Colmar, Alsace, France. Petit Venice, water canal and traditional half timbered houses.
If you’re a wine lover, you must have noticed the many different “trends” in wine over the years.
Some trends are led by sommeliers, who by nature are often eager to jump onto the next “undiscovered” dazzler.
Often, it’s an unusual grape, such as Mondeuse, a red grape from the Savoy region of eastern France.
Photo Taken In France, Riquewihr
Or sometimes sommeliers latch onto a production method, like “orange wine” (achieved through the deliberate oxidation of white wine). Today orange wine is a bit passé, yet it can still inspire the occasional sommelier frenzy.
Photo Taken In France, Strasbourg
Wines From Alsace: Why Are They Not More Popular?
Alsace produces some of the best quality wines on the market today. Especially in terms of value for the price. The term “Grand Cru” signifies wines made from a mosaic of different terroirs that are believed to express the unique characteristics of that specific vineyard in the wine.
Hunawihr, Alsace, France
Alsace Rocks
Thierry Fritsch, an enologist representing Wines of Alsace, recently delivered a very detailed tutored tasting on a selection of Alsace wines. These wines ranged from young sparkling crémant wines to very old wines that have stood the test of time.
The title of the seminar was “Alsace Rocks.” The word “rocks” was a double entendre to indicate the special, mineral-rich, often “rocky” soil of Alsace, as well as the slang vernacular to indicate “good.”
Wide closeup of grape seedlings planted in the loose, dry, mountain soil on the slopes near ... [+]
The point of the seminar was to showcase how the Grand Cru soil in particular helps create a top-quality wine capable of improving with age.
The 4 Noble Alsace Grape Varieties
For an Alsace Wine to earn the title of Grand Cru, it must come from a vineyard with the Grand Cru designation. According to the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) only Riesling, Muscat, Gewurztraminer, or Pinot Gris grape varieties (the so-called “Noble Varieties” of Alsace”) can be used. Yields must be low. A Grand Cru will also have the name of the vineyard on the bottle.
Scenic autumn landscape with a historic castle in Alsace, France, and vineyards growing on hills ... [+]
Grand Cru Alsace: Notable Depth and Concentration
Wine professionals can often teach themselves to understand the characteristics of an Alsace wine when blind tasting. An Alsace Riesling, for example, will often have a more floral nose than when compared to its German cousin, and possibly a few extra grams of residual sugar.
An Alsace Pinot Gris is richer and more unctuous than a Pinot Grigio from Italy.
Closeup detail of a glass of Alsatian Reisling white wine at a romantic restaurant dinner. Shallow ... [+]
Alsace Crémant
Beyond its Grand Cru wines, Alsace is noted for its sparkling wine, Crémant d'Alsace. Like Champagne, these wines are made in the “traditional method” with a secondary fermentation in the bottle.
Unlike Champagne, Crémant d'Alsace typically does not spend more than the legal limit of nine months in bottle. Alsace producers can also use many different varieties in the blend, including Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay (for sparkling wines only).
Colourful architecture of Kayserberg's town square in french Alsace,France
The Taste of Alsace Wines
Recently, Lucien Albrecht winemaker Jerome Keller came to New York to showcase some of his crémant and still Alsace wines to the trade.
Lucien Albrecht had been one of the “founding fathers” of the AOP Crémant de Alsace producers in the 1970s. He believed that the limestone in his vineyards would produce a refined crémant with zesty acidity.
On tasting the Albrecht Brut Rosé Cremant d’Alsace, one could readily sense the lively acidity, as well as the hint of wild strawberry in this 100% Pinot Noir wine.
The three Albrecht Grand Cru wines tasted included the 2015 Pinot Gris Grand Cru Pfingstberg, the 2017 Riesling Grand Cru Spiegel, and the 2015 Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Spiegel.
All three wines were noteworthy in their balance between the ripe concentrated fruit, lively acidity, and long length of finish. Each wine was quite complex, punching above their price tag of $30 to $36 retail.
Summer morning sunrise in the French vineyard region of Alsace
Hope for the Future
One must remain confident than wines from Alsace will soon find their rightful place on the world stage.
Yet often at the more important international wine fairs, these classic beauties are left behind while wine buyers rush to find the trendy new grapes and wine styles.
Complex, rich, vibrant and with a long, lingering finish, Alsace wines are wines to try, and buy.
