Alsazia

Alsace, a region in the north-eastern part of France, is an interweaving of French and German vineyards that find their reason for being the fact that over the last 130 years the region has changed nationalities several times. About 97 KM long. It is about 4 km wide and extends from Strasbourg to Mulhouse and is divided into two zones, the Lower Rhine, north, and the Haut-Rhin, which lies to the south. In Alsace there is a cold continental climate with cold and cold winters, and an average annual rainfall is rather low, but Alsace's fortune is to be between the eastern slopes of the Vosges Mountains and the Black Forest, which protects it from rains, from the mists and the winds of the north. The soils are of various nature and mainly composed of clay, limestone with granite, gneiss, sandy and sparse sediments; the rather diversified character of Alsatian white wines is derived. Alsace is an area composed of 51 Gran Cru and all the Alsatian vineyards are costellas of medieval towns. Alsace's ampelographic base is made up of white grape varieties such as Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat à Petit Grains and Muscat Ottonel, Pinot Bianco and Sylvaner, little red wine obtained by Pinot Noir. Alsaziani wines are marketed in the appropriate bottles, called Flutes, and generally bear the name of both the vine and the indication of the place of provenance. Here Rielsing is able to give scented wines with floral and mineral nose, elegant in addition to the richness of extracts and a lively acidity.The Gewurztraminer is characterized by its wide, warm, spicy flavor and intensely aromatic bouquet with notes of spice and moss. Another vine of the area is the Pinto Gris, here called Tokay, which originates from robust, full and soft wines with a spicy bouquet. Muscat is present in the Types of Petits Grains and Ottonel, from which fresh, light and fruity wines are obtained. According to the rules, a wine classified as Alsace Grand Cru AOC must be produced with 100% of the vine labeled and must be obtained with one of the four authorized vines. Only 3% of the entire production is classified as Grand Cru. In addition to white wines, Alsace also produces excellent sweet wines: the late Vendage (late harvest) produced with Riesling, Muscat and Gewurztraminer, and the Sèlection de Grainds Nobles (wines produced with the acorns attached by the noble mold) obtained with the same vines attacked by the noble mold. Noteworthy are the excellent Cremant D'Alsace, sparkling wines obtained from vines such as Pinto Bianco, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir Auxerrois, Riesling and Chardonnay. Among the best producers: Pierre Frick, Marcel Deiss, Domaine Wienbach, Trimbach, Domaine Zind Humbrecht and Paul Blanck.