French Wine Explorers
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- March 2006
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This month's wine explorations:
- The Great Wines and Charm of Alsace
- Our New Christmas Markets and Great Wines of Alsace Tour!
- The Amazing 2005 Vintage in Bordeaux and Burgundy
- Tasting Notes: Affordable Burgundy
The Great Whites and Charm of Alsace
There's
been a resurgence of interest recently in Alsace and its wines,
particularly in the U.S. It's about time - those of us who know the
region and its wines have always been big fans of these supremely elegant,
aromatic whites that go so well with a large variety of food. And
the region itself is gorgeous, one of the most beautiful and charming in
France.
Alsace lies on the northeastern border of France and Germany, about a 4 hour train ride from Paris (the fast train currently being built will reduce that to about 2 hours when it's completed). It's the largest white wine vineyard in France, because of the very particular geography of the area that makes white grapes ripen better here than anywhere else in France. The vineyards stretch over approximately 100km from Strasbourg in the north to Mulhouse in the south in a narrow band of hillsides along the foothills of the Vosges mountains.
Despite the high latitude of the area, growing conditions are ideal in the area. The mountains block the moist air masses from the ocean to the west; combined with the continental influence from the east, this creates a hot, dry micro-climate in the vineyards during the growing season. This climate allows a slow, gradual maturation process, which helps the grapes retain aromas of great intensity and finesse and a wonderful balance of sugar and acidity. It also makes it possible to produce sweet dessert wines, both Vendanges Tardives (Late Harvest) and botrytised wines (called Selection Grain Nobles or S.G.N.) that rival the best Sauternes.
The eastern hillsides of the Vosges
foothills, with their south/southeast exposure, offer the most favorable
conditions for grape growing. The soils are extraordinarily varied; in
fact, the diversity of soils in
Alsace is unrivaled anywhere else in France. This is where we find the 50 Grand Crus vineyards, which are
quite small due to the “mosaic”
quality of the different soils (a phenomenon we also find in
Four of the grape varieties - Riesling, Muscat, Pinot Gris (sometimes called Tokay) and Gewurztraminer - are considered "noble," and Grand Cru wines can only be made with one of these four varieties. Reisling is considered the most noble of the bunch. The best Reislings are perfectly balanced with amazingly complex aromas of tropical fruits, flowers and minerality (often a distinctive "petrol" or "gasoline" note). Riesling has the enviable, rare ability to maintain its varietal identity while also perfectly reflecting the character of its terroir - for this reason, it is often called "the king of white wines."
Alsace has a long, illustrious history as a wine producing region. Viticulture in the area dates back to the Roman invasion around the 1st century A.D., and as early as the 2nd century, wine was being transported on the Moselle and Rhine rivers in the area that is now Alsace. By the end of the first millenium, the vine was widely cultivated in the area, largely by the many abbeys and convents which had been founded in the area. The wine-producing areas of Alsace continued to grow through the 16th century, when they reached their apogee. Large quantities of Alsatian wine were exported all over Europe at this time, and the local economy boomed.
When visiting Alsace today, you can still see the prosperity of those times in the incredibly beautiful wine-producing villages that dot the landscape at the base of the Vosges mountains. In this dramatic setting, you'll find stunning Renaissance architecture from the 15th and 16th centuries in perfectly-restored, flower-adorned villages that retain all the charm and elegance of their rich past.
Come explore the rich cultural heritage and great wines of this amazing region with us on a new tour - Christmas Markets and Great Wines of Alsace (see below for more details).
Our New Christmas Markets and Great Wines of Alsace Tour
We
are very pleased to offer, for the first time, a scheduled tour of the
Alsace region, at the time of year when Alsace is at its most
magical. The week before Christmas in Alsace (Dec.14-18, 2006) is an
absolutely delightful time, thanks to the annual Christmas Markets that
take place throughout the area. Each village is beautifully
decorated for the season, and the streets are lined with vendors selling
regional handcrafts and goodies of all kinds, ranging from jewelry to
specialty foods to wooden toys and much more. One of the villages
we'll visit has a medieval theme for their Market: all the vendors dress
in medieval costume, a boar is roasted on an outdoor spit, and
even the King and Queen and their court make an appearance. The weather is
crisp and there's often a light dusting of snow, just enough to powder the
slanted rooftops of the colorful, half-timbered houses and make your stop
for a hot spiced wine (sold on every corner in the Markets) a welcome
break. This is a prime Christmas shopping opportunity, including a
visit to the Beauvillé factory outlet store where you can find some of
France's most elegant table linens at unbeatable prices, and the most
amazing Christmas decoration store, known throughout Europe (a destination
in itself for some folks).
We've been scouting locations in Alsace for this tour for three years, and we've found the most beautiful villages with the loveliest Christmas Markets for you to visit. Our small group of merry-makers will stay in one of the most charming villages, surrounded by vineyards on all sides. Your hotel combines local charm with elegant modernity, and has the best restaurant in the vacinity (Michelin 1-star rated). We'll also indulge in a memorable lunch at Le Crocodile (Michelin 2-star rated) in Strasbourg, one of France's most exciting and innovative restaurants. Along the way, you'll visit some of the greatest wine producers of Alsace, like Domaines Deiss, Weinbach and Ostertag and Maison Hugel. If you love red wines, never fear: we'll be tasting not only the delicate, perfumed Pinot Noir's of Alsace, but also some great Burgundies at meals. A cooking class (including foie gras) with a well-known local chef rounds out an incredibly memorable five days in Alsace. Return home in time for Christmas with family, or let us arrange for you to spend Christmas afterward in Paris or elsewhere in France.
More details, full itinerary and pricing will be available soon. We expect this special tour to sell out, so contact us to let us know you're interested so we can get information to you as soon as it's available. We look forward to seeing you in Alsace this December!
The Amazing 2005 Vintage in Bordeaux and Burgundy
The growing season in 2005 presented some of the most ideal conditions for wine grape-growing that Bordeaux (and most of the rest of France) has seen in many years. The drought that has caused water-supply problems in France since 2003 actually created a beneficial situation for the grape vines (which do not need much water to produce good-quality grapes). Combined with hot temperatures without any extremes, the grapes were able to mature gradually and evenly. As a result, they not only were bursting with fruit and aromas, they also had enough acidity to create wines of an exceptional balance.
The futures tastings for the press and wine merchants are going on right now in Bordeaux, and predictions are that these professionals will declare 2005 to be the greatest vintage since 2000, and possibly as great as the mythic 1982. Not surprisingly, prices are likely to be high for this exceptional vintage, which won't be available in stores before 2007.
You can have the thrill of being among the first to taste the 2005's and judge for yourself on one of our Bordeaux tours this year. There are just a few spots left for each of the Bordeaux Prestige tours (May 8-13 and June 5-10), and we also still have room on our Great Estates of Bordeaux tour, Sept. 4-9. See our Bordeaux wine tours page for more information.
If Burgundy is more your cup of tea, I can assure you that the 2005 vintage is also being heralded as magnificent, and is already being compared with 1999 or 1990. We were in Burgundy for the harvest this year (see our Newsletter article about it here), and the broad smiles on the faces of the estate owners overseeing the picking said it all. To taste these great wines yourself, join us on our Great Estates of Burgundy tour, Sept. 11-15, 2006.
Tasting Notes: Good, Inexpensive Burgundy
Two words one doesn't often see together in print are "inexpensive" and "Burgundy." Outside of France, it can be hard to find an inexpensive, but good Burgundy. That's why we were happily surprised to find one recently, in a very desirable vintage (2004 - great for white Burgundies) at our local supermarket in Florida. The wine comes from the sub-regional Macon Villages appellation in southern Burgundy, an appellation that produces wines made from 100% Chardonnay. The producer is Louis Jadot, one of Burgundy's best wine merchants (négociants). Winemaker Jacques Lardière is known as an eccentric genius, a perfectionist who gives the same attention to his least expensive generic wines as to his most prestigious 1er and Grand Crus. This care is evident in the Macon Villages we tasted the other day.
A nice light gold color, the wine is very aromatic. Aromas of white flowers, butter and citrus/peach fruit open up into a light toasty/grilled note from the oak in which it was aged. In the mouth, the aromas are just as vivid. There was a very nice roundness offset by a very fresh acidity - a bit too much acidity (this was the wine's weakest point, in fact), but there was so much fruit here that it didn't interfere with the pleasure we had from the wine. The finish was surprisingly long (6 to 7 seconds) for a wine in this price range. Even though the balance is not perfect and the wine is certainly a bit rustic, for $10.99, it's an excellent value and true Burgundy character. It was a fine accompaniment to a grilled tilapia filet simply prepared with a bit of lemon and butter.
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I'm always available to answer your questions about our wine programs, our company, and wine in France and Italy in general. Please feel free to contact me at info@wine-tours-france.com, or toll free at 1-877-261-1500.
Best regards,
Lauriann Greene-Sollin, Sommelier-Conseil
President/Founder
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© 2006 French Wine Explorers. Articles © 2006 Lauriann Greene. All rights reserved. Fla. Seller of Travel Reg. No. ST36431