The Alsace is arguably one of the most beautiful wine regions you’ll ever see in your friggin’ life. Gorgeous sloping mountains, green as far as the eye can see, and the cutest little town that looks like a “f***ing fairytale” if you want to quote the movie In Bruges.

The Alsace is a haven for white wine lovers — and produces powerful, clean, and pure wines.

The first time I ever tried a wine from this region was when I was with my Mom, studying in London and we were walking around the Thames. There was some kind of wine and cheese festival going on, and this really nice lady with a very distinctive British accent was pouring wine.

We both wanted to be all European and stuff, so we grabbed a couple glasses of some strange wines in these beautiful green little bottles. It was a glass of Pinot Blanc. And it blew my F***ING mind.

The wine was so transparent. The fruit was so pure. And it was the first time I ever experienced…

Petrichor.

You may remember I’ve talked about Petrichor before in my article on Sauvignon Blanc — SO SAVAGE. Petrichor is essentially the distinctive aroma of Summer Rain that can be found in some wines. If you can experience petrichor, it’s the most nebulous, magical thing that us Wine Folk love.

My little 19 year old brain exploded in my head, and that was when I realized I loved wine. Especially wines from Alsace.

The Geography of the Alsace:

Alsace is only 275 miles away from France and is right on the border with Germany.

The capital of this lovely little place is called Strasbourg. A lot of wine regions tend to have some sort of body of water nearby to moderate weather temperatures.

Alsace is no different, it sits very close to the Rhine River. The climate is also influenced by the Voseges Mountains, which are further South.

The region isdivided into 2 parts. It’s very simple. You have the Bas-Rhin in the North and the Haut-Rhin to the South.

GRAPES GRAPES GRAPES!

Did you know Alsace has 4 Noble Grapes? What does “Noble Grape?” mean? Well, it usually means it’s a grape that makes the “higher quality” wines. I don’t know how I feel about calling grapes, “Noble.” It seems kind of… weird and classist towards other grapes.

I think the “non noble” grapes in Alsace make wines that are just fine, thank you very much. (Lookin’ at you Pinot Noir. You’re noble in my eyes.) It’s like when I go to the zoo and see two species of flamingos — the Greater Flamingo and the Lesser Flamingo. I just feel so bad for those, “Lesser Flamingos.” They must have some serious complexes!

Greater, lesser — doesn’t matter! Flamingos are flamingos! Grapes are grapes!

Anyway, I’ll specify which grapes are, “Noble,” but in reality all these grapes are special in their own right.

Alsace Noble Grape 1: Gewürtztraminer

This grape always got the short end of the stick in my distribution days. It was largely misunderstood, and many a wine folk really appreciate this grape because it’s like a freaking symphony in your mouth.

Good Gewürtztraminer will knock your socks off. It is highly complex with so much going on.

This blowsy, billowy wine is a cloud of fruit and minerals with layers of lychee, roses, gingerbread, cream, honeysuckles, maraschino cherries. Gewurtz is seriously the flavor equivalent of Coachella or a massive rave. This grape RAGES.

What’s in a name?

I always wondered why people never got the hang of this grape and it never moved. Most people told me it was because of the name. An unfortunate branding issue, no doubt. It doesn’t exactly roll trippingly off the tongue. Gewürtztraminer is honestly the only name for a varietal I’ve encountered in all my wine travels that sounds like a sexually transmitted disease. But I digress.

Many a Gewürtztraminer in the United States - barring some regions like Washington and the Finger Lakes - are… kind of mishandled.

If you’ve had a sweet, mediocre, $9.00 Gewürtztraminer and have decided to write this varietal off completely — GIVE IT ANOTHER CHANCE, for the love of god!

There is some truly astonishing Gewürtztraminer - or if you wanna abbreve it, Gewürtz — out there and a good bottle of one will seriously make you want to contemplate your entire existence. Honestly? I think if I were a varietal, I’d be Gewürtz. Completely over the top, misunderstood, and maybe not for everyone. Anyway, my Gewürtz rant is done. Definitely give this grape a shot.

**My Spirit Animal: Gewürtztraminer - Umlaut included.**

If you happen to pick one up in your travels, Gewürtz always goes great with Asian food, BACON, Coconut Shrimp, Pork Tonkatsu, and if you want your brain to explode in your head — apple pie. A lot of people have this varietal with Turkey around the holidays, or a nice honey ham and honestly? I totally get it.

Alsace Noble Grape 2: Muscat

Of all the grapes in the Alsace, Muscat is probably going to be one of the harder ones to get your hands on. Muscat is considered one of the oldest varieties of Grapes. There are actually two types of Muscat that grow in Alsace — Muscat d’ Alsace and Muscat Ottonel. Muscat d’Alsace is the more famous Muscat, and is full bodied, really aromatic, and has crazy floral and citrus flavors.

These two varietals are usually blended together to create an aperitif wine or a French dessert wine.

Alsace Noble Grape 3: Pinot Gris

Do you like Pinot Grigio? Then hooray! You’ll probably like Pinot Gris! Because they’re the same! Well… kind of. I mean a grape grown in France is going to taste a bit differently than a grape grown in Italy. Pinot Gris from the Alsace are weightier and more thought provoking than their lighter, brighter, Italian cousins. They’re like the alty version of Pinot Grigio that dresses occasionally goth, reads poetry, and listens to ‘90s grunge music.

Pinot Gris is distinctively honeyed in comparison to Pinot Grigio. Pinot Gris from the Alsace tend to have longer, more lingering finishes than the Pinot Grigio from Italy. But if you like the basic idea of Pinot Grigio, then you’ll probably be a fan of Pinot Gris. If you’re not you’re probably like those people who say they like ketchup but hate tomatoes. (Not hating, facts is facts.)

The next time you want to dip into Pinot Grigio’s, moody, more alternative version, I suggest pairing it with… honestly? Pretty much everything. Pinot Gris is one of the more versatile wines that goes with anything from Fois Gras to Mexican Food to grilled Fish.

It’s a LBD - little black dress - of a wine. For more information on Pinot Gris, be sure to check out my blog - A Tale of Two Pinots

Alsace Noble Grape 4: Riesling

Riesling is like the Beyonce of grapes. It’s flawless, beautiful, and the most prestigious grape of the Alsace.

Honestly? Many Wine Folk consider to be the greatest grape in existence. Just like many in the Beyhive will consider Beyonce to be of the same ilk - the greatest EVER!!!

All the other grapes aspire to be Riesling. But there can only be one Riesling. Just like there can only be one Beyonce.

Alsace Riesling is very different from German Riesling. Alsace Riesling doesn’t have as much of that racy, German acidity or that residual sugary sweetness that some of the Rieslings in the Mosel Valley (a region in Germany) tend to have. Rieslings from Alsace are bone dry - so if you’re a dry white wine lover, pay attention.

Rieslings are loaded with a plethora of different aromas. Fans of citrus, jasmine, Thai Basil, strawberry, and mineral-driven wines will be obsessed with Riesling. They’re a lot steelier in the Alsace region and a lot more buttoned up than the Rieslings that come out of Germany. Us wine professionals like to call them - restrained.

Aging like a fine wine…

Did you know that white wines can age too? Especially wines with more acidic varietals like Riesling. If you’re the type of person who wants to experiment with aging their white wines, you can pick up some really stellar Riesling from the Alsace and let it hang for a couple of years.

The older they get, the more fruitier and more honeyed start to show up. Sometimes you’ll pick up on nutmeg, dried almonds, and gorgeous vanilla qualities. If you can wait that long, letting your Riesling hang is definitely worth it! Honestly? If you’re a fan of super gnarly, stinky, intense cheeses - try pairing them with an Alsatian Riesling.

Your brain will explode. A general rule to consider is these Rieslings are really good with fattier foods. Sausages with loads of caramelized onions, duck confit - you get the picture. If you really want to blow your mind, try pairing Riesling from Alsace with a Cuban sandwich. Now I’m hungry.

THE POPULAR (BUT NOT NOBLE) GRAPES OF ALSACE

Pinot Blanc

If you think I’m gonna wax as poetically about Pinot Blanc because my first experience with Alsace wines was with Pinot Blanc — I FOOLED YA! Think again. Pinot Blanc is the easy breezy beautiful Covergirl of the Alsace. But like… not as exciting Covergirl. Pinot Blanc is low-key basic in my opinion.

The amazing wine writer and brilliant mind, Karen MacNiel - one of my heroes - who wrote The Wine Bible calls Pinot Blanc, “Alsace’s chardonnay… easy to like, dependable and safe.” (The Wine Bible, Pg 285)

I think she nails this description on the head. I mean, 19 year old me was all about Pinot Blanc. But 19 year old me also posed for photos flipping off the camera all the time, wore skinny jeans, made seriously questionable dating choices, and occasionally drank Peach Andre Moscato straight from the bottle at parties.

If you’re easily offended, into peaches, almonds, pears, and minerality than I suggest giving Pinot Blanc a shot.

This grape is actually a mutation of it’s very cerebrally-minded cousin, Pinot Noir. Pinot Blanc is often blended with varietals, simply because it has a nice roundness to it.

If it were a color, it would be beige. If it were a food it would be toast. That’s all I really have to say.

Sure there are some good ones out there, but it’s never gonna be a grape people want to Pinot-speak about. (What is Pinot-speak you ask? It’s rhapsodizing about wine, of course! Be sure to check out my blog on Pinot Noir - Gimme That Funk - for a more in depth explanation.)

Pinot Noir

Let’s get weird.

Honestly? Alsatian Pinot Noir is one of my obsessions. It’s so much lighter-bodied than its more noteworthy Burgundian cousins. But until recently, Alsatian Pinot Noir was a wine cloaked in obscurity. Pinot Noirs in Alsace were kind of… not very well thought of. They weren’t even allowed the super high, “Grand Crus,” status. After doing some digging, I still see that these wines cannot be classified as Grand Crus, which is kind of a snub.

Pinot Noir from Alsace has never been a really huge thing in the United States. I think that’s because production of Pinot Noir in the Alsace is so small - coming in at a microscopic 10%. I remember going to a tasting event featuring exclusively Alsace wines back in my brokering days.

One of the veteran importers told me Alsatian Pinot Noir was polarizing, and I think this is somewhat true. People drink Alsatian Pinot Noir and are always surprised by its combination of flinty minerality mixed with this almost rustic meatiness. Some are even smoky and spicy! The combination is truly wild and makes my head spin.

I love how light these wines are, you’ll pour one into your glass and see that the color is almost as light as a really dark Rosé. They’re so easy drinking, but they have a lot of complexity to them as well. You can also find a lot of Alsatian Pinot Noirs at a really good price - cheaper than Burgundian and Cali Pinots for sure. The first time I had one of these bad boys was with a simple cheese plate.

Besides champagne, cheese plates and charcuterie plates also are my love languages and I always knew I was over the moon with someone if I made them a cheese and charcuterie plate. The relationship didn’t last, but my love of Alsace Pinot Noir still goes strong. It probably always will. And now… let’s get into the —

PICK OF THE WEEK

Charles Baur Alsace Gewurtztraminer 2017 $19.99 @ K&L

This freaking WOINE YO!

Opening the Charles Baur Gewurtz was like listening to some really intense EDM at a concert, when you’re waiting for the drop and shit to get completely crazy. The music slowly builds….Wait for it… Wait for it… Wait for it…. And then!

BOOM! This wine was lit.

It was a circus of Persian Rose Ice Cream, lychee, Thai Basil, and even Christmas Cookies. Yes, crazy I know, but it’s Gewürtztraminer. You have to expect the zany when it comes to a good Gewürtz.

This hurricane of aromas was tempered by brilliant purity and richness when I took my first sip. The minerality was definitely there — as it should be for any good Alsatian wine.

The acidity was great, and there was just the slightest touch of residual sweetness on the end that brought images of cotton candy at a fair to my mind.

This wine was dizzyingly beautiful, like a Rachmaninoff concerto almost. Sip after sip there was something I hadn’t noticed before — cinnamon, pineapple, the list goes on and on.

It was impossible not to get swept away by the aromas that just rage hardcore in this wild ride of a wine. The Charles Baur Gewurtztraminer is a great value at $19.99. If you’re a Riesling fan - or heck, if you’re a fan of Moscato - you should definitely check out this electric carnival in a bottle.

But they care tho…

It’s also reassuring to purchase wine from producers that are mindful of their impact on the environment. The Charles Baur Vineyard consists of 18 organically cultivated hectares of vines in the Alsace region of France. They limit the use of heavy machinery out of respect for the land and are constantly engaging in self reflection as a wine producer.

These guys have been around for a while — since the 1930s to be exact — and the property is currently managed by a father and son duo, Armand and Arnaud Baur. This wine was so complex, with so much going on that it me want to pair it with some sort of offensively stinky and decadent cheese. I’m sure this wine would SLAY with a Bahn Mi sandwich, or a piping hot bowl of Tom Kha Gai.

THURSTQUEEN WORLD TOUR: ALSACE