Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Learn to recognize the basic grapes and wines of this region. The simplest wines are
blendedfromseveralgrapesandusuallycalled
Edelzwicker.
Despitebeingcheapest,these
wines can be delicious and offer very good value.
Here are the key grapes to look for:
Riesling
is the king of Alsatian grapes. It's more robust than sylvaner, but drier than
the German style you're probably used to. The name comes from the German word that
describes its slightly smoky smell, with a note of
goût petrol
(“gasoline taste”).
Sylvaner
—fresh and light, fruity and cheap—is a good wine for a hot day.
Pinot blanc
is easy to drink as it's a middle-of-the-road but refreshing wine. It's
neither too fruity nor too strong, its taste is neither too sweet nor too dry—it's also not too
memorable.
Pinot gris
was called Tokay d'Alsace until recently, when the term was banned to
avoid confusion with Tokaji wines in Hungary (where these grapes originated). These are
morefull-bodied,spicier,anddistinctlydifferentfromotherpinotgriswinesyoumayhave
tried.
