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Alsace is a beautiful wine region tucked into the far northeastern corner of France. Vineyards are sited right up into the ancient Vosges mountains.

Alsace France – Alsace Rocks!
This month our French Winophiles group is teaming up with Wines of Alsace in their Alsace Rocks! promotion. Join us as we spend the month of June celebrating the wonderful array of wines from this unique region in France. Bonus for American wine drinkers: the wines are labeled by the grape (not by the town as is typical elsewhere in France)!

Alsace is tucked into the far northeast corner of France, on the border with Germany (map courtesy of http://www.francetourism.com.au)

Alsace Fast Facts

• Situated at the eastern border with Germany, the region flipped from being in Germany to France and back again several times.  There are many reminders of the mixed heritage in the architecture, places names, and of course, the cuisine.
• Alsace lies in the rain shadow of the Vosges mountains, and it is one of the driest areas in France. If you visit in the late fall (as we did), you’ll likely have dry weather even though it’s rainy in much of the rest of France.
• The wine growing region is nearly 75 miles long, but only a few miles wide
• Mountains to the immediate west, an extinct volcano in sight, the region features one of the widest varieties of soil types in any wine growing region in the world.
• The region makes sparkling wine, white dry wine, red wine, and sweet dessert wines, so there is something for everyone.
• 90% of the wines are white wines.  The main white wines are Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, and Muscat.
• The main red wine is Pinot Noir.
• Crémant d’Alsace is the sparkling wine from the region. Produced in the traditional method, these sparkling wines are delicious and less spendy than the neighbors over in Champagne.
• In the fall, a morning fog forms in the foothills, perfect for allowing botrytis (noble rot) to shrivel and concentrate grapes which are left for a late harvest.  Vendanges Tardives (VT) wines are made from late harvest grapes and may include botrytis impacted grapes. Sélection de Grains Nobles (SGN) are the ultimate, with multiple selections and all botrytis impacted grapes.

Alsace map courtesy of the Alsace wine route

Join Our French Winophiles as Alsace Rocks Our Socks!
We’re a friendly group, why don’t you join us in our celebration of the wines and culture of the Alsace region this month. If you have a blog and would like to participate, just send an email to me at jmb5121@gmail.com. I’ll be looking for blog post titles no later than Tuesday, June 12. We post mid day on 15 June through early morning Saturday 16 June and chat on Twitter at #winophiles from 10-11am CDT on Saturday 16 June. 

Even if you don’t have a blog, you can jump in on our celebration. Have you visited Alsace? Know something about the wine or food? We’d love to hear about your experience in the region and something special you found there. We’re all ears (or eyes)! Join our chat, watch your favorite social media channels for #AlsaceRocks.