With so many grape varietals grown around the world, it’s nice that Alsace only has seven for us to learn. Well, eight if you count Chardonnay, solely used in the region for Crémant d’Alsace – but that’s a different video. Today we are focusing on the seven grapes allowed in the production of still wines in Alsace AOC: six white, one red, all unique, all reacting differently with the famously diverse terroir of Alsace.
David Jaegle, the worldwide exports manager of Cave de Ribeauvillé, is back once again to teach us about these seven grapes. Cave de Ribeauvillé is a collective of wine growers in the Alsace region, and among the many wines they produce are single-varietal bottles that express the uniqueness of each grape. Starting from the “noble grapes,” Alsatian varietals include Riesling, Pinot Gris, Muscat, and Gewürztraminer; wines that are labeled “Grand Cru” from Alsace must be made solely with one of these four varietals. The other three are Sylvaner, Pinot Blanc, and the sole red varietal, Pinot Noir. David breaks down the tasting notes of each, but the most well-known grape from Alsace may be Riesling, “the king of Alsatian wine.” It’s important to note that in Alsace, Riesling is dry, not sweet like certain styles in Germany. We explored the flavors of Riesling with the foods of Alsace in our recent episode of Follow that Somm.
Alsatian wines are almost as easy and fun to learn as they are to drink! Almost. Thanks so much to David for lending us his expert knowledge, and to the whole collective of winegrowers at Cave de Ribeauvillé for making such lovely wines. If you liked this video and want to see more content about food, and wine, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel, Like us on Facebook, and Follow us on Instagram.