestions. An alsace wine tour includes many of these sights and wines and will make for a memorable experience in the north of france.
Just picture yourself tasting some of the best rieslings in the world in a local winery or getting exclusive access to areas within the cathedral of strasbourg that are normally offlimits to the public. Learn more about alsace pinot blanc, riesling, pinot gris, gewurztraminer, cremant dalsace, and other varietals. Local wine travel expert in alsace, france wine paths. Take a wine tasting tour for half or a whole day from strasbourg. Alsace is one of the great, underappreciated treasures of the wine world. Just picture yourself tasting some of the best rieslings in the world in a local. Top pairings for dry and offdry alsace whites matching. Sep 29, 2014 nestled between the vosges mountains and the rhine river, alsace is a picturesque landscape of quilted vineyards and quaint medieval villages. It is surprisingly affordable, and has the added advantage if you wish. Without being mandated by law, this bottle format is also common and traditional in many german regions, particularly for riesling and other. Situated on the subvosgian hills, between 200 and 400 metres above sea level, and ideally exposed, the grands crus benefit from maximum sun exposure and an. Learn more about alsace pinot blanc, riesling, pinot gris.
It is the oldest wine route in france, it was established in 1953 by the tourist office of alsace. In the medieval alsatian villages with their narrow, cobblestone alleys you will meet dedicated producers on terroirs tended by their forefathers since generations. With an informative guide, travel along the gorgeous alsace wine route to the pictureperfect towns of mittelbergheim, dambachlaville, ribeauville and riquewihr. Central to this landscape of rolling hills and charming timber villages is the renowned alsace. This pretty enclave of fairytale villages in the lee of the forested vosges mountains offers a wide range of varietally labelled wines, of. Visit 3 wineries to enjoy tastings of the regions characteristic white wine including the riesling and.
In the aoc rules, the bottle type is actually called vin du rhin, i. Alsace wine tasting tour and wine holiday l grape escapes. Alsace wine tasting tours in riquewihr, colmar and obernai. The book was published in 1993 but the the portraits of the growers are still valid today. By the end of the century, the region was an autonomous protectorate of. This 600 page book profiles 300 producers, 118 wine villages, 51 grands crus, 84 lieuxdits, 28 clos and 4 wineproducing chateaux of alsace. Elle accompagne les auteurs installes en region et gere le bureau. Jan 11, 2018 alsace, in the far northeastern corner of france, stands out from other french wine regions thanks to its strong francogermanic influences. The inaugural week takes place from monday 14th to sunday 20th may 2018. You can drive or, even better, book a driver for your own private tour. For alsace wine enthusiasts this is a wonderful read, and has just about all the pertinent facts about the region, among them all the famous and less well known varietals, all the major producers, the villages.
Top 10 guide to the alsace wine route travel the guardian. Welcome to my small but tasty library of handcrafted ebook versions of some of the. Riquewihr is a fabulous array of stone houses, towers, cobblestones, shops, tasting rooms, and the largest halftimbered houses i saw anywhere in alsace. Around fifty marked wine paths reveal all the secrets of our most prestigious vineyards. Get the full experience of the famous french wine region of alsace on this winetasting day trip from strasbourg. Some 92 per cent of alsace and alsace grand cru wines are dry, aromatic whites. So no better opportunity than renting a motorcycle. Alsaces appellations are unique in france because the regions wines are labelled according to grape variety, as opposed to the vineyard.
This shows stevensons ability to capture the essence of alsace wines, but also that the domains remain faithful to. This is the wines of alsace by guildsomm on vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. May 11, 2015 alsace is a famous french region, tucked away in the northeastern part of france, right on the border to germany. The best, and best value, white wines youve never drunk. With an informative guide, travel along the gorgeous alsace wine route to the picture. Domaine zindhumbrecht pinot gris clos jebsal vendange tardive, alsace, france. Updated and revised, with new producers included for 2020, the guides to wines and top vineyards are the definitive guides to classic wine producing regions. Jura wine with local food and travel tips ebook tooltip ebooks kunnen worden gelezen op uw computer en op daarvoor geschikte ereaders. From marlenheim to thann, it allows you to discover 170 km of scenic landscapes, from medieval villages. As well as still wines, the region also produces the most popular aoc sparkling wine consumed in france, cremant d alsace. An illustrated guide to pinot gris from alsace vinepair. This shows stevensons ability to capture the essence of alsace wines, but also that the domains remain faithful to a style and a strategy over several decades. Made mainly from pinot blanc, but also from pinot gris, pinot noir, riesling and chardonnay, it is a methode traditionelle sparkling wine with a bright, fresh character.
Wine paths has teamed up with the best local travel experts in alsace s most famous wine and spirits destinations so you can plan the bespoke trip of your dreams with their help. Alsace wine week in ireland celebrating the fantastic. Alsace aoc alsace represents 72% of the regions wine production, of which 90% are whites. There is a legal requirement for bottling alsace wine in tall bottles commonly called flutes dalsace. Oct 03, 2012 alsace marks the end of the grape harvest with a host of festivals in october, making it the perfect time to visit the vineyards and villages along frances famous wine route, says john brunton. An ebook is never the same as a printed one, especially when the original is highly illustrated, but there are some advantages. Two names who wont be there, but who are making waves in natural wine, or vin nature as i prefer to call it in english, are domaine kumpf et meyer and catherine riss. The aims of alsace wine week i love alsace wines, as do many people who work in. Oct 27, 2017 alsatian pinot gris, while it certainly can be dry, often has some residual sugar and can be quite fullbodied. Updated and revised, with new producers included for 2020, the guides to wines and top vineyards are the definitive guides to classic wineproducing regions. In part i of my report from alsace i visited the grand cru hengst to meet 12 producers and. Gewurztraminer alsaces most aromatic grape, with roses, lychees, honey, spices and all manner of exotic flavours. For much of its history, alsace was elsass and part of germany.
Discover alsace with andrew jefford, the multiawardwinning writer for decanter and world of fine wine magazines, recently appointed overall academic advisor for wine scholar guild tour alsace, walk the vineyards, debate key issues with top growers, and enjoy andrews friendly, accessible yet scholarly introductions to the regions. See more ideas about international wine, alsace, wines. New ebook in our store online state resources for genealogy 784 pages by michael hait, cg. Schoffit pinot gris rangen clos saint theobald, alsace grand cru, france. The legendary 170kmlong alsace wine route passes through a string of picturesque villages, wellknown wineproducing towns and exceptional landscapes. Visit our web pages and have a look at our mustsee events.
This tends to be quite lightweight, but can be delicious and interesting and more and more producers are now fighting this. Wine tours in alsace, france wine tasting holidays in. It is surprisingly affordable, and has the added advantage if you wish to enjoy a few sips of wine forget all that swirling and spitting without worrying about having a designated driver missing out. Unlike other regions of france, the wines of aoc alsace typically indicate the grape varietal on their labels. These are the results of the region having switched back and forth between german and french sovereignty in recent centuries and are evident not only in alsatian architecture and culture, but also in the wines. The wines of alsace your guide to wine, beer and booze. This pretty enclave of fairytale villages in the lee of the forested vosges mountains offers a wide range of varietally labelled wines, of which the aromatic whites are still, despite global warming, much more successful than the light reds.
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