France - Alsace Flashcards
Where is Alsace located?
Alsace
North East corner of France
border of Germany
between the Vosges Mountains (west) and the Rhine River (East)
How is Alsace region divided?
Alsace
in half along the departmental boundaries
BasRhin (north) - elevation and - proection from the Vosges
HautRhin (south) + elevation, location of the best vineyards
Climate Alsace
Alsace
cool continental (because of northerly lattitude) dry sunny summers -> rainshadow (because of the Vosges) Alsace is one of the driest regions of France
Topography Alsace
Alsace
vineyards planted on the rolling foothills of the Vosges
Region features flat plains along the Rhine river
Grape variety Alsace
Alsace
white: Riesling Gewurtztraminer Muscat pinot gris pinot blanc sylvaner
red:
pinot noir
Viticulture Alsace
Alsace
Long cool dry growing season (because rainshadow effect)
Best vineyard on lower slopes facing E/SE
Waht are the effects of the rainshadow from the Vosges? (6)
Alsace
1-drier climate 2-sunnier climate (not necessarily warmer) 3-Long growing season 4-Riper grapes 5- + alcohol potential 6- fuller-bodied wines
Vinification Alsace
neutral cask for fermentation and aging
little to no oak
% of alsace white wines
Alsace
90%
Wine Law alsace
+ % grapes when labelled grape variety?
Alsace
most wines labelled by reference to the single grape variety utilized
100%
Appellations Alsace
Alsace / Vin d’alsace AOP
- 1 AOP covering the entire region
- all alsace AOP = bottled retion in Flute d’alsace
alsace Grand cru aop
51 grands crus
4 noble grapes used (riesling, gewurtraminer, muscat, pinot gris)
Cremant d’alsace AOP
methode trad sparkling wine usually made from blend of grape
Grands crus exceptions ?
+what is complantation?
Alsace
Zotzenbert: sylvaner also allowed along with the 4 other grapes
Altenberg de Bergheim & Kaefferkopf: complantation allowed
complantation: cultivating different grape varieties on the same parcel of land + harvesting them together
Late harvested wines in alsace
vendage tartive vs selection de grainds nobles
Alsace
VT: late harvest (amy also be affected by botrytis)
rich, full-bodied, not always sweet
SGN: affected by botrytis (always)
very small quantities
only in vintages when growing conditions are conductive to their production
Name 1/2 of the Grands Crus
Alsace
Altenberg de Bergbieten Altenberg de de Bergheim Altenberg de Wolzheim Brand Engelberg Florimont Frankstein Froehn Geisberg Gloeckelberg Goldbert Kaefferkopf Kastelberg Kessler Kirchberg de Barr Kirchberg de Ribauvillé Mambourg Mandelberg Moenchberg Muenchberg Ostenberg Rangen Rosacker Saering Schloessberg Schoenenbourg Sommerberg Spiegel Sporen Steinklotz Vorbourg Wineck-Schlossberg Zotzenberg
