Despite the fact Alsace is located in the northern side of France, thanks to the ideal microclimate and to the protection of Vosges mountains, they produce high quality white wines, with a high sugar content, here completely converted into alcohol, giving life to very dry and rich white wines. The most common soil types in Alsace include granitic, sandy, friable, volcanic, clayey, marly and calcareous deposits, which give life to wines having different qualities and characteristics. The region we selected for you is located in the Upper Rhine area, where grapes benefit of a better exposure to sunlight and of more favorable climate conditions. In this region oak casks are rarely used and malolactic fermentation is rarely done in order to preserve the aromas and fresh fruit flavors unique to each grape variety. Production in Alsace is mainly about white wines which represent about 82% of the total production, followed by red and rose wines with 8% and sparkling wines with the remaining 10%. The grapes mainly cultivated in Alsace are white, of which only four are considered as noble: Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Muscat Blanc and Pinot Gris. Other white grapes typical of the region are: Pinot Blanc, Sylvana, Ocerois, Chasla, Klefner and, to a certain extent, Chardonnay. The main red berried grape is Pinot Noir. The Alsace wine region is recognized by the French quality system as an "Appellation d'Origine Côntrolée" region. AOC Alsace is divided in three quality categories: the famous Alsace Grand Cru AOC (Sweet Late Harvest), Alsace AOC, Dry and Alsace Crémant d'Alsace AOC. In case of mono varietals, Alsace wines bear in the label the name of the grape used to make them.
