Haut Rhin
Haut-Rhin (, ; Alsatian: ''Owerelsà ss'' or '; german: Oberelsass, ) is a department in the Grand Est region of France, bordering both Germany and Switzerland. It is named after the river Rhine. Its name means ''Upper Rhine''. Haut-Rhin is the ...
Bas Rhin
Bas-Rhin (; Alsatian: ''Unterelsà ss'', ' or '; traditional german: links=no, Niederrhein; en, Lower Rhine) is a department in Alsace which is a part of the Grand Est super-region of France. The name means 'Lower Rhine', referring to its low ...
Alsace
Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsà ss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...
region in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and is primarily
white wine
White wine is a wine that is Fermentation in winemaking, fermented without skin contact. The wine color, colour can be straw-yellow, yellow-green, or yellow-gold. It is produced by the alcoholic fermentation of the non-coloured Juice vesicles, ...
. Because of its Germanic influence, it is the only ''
varietal
A varietal wine is a wine made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label.The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, 2000.winepros.com.au. ...
wines, typically from similar grape varieties to those used in
German wine
German wine is primarily produced in the west of Germany, along the river Rhine and its tributaries, with the oldest plantations going back to the Ancient Rome, Roman era. Approximately 60 percent of German wine is produced in the state of Rhine ...
. Along with
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
and Germany, it produces some of the most noted dry
Riesling
Riesling (, ; ) is a white grape variety that originated in the Rhine region. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and sparkling wh ...
s in the world as well as highly aromatic
Gewürztraminer
Gewürztraminer () is an aromatic wine grape variety, used in white wines, and performs best in cooler climates. In English, it is sometimes referred to colloquially as Gewürz (; although this is never the case in German, because "Gewürz" me ...
red wine
Red wine is a type of wine made from dark-colored grape varieties. The color of the wine can range from intense violet, typical of young wines, through to brick red for mature wines and brown for older red wines. The juice from most purple grap ...
sparkling wine
Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, making it fizzy. While the phrase commonly refers to champagne, European Union countries legally reserve that term for products exclusively produced in the Champagne regi ...
s. Both dry and sweet white wines are produced.
In 2006, vines were grown on 15,298
hectare
The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre is a ...
s (37,800
acre
The acre is a unit of land area used in the imperial
Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism.
Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to:
Places
United States
* Imperial, California
* Imperial, Missouri
* Imp ...
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
,
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
,
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark
...
and the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
History
An important influence in the history of Alsace wine has been the repeated changes of nationality of the Alsace region, which has passed from France to Germany and vice versa several times throughout history. In the early history of the Alsace wine industry, they were traded together with other German wines since Rhine provided the means to transport the wines. In much of the post–
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
era, wine styles in Alsace and Germany diverged, as Alsace wines remained fully fermented, that is dry, to a large extent because they were intended to be paired with food. In the same era, Alsace has also experienced a drive to higher quality, which led to AOC status being awarded. In recent decades, the difference between Alsace and Germany has diminished, since German wines have become drier and more powerful, while many Alsace wines have become sweeter and the late harvest and dessert style wines have been "rediscovered" in Alsace since the VT and SGN designations were introduced in 1983.
The total vineyard surface in Alsace has increased over the last decades, although the total French vineyard surface has decreased. In 1967, there were of Alsace vineyards, in 1982, , and in 2007, . Over the same period of time, among the varieties, Pinot gris has increased the most, from 4% to 15% of the vineyard surface, while Sylvaner has decreased the most.
Use of the name "Tokay" in Alsace
The grape variety
Pinot gris
Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio (, ) or Grauburgunder is a white wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot Noir variety, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name, but the gra ...
is believed to have been taken to
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
in the 14th century, where it was named
Szürkebarát
Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio (, ) or Grauburgunder is a white wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot Noir variety, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name, but the gra ...
. It is further believed to have been brought back to Alsace by General Lazarus von Schwendi after his campaign against the
Turks
Turk or Turks may refer to:
Communities and ethnic groups
* Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages
* Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
* Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic ...
in the 16th century. It was planted in
Kientzheim
Kientzheim (; ; Alsatian: ''Kientza'') is a former commune in the Haut-Rhin department in north-eastern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune Kaysersberg Vignoble.
Population
Education
Previously the local elementary ...
under the name "Tokay", taken from Hungary's most famous wine
Tokaji
Tokaji ( hu, of Tokaj ) or Tokay is the name of the wines from the Tokaj wine region (also ''Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region'' or ''Tokaj-Hegyalja'') in Hungary or the adjoining Tokaj wine region in Slovakia. This region is noted for its sweet wines ...
, which does not use Pinot gris, but rather
Furmint
Furmint (also known as Mainak) is a white Hungarian wine grape variety that is most noted widely grown in the Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region where it is used to produce single-varietal dry wines as well as being the principal grape in the better kn ...
and
Hárslevelű
Hárslevelű (in Hungarian), also called ''Lipovina'' (in Slovak), ''Frunza de tei'' (in Romanian), ''Lindenblättriger'' (in German) and ''Feuille de Tilleul'' (in French) is a grape variety from the Pontian Balcanica branch of ''Vitis vinife ...
mainly. For a long time, the Alsatian wines produced from this variety were labelled Tokay d'Alsace. However, in 1993, an agreement was reached between Hungary and the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
(of which Hungary was not yet a member) to phase out the name Tokay from non-
Hungarian wine Hungarian wine has a history dating back to the Kingdom of Hungary. Outside Hungary, the best-known wines are the white dessert wine Tokaji aszú (particularly in the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia) and the red wine Bull's Blood of Eger (Egri ...
. In the case of Alsace, the name Tokay Pinot gris was used as an intermediate step, with the "Tokay" part eliminated in 2007.
Geography, geology and terroir
The geography of the wine growing area in Alsace is determined by two main factors, the
Vosges
The Vosges ( , ; german: Vogesen ; Franconian and gsw, Vogese) are a range of low mountains in Eastern France, near its border with Germany. Together with the Palatine Forest to the north on the German side of the border, they form a single ...
river in the east. The vineyards are concentrated in a narrow strip, running in a roughly north–south direction, on the lower eastern slopes of the Vosges, at altitudes of 175–420 m. Those altitudes provide a good balance between temperature, drainage and sun exposure under Alsace's growing conditions. Because of predominantly westerly winds, the Vosges mountains tend to shelter Alsace from rain and maritime influence, and the region is therefore rather dry and sunny. Rainfall in
Colmar
Colmar (, ; Alsatian: ' ; German during 1871–1918 and 1940–1945: ') is a city and commune in the Haut-Rhin department and Grand Est region of north-eastern France. The third-largest commune in Alsace (after Strasbourg and Mulhouse), it is ...
is 500 mm, but can vary greatly between sites, and is the driest city in France. While the slope down the Vosges is generally east-facing, many of the best sites are south-west to south-east facing, and benefit from extra sun exposure.
Alsace's geology is quite varied, with many different kinds of soils represented in the vineyards. Alsace's soils are a result of its location at a geological fault. Alsace as a whole is located on the western part of the
, which is the result of two systems of parallel faults, with a dropped down block between the Vosges and the
Black Forest
The Black Forest (german: Schwarzwald ) is a large forested mountain range in the state of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany, bounded by the Rhine Valley to the west and south and close to the borders with France and Switzerland. It is t ...
.
Wine styles
Almost all wines are white, except those made from the
Pinot noir
Pinot Noir () is a red-wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French language, French words for ''pine'' and ''black.' ...
Sparkling wine
Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, making it fizzy. While the phrase commonly refers to champagne, European Union countries legally reserve that term for products exclusively produced in the Champagne regi ...
'' region which covers Alsace. Thus, the only alternative to producing AOC wine is to declassify it all the way down to ''
Vin de table
Table wine (rarely abbreviated TW) is a wine term with two different meanings: a style of wine and a quality level within wine classification.
In the United States, the term primarily designates a wine style: an ordinary wine which is not forti ...
'', which generally means that neither grape varieties, region of origin or vintage may be identified. However, this solution is mostly avoided since ''edelzwicker'' and ''gentil'' may be blended from several varieties, i.e. varieties that exceed the AOC rules in the concerned season.
Bottles
There is a legal requirement for bottling Alsace wine in tall bottles commonly called '. In the AOC rules, the bottle type is actually called ''vin du Rhin'', i.e., "Rhine wine bottle". Without being mandated by law, this bottle format is also common and traditional in many German regions, particularly for Riesling and other traditional white wine varieties.
Late harvest wines
There are two
late harvest
Late harvest wine is wine made from grapes left on the vine longer than usual. ''Late harvest'' is usually an indication of a sweet dessert wine, such as late harvest Riesling. Late harvest grapes are often more similar to raisins, but have been ...
(SGN). ''Vendange Tardive'' means "late harvest" (which in German would be ''
Spätlese
Spätlese (literal meaning: "late harvest"; plural form is ''Spätlesen'') is a German wine term for a wine from fully ripe grapes, the lightest of the late harvest wines. Spätlese is a riper category than Kabinett in the '' Prädikatswein'' ca ...
''), but in terms of
must weight
Must weight is a measure of the amount of sugar in grape juice (must) and, hence, indicates the amount of alcohol that could be produced if it is all fermented to alcohol, rather than left as residual sugar.Auslese
''Auslese'' (literal meaning: "selected harvest"; plural form is ''Auslesen'') is a German language wine term for a late harvest wine and is a riper category than Spätlese in the '' Prädikatswein'' category of the Austrian and German wine cl ...
noble rot
Noble rot (french: pourriture noble; german: Edelfäule; it, Muffa nobile; hu, Aszúsodás) is the beneficial form of a grey fungus, ''Botrytis cinerea'', affecting wine grapes. Infestation by ''Botrytis'' requires moist conditions. If the we ...
, and is similar to a German
Beerenauslese
''Beerenauslese'' (literally: "selection of berries") is a German language wine term for a late harvest wine with noble rot. Beerenauslese is a category in the '' Prädikatswein'' category of the Austrian and German wine classifications, and is ...
. For both VT and SGN, Alsace wines tend to be higher in alcohol and therefore slightly lower in sugar than the corresponding German wines. Therefore, Riesling VT and Muscat VT tend to be semi-sweet rather than sweet, while Gewürztraminer and Pinot gris tend to be rather sweet already at VT level. But as is the case with sweetness in other Alsace wines, this depends to a large extent on the house style of the producer.
The required level of ripeness of the grapes, which was increased in 2001, are as follows, expressed as sugar content of the must and
New world
The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 3 ...
wines scored considerable export success. However, under appellation rules, not all varietal-sounding names on labels need to correspond to a single grape variety. Only one varietal label may be used on a wine, and a blend may not have more than one varietal name on the label.
'' designation for Alsace. This means that wines that do not qualify for AOC status have to be sold as simple ''
Vin de table
Table wine (rarely abbreviated TW) is a wine term with two different meanings: a style of wine and a quality level within wine classification.
In the United States, the term primarily designates a wine style: an ordinary wine which is not forti ...
Up to 2,000 growers bottle their own wine, but more than 80% of the wine is produced by 175 producers, including many
winemaking cooperative
A winemaking cooperative is an agricultural cooperative which is involved in winemaking, and which in a similar way to other cooperatives is owned by its members. The members in a winemaking cooperative are usually vineyard owners, who deliver gr ...
Hugel & Fils
Hugel & Fils is a winery in Riquewihr, Alsace, France. Hugel & Fils is one of the major producers of Alsace wine, and has been an important force in the Alsace wine industry in its developments during the second half of the 20th century.
Hugel & ...
Marcel Deiss Marcel Deiss is a French wine grower and producer. It is based in Bergheim, in the Alsace wine region of France.
History
The Deiss family came to Bergheim in 1744 and took up grape growing in the area shortly afterward.
The current domaine wa ...
. Many of the larger houses, such as Hugel, sell both wines from their own vineyards and market wines they have produced from purchased grapes, i.e., operate as
. Producers calling themselves "Domaine", such as Zind-Humbrecht, are supposed to only use grapes from their own vineyards. There are also several winemaking cooperatives, some of which have a rather good reputation.
Route des Vins d'Alsace
The ''Route des Vins d'Alsace'' ( Wine route of Alsace) is an approximately road, crossing the main wine producing areas of the region. From north to south, the following 67
communes
An intentional community is a voluntary residential community which is designed to have a high degree of social cohesion and teamwork from the start. The members of an intentional community typically hold a common social, political, relig ...
crossed by the ''Route'' are:
*
Marlenheim
Marlenheim () is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department and Grand Est region of north-eastern France.
Twin towns
Marlenheim is twinned with Bouillante (Guadeloupe, France).
See also
* Communes of the Bas-Rhin department
The following i ...
Bergbieten
Bergbieten () is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in northeastern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Bas-Rhin department
The following is a list of the 514 communes of the Bas-Rhin department of France.
The ...
*
Dangolsheim
Dangolsheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
See also
* Communes of the Bas-Rhin department
The following is a list of the 514 communes of the Bas-Rhin department of France.
The communes cooper ...
*
Soultz-les-Bains
Soultz-les-Bains (; historical german: Sulzbad, ) is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est, France.
In 1682, the famous military engineer Vauban constructed the Canal de la Bruche between Soultz and Strasbourg. The canal was nee ...
*
Avolsheim
Avolsheim () is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in the Grand Est region of north-eastern France.
The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Avolsheimois'' or ''Avolsheimoises''.
The commune has been awarded one flower by the ''National ...
*
Molsheim
Molsheim () is a commune and a subprefecture in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
*
Rosheim
Rosheim (; gsw-FR, Rose) is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
It lies southwest of Strasbourg, on the eastern slopes of the Vosges mountains. It is a winemaking town on the tourist "Road of the Wines ...
Ottrott
Ottrott () is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It lies southwest of Strasbourg. The vineyards in and around Ottrott produce the red Rouge d'Ottrott, a geographical denomination within the registered d ...
*
Obernai
Obernai ( Alsatian: ''Owernah''; german: Oberehnheim) commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France. It lies on the eastern slopes of the Vosges mountains.
Obernai is a rapidly growing city, its number of inhabitants hav ...
Barr Barr may refer to:
Places
* Barr (placename element), element of place names meaning 'wooded hill', 'natural barrier'
* Barr, Ayrshire, a village in Scotland
* Barr Building (Washington, DC), listed on the US National Register of Historic Places ...
*
Mittelbergheim
Mittelbergheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.
The village is a member of the ''Les Plus Beaux Villages de France'' ("The most beautiful villages of France") association.
Its vineyards produce one o ...
*
Andlau
Andlau ( or ; Alsatian: ''Àndlöi'') is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace, Grand Est region of northeastern France.
The village owes its origin to Andlau Abbey which was founded in 880 by Richardis, the empress of Charles the Fa ...
Nothalten
Nothalten is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.
See also
* Communes of the Bas-Rhin department
The following is a list of the 514 communes of the Bas-Rhin department of France.
The communes cooperate ...
Rodern
Rodern () is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
See also
* Communes of the Haut-Rhin department
The following is a list of the 366 communes of the French department of Haut-Rhin.
The communes cooper ...
Riquewihr
Riquewihr (; Alsatian: ; german: Reichenweier ) is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
A popular tourist attraction for its historical architecture, Riquewihr is also known for the Riesling and other win ...
Bennwihr
Bennwihr (; german: Bennweier) is a commune in Grand Est, in northeastern France.
History
Bennwihr figures in a report from the year 777 by Charlemagne's ''missi dominici.'' They refer to the village as ''Beno Villare'' (Beno's domain), and men ...
Kientzheim
Kientzheim (; ; Alsatian: ''Kientza'') is a former commune in the Haut-Rhin department in north-eastern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune Kaysersberg Vignoble.
Population
Education
Previously the local elementary ...
*
Kaysersberg
Kaysersberg (german: Kaisersberg ; Alsatian: ''Kaiserschbarig'') is a historical town and former commune in Alsace in northeastern France. The name is German for ''Emperor's Mountain''. The high fortress that dominates the town serves as a remi ...
*
Ammerschwihr
Ammerschwihr (; ) is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
Its inhabitants are called ''Ammerschwihriens''.
Geography
Ammerschwihr is a small town located on the Wine Road of Alsace. Its main economical ...
*
Ingersheim
Ingersheim is a municipality in the district of Ludwigsburg in Baden-Württemberg in Germany, belonging to the Stuttgart Region.
Geography
Geographical location
Ingersheim is located on the western bank of the Neckar about 20 kilometers ...
*
Niedermorschwihr
Niedermorschwihr (german: Niedermorschweier) is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
Notable people
* Christine Ferber, pastry chef and chocolatier
See also
* Communes of the Haut-Rhin department
The fo ...
*
Turckheim
Turckheim (; Alsatian: Tercka; ) is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It lies west of Colmar, on the eastern slopes of the Vosges mountains.
History
Archeological finds indicate the area was alrea ...
*
Colmar
Colmar (, ; Alsatian: ' ; German during 1871–1918 and 1940–1945: ') is a city and commune in the Haut-Rhin department and Grand Est region of north-eastern France. The third-largest commune in Alsace (after Strasbourg and Mulhouse), it is ...
Eguisheim
Eguisheim (; german: Egisheim; Alsatian: ''Egsa'') is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It lies in the historical region of Alsace (german: Elsass). The village lies on the edge of the Ballons des Vosge ...
*
Husseren-les-Châteaux
Husseren-les-Châteaux () is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. The village lies on the edge of the Ballons des Vosges Nature Park, where the Vosges meet the Upper Rhine Plain.
The village is overlooked ...
Hattstatt
Hattstatt is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It lies in the arrondissement of Guebwiller in the historic region of Alsace and is on the Alsatian wineroute ( Route des vins d'Alsace).
Notable sights
...
*
Gueberschwihr
Gueberschwihr (; gsw, Gawerschwihr; german: Geberschweier) is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
File:Gueberschwihr 042.JPG, Town hall
File:Gueberschwihr 007.JPG, Church
See also
*Communes of the Ha ...
Rouffach
Rouffach (; German and Alsatian: ''Rufach'') is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
Rouffach lies along the Alsatian wine route (''Route des Vins d'Alsace'').
Its vineyards produce one of the finest Al ...
Guebwiller
Guebwiller (french: Guebwiller, ; Alsatian language, Alsatian: ''GÃ willer'' ; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Haut-Rhin Departments of France, department in Grand Est currently in north-eastern France. It was a Subprefectures in Fran ...