More Alsace for Alberta

BY MIKE ROBERTS

ere in the wild rose province, we love our red wines. It makes sense with our long winters, short summers and blink-or-you’ll-miss-it spring and fall. We find comfort and warmth in hearty dishes, certainly not shying away from red meat consumption. Red wines fit the bill—they are hearty, texturally diverse experiences that comfort our bellies, stain our teeth, and warm our chests. It is no wonder then that Alsace—with about 95 percent of wine production being white—rarely graces our tables.

In northeastern France, alongside the Rhine River near Germany, Alsace is on the leeward side of the Vosges Mountains — a rain shadow casting its spell of dryness, sunshine and warmth in what would otherwise be an impossible climate for grape cultivation.

Alsace has a long and storied history in which its control has been passed between Germany and France at least five times, whilst entrenched in war for nearly 200 years. The result is a fusion of cuisine, architecture, culture, language, and most notably a uniquely developed sense of place and style in its wines.

Grapes were first planted in Alsace by H

the Romans in the 2nd Century AD, and it was considered (next to Bordeaux) to have some of the world’s finest wines in the Middle Ages. Here you will find the world’s oldest wine in a barrel from 1472, and there are more than 800 wine cellars with open doors to visitors, many within the town walls available to pedestrian traffic. If you have a trip to French wine country on your mind, Alsace is a must.

There is so much sunshine in the glass you may be convinced you’ve received your dose of Vitamin D.

So how is it, with its unique history and long-standing winemaking traditions, that it could be a hidden gem and unknown to many Albertans? I often see people walk by an admittedly conspicuous Alsace wine section without batting an eye. The tall, slender “flute” shaped bottles, the mishmash of German-French language, fonts, and “feel” of the labels attached to Germanic grape varieties such as gewürztraminer and riesling, make it hard for many to assume anything other than the wine is sweet. The truth could not be further away. Alsace wines are by and large dry, expressive wines offering freshness, bang for your buck, and even long-term cellaring options for the vino infatuate but there are also plenty of off-dry, gateway wines available for neophytes or broader gatherings.

Wine producers and the Vins D’Alsace consortium (CIVA) are working together to end a decades-long struggle to create simplified, consumer-friendly labelling to help us choose our wines. The best solution seems to be the legal requirement to incorporate a sweetness scale infographic on the back label of all wines. The trick here though is for innumerable (and often traditionally minded) producers to agree on a standardized scale, and when to implement it.

In the meantime, Alsace should be gracing the tables of Albertans, brightening up the gloomy winter days alongside hearty, salty dishes. There is so much sunshine in the glass you may be convinced you’ve received your dose of Vitamin D. The wines are pitch perfect for Easter, the bloom of spring, and slurping at summer gatherings. The versatility is astounding.

Exploring the wines of Alsace

Cremant D’Alsace Champagne taste on a beer budget? Alsace is well known for producing sparkling wines, fashioned in the same method as champagne with regional grapes but at a very reasonable price. Think drier, more full-bodied prosecco.

Gewürztraminer Almost always dry but some have residual sugar (we can’t wait for that back label scale!). Look for wines at 13–14 percent alcohol—these will be dry with big personality. Floral, exotic, spicy, and oily with soft acidity. Great with ethnic foods and dishes with ginger.

Pinot Noir Growing in plantings and production as Alsace tries to reach more wine drinkers, pinot in Alsace can vary from near rosé in body and weight to deeply text ured and matured in new oak. Checking alcohol content will help here (more alcohol, fuller bodied). Pair with pork, duck, tender red meat cuts, pizza, pasta and charcuterie boards. clean and vibrant. A great little wine for hors d’oeuvres, bright salads, as a welcome drink, or on the patio.

Riesling Usually completely dry. Look for wines at 12–13 percent ABV. Riesling is king and treated as such. These gorgeously aromatic, medium to full-bodied wines are steely, high acid, with tons of intrigue and complexity. Many can and should be aged.

Pinot Gris A specialty of Alsace. Always a chubby wine, richly textured, with residual sugar and opulence. Poached pear and honey flavours dominate. The wines are perfect with salty pork dishes, sausages, or anything with pears. My go-to for turkey dinners.

Some excellent producers to seek out in Alberta: Domaine Trimbach, Hugel et Fils, Domaine Zinck, Pierre Sparr, Gustave Lorentz, Francois Baur, and Wolfberger.

Muscat Always dry! Not your momma’s moscato, although Alsatian versions have the nose of flowers, “Thrills” gum and grapes, the palate is always light, fresh, Mike is an ISG Certified Sommelier, WSET Certified Educator, and holds the WSET Diploma. He is passionate about making any day extraordinary with wine and food experiences. You only live once!