| Alsace |
(ahl zas) Just across the Rhine River from Germany, this region in northeastern France produces wines that are unique in many ways. They are made with grapes native to Germany; their bottles are graceful and long-necked; they are relatively inexpensive; and their labels carry the names of the grape as well as the place-name. Alsace Riesling is far drier than its German counterpart, although it has a fruity aroma. IT can be enjoyed young, but a good Riesling will age and improve for ten or more years. Alsace Pinot Blanc is a light-bodied wine that can be extremely dry or medium-dry. Tokay Pinot Gris is made from the Pinot Gris grape, known more famously in Italy as Pinot Grigio. In Alsace these wines are rich, spicy, and full-bodied and a good match with spicy meat dishes as well as sweet and sour flavors. In Alsace, the Gewurztraminer grape makes wines that are spicy, intense, low in acidity and high in alcohol. |
| France |
France is the standard bearer for all the world’s wines, with regard to the types of grapes that are used to make wine and with the system of defining and regulating winemaking. Its Appellation d’Origine Controlee, or AOC system, is the legislative model for most other European countries. Most French wines are named after places. The system is hierarchical; generally the smaller and more specific the region for which a wine is named, the higher its rank. There are four possible ranks of French wine, and each is always stated on the label: Appellation Contrôlée (or AOC), Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (or VDQS); Vin de pays, or country wine; and Vin de table. France has five major wine regions, although there are several others that make interesting wines. The three major regions for red wine are Bordeaux, Burgundy, and the Rhone; for white wines, the regions are Burgundy, the Loire and Alsace. Each region specialized in certain grape varieties for its wines, based on climate, soil, and local tradition. Two other significant French wine regions are Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon, both in the south of France. Cahors, in the southwest of the country, produces increasingly good wines. |
| Gewürztraminer |
(geh VAIRTZ trah mee ner)—This grape makes a deep-colored, full-bodied, soft white wine with aromas and flavors of roses and lychee fruit. Classically a dry wine from France’s Alsace region, there are other excellent wines available from Germany, Austria, California, Oregon and New York. |