Alsace wine

            Produced in the Alsace region of France (North-East of France,
            capital Strasbourg). The vineyards, extending on low hills at the
            foot of the Vosges mountains, are not situated higher than 200 to
            400 metres, and benefit from a good exposure to the sun. The
            climate, semi-continental, rather dry and sunny, helps ripening rich
            and sweet grapes. The soils are varied, granite, schist, gneiss,
            sandstone, limestone, and give to each wine its character, complex
            and unique.

            Essentially white and dry, aromatic, spicy, the Alsace wines close
            to Austria and Germany wines, but higher in alcohol and lower in
            sugar. There are five categories:

            - AOC Alsace (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée Alsace) : white, rosé
            or red ; the label indicates the grape variety, and sometimes the
            name of the village or vineyard;

            - AOC Alsace Grand Cru : white wines from about 50 classified
            vineyards ; the harvest, and the production, are strictly controlled
            ; the permitted grapes are Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Muscat and
            Pinot, and for one wine Sylvaner ; on the bottle are mentioned the
            name of the vineyard, the vintage, the grape type;

            - AOC Crémant d'Alsace for sparkling wines : a sparkling wine mainly
            made from Pinot Blanc, and also from Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir,
            Riesling and from Chardonnay, using the traditional method of
            bottle-fermentation (like in Champagne);

            - Vendanges tardives (VT, Late harvests, Spätlese) : made from
            over-ripe grapes (only Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Muscat and Pinot),
            affected by noble rot ; the grapes hang on the vine until they
            dehydrate ; the "noble rot" (Botrytis Cinerea) affecting the grapes
            also increase the sugar level, giving the wines a honeysuckle aroma.

            - Sélection de grains nobles (SGN, Selection of noble berries) : the
            highest official category in Alsace wines ; the noble-rot, over-ripe
            berries are chosen on the grapes, to give the highest concentration
            of sugar and fruit ; these wines are powerful, complex.

            Alsace may be kept five years for the AOC, more for the Vendanges
            tardives. They fit white meat, poultry, seafood, and of course
            desserts.

            Alsace wines classement appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC)
            Altenberg de BergBieten
            Altenberg de Bergheim
            Altenberg de Wolxheim
            Brand
            Bruderthal
            Chasselas ou Gutedel
            Cotes de Toul
            Cremant d'Alsace
            Edelzwicker
            Eichberg
            Engelberg
            Florimont
            Frankstein
            Froehn
            Furstentum
            Geisberg
            Gewurztraminer
            Gloeckelberg
            Goldert
            Hatschbourg
            Hengst
            Kanzlerberg
            Kastelberg
            Kessler
            Kirchberg de Barr
            Kirchberg de Ribeauville
            Kitterle
            Mambourg
            Mandelberg
            Marckrain
            Moenchberg
            Muenchberg
            Muscat
            Ollwiller
            Osterberg
            Pfersigberg
            Pfingstberg
            Pinot Gris
            Pinot Noir
            Pinot ou Klevener
            Praelatenberg
            Rangen
            Riesling
            Rosacker
            Saering
            Schlossberg
            Schoenenbourg
            Sommerberg
            Sonnenglanz
            Spiegel
            Sporen
            Steinert
            Steingrubler
            Steinklotz
            Sylvaner
            Vorbourg
            Wiebelsberg
            Wineck Schlossberg
            Winzenberg
            Zinnkopfle
            Zotzenberg
            Alcohol abuse is dangerous for health. Consume with moderation.