ALSACE

Question 1

Which factors affect the climate of Alsace?

Answer 1

Vosges mountains
Rhine river
Schwarzwald forest

Question 2

Which sub districts are in Alsace?

Answer 2

Haut-Rhin towards the south

Bas-Rhin in the north

Question 3

Where are the best vineyards located in Alsace?

Answer 3

Haut-Rhin

Vineyards like Engelberg, Schoenenburg, Pfingstberg, Kirchberg de Ribeauville

Question 4

What soils do you find in Alsace?

Answer 4

great soil variety with

alluvial
limestone,
loess
clay-limestone

granite
marl
clay-marl
marl-limestone

schist
sandstone

Divided into the mountain sides, the sub-Vosges hill sides and the plain

Question 5

What grape varietals do you find in Alsace?

Answer 5

Riesling
Pinot Gris
Gewürztraminer
Muscat

in addition to

Sylvaner, Pinot noir and Pinot blanc

Question 6

What appellations do you find in Alsace?

Answer 6

Alsace AOC : white, rosé, red

Alsace Grand Cru AOC: whites from certain classified vineyards (51)

Cremant d´Alsace AOC: sparkling wines (500+)

Question 7

What style of wines are VT and SGN in Alsace?

Answer 7

VT = Vendange Tardive meaning late harvest
Grapes are dryer and have higher concentration of natural sugars, some may have botrytis.
Minimum must weight is

235g/L (257 for GEW and PNG)

SGN = Sélection de Grains Nobles meaning selected noble grapes
The very sweetest, most concentrated wines made selectively from grapes affected by botrytis or Noble rot. Minimum must-weight is

276 g/L (306 for GEW and PNG).

Question 8

What labelling terms is used in Alsace?

Answer 8

French with Germanic influence.

Typically you find the following 7 statings on the label:

vineyard name
grape variety
appellation title (which AOC)
producer name
producer location
bottling location
alcohol content

Question 9

Name Grand Cru sites and their varietals in Alsace

Answer 9

Trimbach in Ribeauvillé (est. 1626) - Riesling Clos Sainte Hune

Zind-Humbrecht in Turckheim (est. 1959) - Riesling Grand Cru Rangen

Domaine Weinbach in Kientzheim (est. 1898) - Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg

Albert Boxler in Niedermorschwihr (est. 1673) - Riesling Grand Cru Sommerberg “Dudenstein”

Domaine Ostertag in Epfig, Bas-Rhin (est. 1966) - Riesling Grand Cru Muenchberg

Marcel Deiss in Bergheim (est. 1947) - Riesling Grand Cru Schoenenbourg

Hugel et Fils in Riquewihr (est. 1639) - Grand Cru Sporen and Riesling “Jubilée”

Albert Mann in Wettolsheim (est. 1984) - Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg

Domaines Schlumberger in Guebwiller (est. 1810) - Riesling Grand Cru Kessler

Domaine Josmeyer in Wintzenheim (est. 1963) - Riesling Grand Cru Hengst