Around this time of year, many wine lovers start to drink more red wines instead of white wines.
It’s easy to understand why. The days get cooler. The nights get longer. And the food becomes heartier. Chicken slow roasted in an oven for hours. Chili simmering on a stove all afternoon. Beef stews or meat pies to keep us warm on cold, fall nights.
Who wouldn’t want a full-bodied red wine to go with any of these meals?
But not all white wines are made for warm, summer afternoons. Many great white wines can more than hold their own the rest of the year. And right near the top of the list are white wines from France’s Alsace region.
Many flavorful white wines can be found in this northern corner of France. This week, I decided to highlight wines made with three white wines grapes that thrive in Alsace and seem to be tailor made for crisp, cold weather – Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris and Riesling. And while you can find many great white wine producers in Alsace, I wanted to recommend three particularly great wines from three different Alsatian wine makers. Let me add the wines range from $13 to $28 a bottle. Hope you enjoy.
WINES RECOMMENDED THIS WEEK
2018 Pierre Sparr Gewurztraminer ($13 Suggested Retail Price)
2016 Domaines Schlumberger Pinot Gris Les Princes Abbes ($26 SRP)
2018 Domaine Zind Humbrecht Riesling ($28 SRP)
MORE ABOUT FRANCE’S ALSACE REGION
Located along the German border in northeastern France near the Rhine River, the Alsace region has been producing outstanding wines for centuries. And there’s a reason why wines from here sometimes seem more German than French. That’s because the Alsace region went back and forth several times in the past few centuries to being part of Germany or France before finally being declared part of French in 1919 after World War One. This might also explain why the long, slender wine bottles from Alsace look like ones more often found in Germany. And like Germany and unlike most of France, the wines from Alsace are often labeled based on the grape variety rather than geographic locations.
COMMON GRAPES IN ALSACE
Alsace produces a wide range of red (particularly Pinot Noir) and white wines. But the vast majority of its wines include some of the most popular white wine grapes often found nearby on the German side of the Rhine River. The three most popular white wine grapes in Alsace are:
Riesling (Roughly 21 percent of all Alsatian wine)
Gewurztraminer (18 percent)
Pinot Gris (15 percent)
Let me add that one of things I love about Alsatian white wines is the way they blend the mineral-like crispness of French Chablis wines with the pear-like fruit flavors of certain German wines.
WINE TASTING NOTES
2018 Pierre Sparr Gewurztraminer
Grape – Gewurztraminer
Tasting Notes – A hard name to say (geh-vertz-tra-mean-er), an easy wine to love. I’ve long been a big fan of these hearty, flavorful white wines. This gewurztraminer illustrates why. Floral, licorice-like flavors abound in this fragrant, dry wine. There’s also hints of anise and tropical fruits in the taste and aromas. Let me add that the Sparr family has been making wines in Alsace since 1680. So it should come as no surprise that this refreshing white wine tastes so great. Practice makes perfect.
2016 Domaines Schlumberger Pinot Gris Les Princes Abbes
Grape – Pinot Gris
Tasting Notes – Fans of clean, crisp, dry white wines likely already know all about Pinot Gris wines. This particular one raises the bar. A beautiful blend of subtle, fruit flavors (apricot, lemon and blood orange), this Pinot Gris also remains wonderfully dry and refreshing. There’s also a hint of minerality to the wine that makes it ideal for spicy or heartier fall foods like duck, turkey or lamb. A truly delicious wine and a great example of Alsace’s gracious Pinot Gris wines.
2018 Domaine Zind Humbrecht Riesling
Grape – Riesling
Tasting Notes – Riesling wines can cover an astounding range – from bone dry to syrupy sweet. This outstanding Alsatian Riesling from one of the most revered wineries in the region (the Humbrecht family has been making great wine since 1620) smells and tastes delicious. Floral aromas mixed with soft, understated pear and peach flavors give this wine a hint of sweetness without being overwhelming. Perfect with spicy food, roasted turkey or great on its own, it was pleasure to spend some time with Alsace’s most popular grape made by one its most respected wine makers.