| Nestled between the jagged Vosges Mountains and the snaking Rhine River, Alsace provides northern France with one of her most precious wine-producing areas.
From the endlessly complex variety of soils to the long, warm growing season, Alsace has all the attributes of a world-class wine region. Yet today, Alsace still resembles an awkward adolescent, struggling to find an identity.
Although wine has been produced here since AD 800, the region has continually been disrupted in its pursuit of esteem. Beginning with the Thirty Years War, followed by the French Revolution and the two world wars, Alsace has been thrown back and forth between German and French occupation for centuries. While under German control, Alsace was relegated to growing only the most rudimentary grapes and was used as a blending ground for cheap industrial wines. But since the end of the Second World War, and the return to French control, the region has begun a slow recovery.
In 1962, Alsace finally joined the AOC (Appellation d’origine Contrôlée), the official French wine regulatory system, becoming the last major region to do so. Although this was an important step, a lack of identity continues to plague the wines of Alsace as it stumbles into the 21st century.
The problems in Alsace are clear – it is the solution that no one can agree on. Today, 80 per cent of the wine sold in Alsace states the grape variety on the label, placing the importance of varietal over that of origin. This is both unusual for French wines and strange for a region so rich in territorial diversity. In fact, it was not until 1990 that a Grand Cru system (vineyards deemed superior based on past performance) was integrated at all, allowing the finest sites to bear their name on the label. Unfortunately, of the 50 Grand Crus selected, many were enlisted more for political reasons than qualitative ones, leaving consumers with only a vague idea of the region’s potential quality.
The other major dilemma Alsace faces relates to the production of its wines. The yields remain among the highest in France, which does nothing to raise the overall quality of the region. And scattered land holdings have turned the average farmer into nothing more than a part-time worker with an average of just two acres of land to tend. This has had a severely detrimental effect on the quality of the fruit that producers have had access to.
The question of style has also been a hot topic. Many producers are now releasing wines with high amounts of residual sugar, where traditionally Alsace wines have been dry. These two distinct styles have made it difficult for consumers to identify with the wines.
To top it off, Alsace remains dominated by mediocre co-operatives pumping out dreary and uninspired wines. This is not the arena Alsace was designed to compete in. The inherent nature of producing wines in the region means they will never be as inexpensive as other nations making similar varietals, so it is only by producing distinct and unique wines unlike those from anywhere else that Alsace can compete on the world stage.
Fortunately, change seems to be on the horizon for Alsace. Recent legislation has given some of the control back to the producers. The gestion locale, a recent initiative, has provided growers with the ability to change some of the laws that have been holding them back from producing their finest wines. Now yields are being reduced in top sites and restrictions on grapes have been lifted to allow a better expression of individual terroir. Growers are also moving strongly in the direction of organic and biodynamic production, with over 30 domaines now officially sanctioned – this should vastly improve the quality of the fruit that producers have to work with.
Changes in the marketplace are also having positive effects. Consumers can look forward to a new sweetness scale ranging from one (driest) to nine (sweetest) to appear on the back of all Alsace wines. This may help dispel the myth that all wines bottled in the tall, slender green bottles are sweet, a problem that has plagued Alsace for years.
As consumers become more aware of these changes and more comfortable with the wines, Alsace should gain a proper share of the prestige wine market. The best wines of this region can truly stand alone in quality and individuality.
Here are a couple worth seeking out:
· Trimbach – The pinot gris, riesling and gewürztraminer (all between $20 and $25) are all excellent. For something special, check out the Cuvee Frederic Emile ($45).
· Louis Sipp – Very good value wines. The gewürztraminer ($24) is top, but the pinot auxerrois ($17.95) is also a great buy. |
Copyright ©2003 FFWD. All rights reserved.