Wine Regions Of The World

Front 1

What is the importance of the Vosges to Alsace?

Back 1

They are a mountain range that cuts off Alsace from the rest of France to the west (thus, the mountains are on Alsace's western border) The mountains also create a "rain shadow" over the region, giving Alsace one of the driest climates in France.

Front 2

What factors contribute to the sunniness of Alsace? What does that extra sunniness cause?

Back 2

The "rain shadow" effect of the Vosges keeps the clouds away. In addition, Alsace is so northerly that they simply have more hours of sunlight in the summer because of the tilt of the earth than more southerly regions. As such, Alsatian vines typically ripen with more regularity than Loire or Burgundian grapes.

Front 3

Name the four noble grapes of Alsace

Back 3

Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, and Muscat are the main grapes in this region.

Front 4

Which noble grape is the most planted in Alsace?

Back 4

Riesling is the most planted of the noble varieties in this region, and is the last to ripen there of the four varieties.

Front 5

What is the true name of the grape that used to be called Tokay d'Alsace?

Back 5

That used to be the name of Pinot Gris, one of the 4 noble varieties of Alsace, before it was outlawed because of the entrance of Hungary into the European Union.

Front 6

Compare Alsatian Riesling to German Riesling

Back 6

Characteristically, Alsatian Riesling is dry, with more power and higher alcohol than German Riesling because of the more consistent ripening that the Alsatian climate allows. In youth, Alsatian Rieslings show hints of apple, fennel, citrus, and peach, but so incredibly firm and austere that they barely hint at the complexities and beauty that they can evolve into.

Front 7

Besides the Vosges Mountains, what other geographical features affect and influence the Alsatian climate?

Back 7

The Moselle River (becomes the Mosel in Germany) flows through Lorraine. As well, the Rhine and the Black Forest border Alsace.

Front 8

Discuss the soil varieties of Alsace and how they influence the main Alsatian grapes.

Back 8

Alsace has the most complex geological spectrum of soils of all the great wine areas of France: granite, limestone, schist, clay, gravel, chalk, loess, and the local pink sandstone called gres de Vosges. Steep mountain slopes = schist, granite, volcanic sediment. Lower slopes = limestone base. Valley floor = alluvial clay and gravel soils. Riesling is the most sensitive to the different soils, which means that quality can vary wildly when there is not careful handling. Clay soils = fat/rich Rieslings, granite = rich but w/ more finesse. Limestone = finesse, but less richness. Volcanic sediment = well-flavoured, spicy style.

Front 9

While Alsace AOP wines are 90% white, what is the one red variety that can be bottled as Alsace AOP?

Back 9

Pinot Noir

Front 10

What are the two sub-districts (departements) of Alsace? Which one is better and why?

Back 10

Haut-Rhin and Bas-Rhin are the two districts, with Bas-Rhin to the north and Haut-rhin to the south. Haut-Rhin has the better quality of Alsatian wine production, since over two-thirds of the Grand Cru vineyards are located there.

Front 11

How many Alsatian Grand Cru vineyards are there? Which was the last one added? Why is that one special?

Back 11

There are over 50 Grand Cru vineyards. The last one added in 2006, #51, was Kaefferkopf. It is special because Kaefferkopf wines are blended wines, whereas before Alsace Grand Cru AOC wines were required to be single-varietal. Altenberg De Bergheim is the other Grand Cru that now permits blended wines.

Front 12

What makes Zotzenberg Grand Cru AOP different?

Back 12

Made a Grand Cru in 2004, it is the first grand cru that is recognized for a grape that is NOT one of the 4 "noble" Alsatian grapes. Instead, it is recognized for Sylvaner.

Front 13

Define passerillage and give the other synonyms/terms used in other regions of the world.

Back 13

Passerillage is the French word for what basically means the process of late-harvest. Grapes WITHOUT noble rot are left on the vine, where they become cut off from the plant's metabolic system as it sap withdraws into its roots. That added to warm days and cold nights causes the grapes to dehydrate and concentrate. The Italian term passito is equivalent to passerillage.

Front 14

What is the difference between Selections de Grains Nobles and Vendanges Tardives wines in Alsace?

Back 14

Both are sweet, dessert-style wines. SGN, however, is botrytized and harvested in tries (a la Sauternes). Botrytis only occurs in Alsace haphazardly and in much reduced concentrations, so the very tiny quantities of SGN produced is rare and exceedingly expensive. VT is a late-harvest wine, produced with the passerillage method. In theory, SGN is harvested after VT, but in reality SGN is harvested in several tries prior to the best VT which is then produced from what remains on the vine after passerillage. The process for SGN emphasizes botrytis complexities over varietal characters, whereas VT (which occasionally shows traces of botrytis) strives for varietal purity. Other differences are that SGN wines are always dessert-like, but VT wines may vary in actual sugar and can be quite dry.

Front 15

What is the difference between Alsatian Edelzwicker and Gentil wines? Which one is better?

Back 15

These are the two terms used on a label to indicate that the wine is a blend rather than a single varietal. Even though Edelzwicker literally means "noble blend", it is usually poor, inexpensive, and bland blended wine. Gentil is the superior designation for an Alsatian blended wine, as by law it must be composed of a minimum of 50% of the 4 noble grapes. Any other Alsatian grapes can compose the remainder, and all the grapes in the blend are usually vinified separately (i.e. this is the place where the remainders of barrels usually end up after bottling).

Front 16

Describe the parameters of an official Alsace AOP wine

Back 16

Besides the 4 noble grapes, the Alsace AOP allows Pinot Blanc (Klevner), Chasselas (Gutedel), Sylvaner, and Pinot Noir to be bottled as a single varietal under the AOP name. With the exception of Pinot Blanc, which is often blended with Auxerrois, all varietal labelled Alsace AOP wines must contain 100% of that varietal.

Front 17

Describe the history and parameters of an official Alsace Grand Cru AOP wine

Back 17

Proposed in 1975, the first Grand Cru vineyards were not established until 1983. There are over 50 Grand Crus now declared. Most are single-varietal bottlings, with several notable exceptions. Hand-harvesting is mandatory for all cru wines.

Front 18

Describe the parameters of an official Cremant d'Alsace AOP wine

Back 18

This is the designation for all sparkling wines made in Alsace, using the traditional Champagnoise method. This is the only AOP-level wine in which Chardonnay is included. All Alsatian cremants are blends and usually include pinot blanc (the workhorse), auxerrois, pinot noir, pinot gris, riesling, and/or chardonnay.

Front 19

Who produces Clos Ste-Hune Riesling?

Back 19

Trimbach