ALSACE & LOIRE

VALLEY
FRANCE
WHERE IS ALSACE?
 ALSACE
• Northernmost region in France specializing
in still wines.
• Located in between the borders of France &
Germany.(North East France)
• Cities in Alsace – north side, Strasbourg to
South (Colmar).
• The region has a strong & separate identity
with their own language,culture cuisine &
wine traditional.
• Germanic Grapes are widely grown.
• Mainly grapes – Riesling , Gewurztraminer,
Pinot Gris, Muscat, Sylvaner, Pinot Blanc,
Auxerrois, Chasselas & Pinot Noir(Red).
 Climate & Soil
• Overshadowed by Vosges Mountain
Range and reflection from Rhine River
• 2nd driest region in France.
• The best vineyards are located at the
foot of Vosges.(south west & south
east).
• Continential ( hot summers & long and
severe winter).
• Dry autumns lead to extend the ripening
of grapes.
• Main threats to the harvest are spring
frosts & summer hailstorms.
 Climate & Soil
• Complex soil such as

• rocky flint, granite, schist give mineral,

petrol & gunflint characters especially for
Riesling.
• Heavy clay & Marl give weight & broad
fruit flavor for Gewurztraminer.
• Limestone with finesse give nice structure
for Muscat.
ALSACE is divided into two regions
BAS-RHIN
The Bas-Rhin is the northern sector of
Alsace. The capital of alsace., Strasbourg,
is located within this area.

HAUT-RHIN
This southern sector of Alsace is home to
many of the region’s premier vineyards.
Colmar is the regional Capital
 Appellation

A.O.P ( appellation d’Origine Protégé)

(1) Alsace Grand Cru AOP

(2) Cremant de Alsace
(3) Alsace AOP
 Grand Cru Alsace AOP
• Only 4% of entire production in Alsace.
• As of 2009, there are currently 51 lieux-dits(Grand
Cru Vineyard) listed as Grand Cru.
• All wines labeled with the Alsace Grand Cru
designation must be produced from the noble Alsace
varieties: Riesling, Muscat, Pinot
gris and Gewürztraminer grapes.
• These wines can be produced as late harvest
wines and labeled either Sélection de Grains
Nobles (SGN) or Vendange tardive (VT).
• In Vintages that are favourable to late harvest ripening
& noble rot,straw wine(Vin de paille,from dry grapes)
and ice wine are also made,but in small quantities.
Alsace AOP
• Unlike most other French wine regions, there
is only one AOC for most wines made in the
whole of Alsace.
• In 2006, 78 per cent of the Alsatian vineyards
were producing wine under the Alsace AOC
appellation.
• Alsace AOC wines are often sold with one of
the varietal labels or similar designations that
are allowed under the AOC rules.
• In some cases, a lieu-dit, the name of a
vineyard, is also displayed on the bottle.
Neither the varietal labels or the lieux-dits are
separate appellations; all carry "Appellation
 Cremant De Alsace
• Crémant d'Alsace is an Appellation d'Origine
Contrôlée for sparkling wines.
• It is made using the traditional method
(secondary in-bottle fermentation), mostly
from Pinot blanc grapes, but it may also
contain Pinot gris, Riesling, Pinot
noir and Chardonnay grapes (Chardonnay may
not be used in the two other Alsace appellations).
• Rosé Crémant d'Alsace is made exclusively
from Pinot noir grapes.
• Crémant d'Alsace is a significant part of the wine
production in Alsace, with 18% of the region's
vineyards used for this purpose.
 LATE HARVEST WINES

Vendanges Tardives (VT) Selection de Grains Nobles (SGN)

• To produce these concentrated • Are intensely sweet, botrytis-
wines, grapes are picked by affected, honeyed wines most
hand late in the season. suitable for service at the
• VT wines are produced from a conclusion of a meal.
single variety, and they may be • Best examples stand alongside
sweeter or drier style. Sauternes and the great sweet
• VT may display the character of wines of the Loire as France’s
Botrytis (Noble Rot) finest dessert wines.
 Wine styles

Riesling Gewurztraminer
• Most highly reflective of terrior. • Easy to recognize from high alcohol.
• Drier , richer , higher alcohol & • Aromas of oriental bazaar or perfume
shop.
acid than German Riesling.
• Hot vintages- flabby & lack of acidity,
• Steely with mineral , apple , contribute to sweetness.
citrus , jasmine , Honey & stone • Notes- spices,rose pedals,lychee,grape
fruit when wine is young. fruit,peach & smoky Bacon.
• For age wine, complex bouquet of • Age-worthy although lack of acidity.
pure fruit flavours,petrol or • Most are dry & off-dry also in VT and
kerosene and long & dry finishing. SGN.
 Wine Styles

Pinot gris Pinot Blanc

• Aromas of spices, pear, stone fruits • Often blend with a similar grape
with hints of honey, smoke and earth named ‘Auxerrois’.
minerality.
• It’s round and medium bodied with
• Alsace pinot gris is fuller and richer
than Italian pinot, often crispy and lean,
hints of ripe apple, pear, spice and
combining spiciness and alcohol of clean and refreshing finish.
Gewurztraminer with the structure and • Less body than Gewurztraminer or
acidity of Riesling. Pinot Gris, less acidity and precision
• It can improve with age and achieve than Riesling, also less aromatic.
high level of sugar like Gewurztraminer, • It’s not intend for aging.
it’s commonly used in VT and SGN.
 Wine Styles

Sylvaner Muscat
• Humble variety which is lean • Delicate and floral, also light bodied
and fresh with hints of citrus and with low alcohol.
white flowers. • Although it is dry, it has a grapey aroma
with the impression of sweetness.
• Sometimes it has a slight • Also can include apple, orange,
bitterness or earthiness. mandarin, rose, white pepper and mint.
• It is also not intend for aging. • The intensity of nose rarely follows on
the palate.
• Also not intend for aging.
Famous Villages in Alsace
Northern Alsace
Wangen
Heilligenstein
Andlau
Dambach-la-Ville

Southern Alsace
Ribeauville
Riquewihr
Turckheim
Eguishem
Orschwihr
Berrwiller
Thann
Famous Wine Producers
• Trimbach (dry wines)
• Leon Beyer(dry wines)
• Rolly Gasmann(rich & velverty sweetness)

• Blanck
• Marcel Deiss
• Josmeyer
• Ostertag
• Schlumberger
• Weinbach
• Zind-Humbrechet
• Becker
• Dopff
•
ALSACE TRADITIONAL DISHES
1) Flammekueche
2) Foie Gras
3) Sauerkraut
4) Kugelhof
5) Munster Cheese
6) Tarte aux Poires
7) Bretzel
 Vintages

Good Weak
• 1989 • 1991
• 1990
• 1997
• 1999
• 1998 • 2003
• 2000
• 2005
• 2007
• 2009
• 2012
• 2015
LOIRE VALLEY
WHERE IS LOIRE?

The loire River is Europe’s last wild

river and France’s longest,
meandering on a 629 mile-long
path from its headwaters in the
Massif Central to its mouth near
Nantes on the Atlantic Coast.
LOIRE
• The Loire Valley ( Jardin de la France )
• 47th Parallel
• Produces more white wines
• More focus now on biodynamic and Natural Wines
• Consists of four sections (Nantais,Anjou-
Saumur,Tourraine & Centre.)
• Climate –
• Nantais (mild & humid Atlantic climate)
• Anjou-Saumur (protected by the forests of Vendee &
less rain fall
• Tourraine( oceanic continential climate)
• Centre ( cold winter ,hot & short summer Continential
climate)
Spring frosts & autumn rains, also under ripeness are
problems.
 Soil in Loire
• Extremely varied
• Nantais – mostly sand with areas of clay,
granite, schist & gneiss.
• Anjou - mostly stony ,clay over schist.
• Tourraine – mostly flinty clay over limestone.
• Centre - same as Chablis ( limestone
chalk & Kimmeridgian)
• Saumur-Vouvray - tuffeau(soft
draining,water retaining calcareous rock.)
• Chinon,Bourgueil – sandier and softer than
Tuffeau (mainly Cabernet Franc)
 Main Grapes in Loire
West Loire
Chenin Blanc
Cabernet Franc
Melon de Bourgogne

East loire
Sauvignon Blanc
Pinot noir
Nantais; Muscadet
• Made from Melon de Bourgogne which frost
resistant and early ripening grape variety.
• It is pale, sometimes watery in colour, distinctly un-
aromatic. Dry and light bodied with high acidity and
a touch of minerality or salitness.
• Sur-lie process has to preserve freshness, most
muscadet is not for aging.
• 3 sub regional appellations: Muscadet de Sevre et
Maine AOP is the major.
• Top producers: Domaine de la Pepiere, Luneau-
Papin, Domaines Landron
• Best vintage: 2012
 CHENIN BLANC
Fragrance of Honey, Herbal
tea and floral. Rich tasting
with minerality.
Produced in different terms
– dry, sweet, off-dry,
sparkling, semi-sparkling

MELON DE BOURGOGNE
Acidity, lean structure, and
lemon, saline and mineral
flavors. “Sur Lie” to make
richer style.
 Anjou; Savennieres, Coteaux du
Layon
• Particularly notable for dry Chenin Blanc of Savennieres and sweet often
Botrytized Chenin Blanc of Coteaux du Layon and more particular of
Bonnezeaux, Chaume and Quarts-de-Chaume.

• Savennieres Chenin Blanc is gold coloured with notes of apple, pear,

chamomile, warm straw, cooked fruits, beeswax, grilled almonds. Once
aged, Cognac (musty) and petrol, dry and unoaked with high acidity and
alcohol and long mineral finish by a bitter after note.

• It is fuller in body than Vouvray.

• Famous producers: Domaine du Closel, Damien Laureau, Domaine des
Baumard.
• In Layon, noble rot can be found from very ripe grapes. It is fuller, sweeter
and lower in acidity.
• Famous producers: Chateau Pierre-Bise, Domaine Patrick Boadoin, Domaine
des Baumard.
• Rose d’Anjou is made from Cabernet Franc and Grolleau.
• Cabernet d’Anjou is made from Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon
which is drier and higher in alcohol and has a greater complexity and aging
 Touraine; Vouvray
• Vouvray is mainly white wine and Chinon mainly red.
• Vouvray produces both dry and sweet Chenin Blanc.
• In good vintages, it is tend to produce sweet wines from noble
rot and in cooler and unfavourable vintages; it produces dry and
sparkling or semi-sparkling wines which may also sweet.
• Sparkling Vouvray is made by traditional methods: either
petillant (semi sparkling) or mousseux (fully sparkling).
• For sweet wines: moelleux(soft), doux(sweet) or
liquoreux(syrupy).
• For dry wines: sec(dry), sec-tender(gently dry) or demi-sec(off
dry).
• Young Vouvray is steely with aromas of green apples, quince,
acacia blossom and tertiary aromas like honeysuckle, fig,
lanolin.
• Aged sweet Vouvray has bitter orange, truffle oil and peat
Whisky notes.
• Top producers: Domaine Huet, Domaine Francois Pinon,
 Touraine; Chinon
• Main grape is Cabernet Sauvignon, also produce
little Rose and white wines.
• Red and Rose are Cabernet Franc with up to 10%
Cabernet Sauvignon.
• Gravel: lighter and more fruit-driven style
• Higher area with limestone and tuffeau: richer and
more structured
• Nose of raspberry, pencil shavings with aged,
earthy, spicy and animaly notes. Light or medium
bodied with high acid, medium alcohol and fine
tannins.
• Top producers: Olga Raffault, Charles Joguet,
Central; Sancerre and Pouilly
Fume
• Main grape is Sauvignon Blanc with smaller planting of Pinot
Noir and Chasselas.
• The most notable appellations are Sancerre AOP and Pouilly
Fume AOP.
• Sancerre is pale lemon in colour with green tinge, nose of
gooseberry, grapefruit with black currant leaves, nettles, cut
grass and also smoke.
Dry, light bodied with high acid, medium alcohol and mineral
finish. Intended for early drinking.
• On the other hand Pouilly Fume is richer is Silex which result
smoky, gunlint aroma and also chalky taste from calcium-rich
limestones.
• Top producers: Didier Dagueneau, Henri Bourgeois, Fracois
Cotat, Lucien Crochet, Vacheron.
• Wines labelled as “Pouilly” or “Pouilly-sur-loire” can be nice but
made from Chasselas rather than Sauvignon Blanc.