TRAVELING IN ALSACE
The Alsace Wine Route – storybook beauty
Over the past 50 years, the Alsace Wine Route has contributed to the success of Alsace wines. It has become famous all over the world for the exceptional natural beauty of its scenery, for how easy it is to follow, and for the way it makes the visitor feel close to the region and its winegrowers.
The Alsace Wine Route winds its way from north to south, for more than 170 kilometres, along the eastern foothills of the Vosges. This delightful itinerary runs across a succession of undulating hills, through pretty villages with narrow streets of flower-decked, half-timbered houses, clustered around their church steeple.
Visitors can easily explore the heart of the vineyards, along numerous vineyard paths leading to the crest of each slope, where signs explain the work of the winegrower and the diversity of the grape varieties.
They are welcomed into winstubs and tasting cellars to instantly discover the traditional appeal of the vine and the wine.
Walking through the vineyards of Alsace
Download a list of the viticultural paths (PDF).
Wine-growing fraternities – carrying forward the Alsace wine tradition
The Confrérie Saint-Etienne is one of the oldest wine fraternities in France. Its aim is to extend the international reputation of Alsace wines, notably on the occasion of its five annual official Chapters (in June, September and November), and by awarding a label of quality (the “Sigille” of the Confrérie Saint-Etienne).
Its Oenothèque (wine library) contains more than 60 000 bottles of Alsace wines, dating as far back as 1834.
Other fraternities also celebrate the Alsace wines of their locality or region, such as : the Rieslinger de Scherwiller, the Confrérie du Haut-Koenigsbourg, the Confrérie des Quatre Bans, the Hospitaliers d’Andlau, the Bienheureux du Frankstein, the Confrérie de Saint-Urbain, the Amis du Kaefferkopf, the Ordre oenophile de Marlenheim and the Confrérie de la Corne d’Ottrott.
Wine festivals – many to choose from, all year long
Download a calendar of festivities.
Learn about the wines of Alsace and their birthplace
• Blossom or exotic fruit aromas ?
• What is a «terroir» wine ?
• Why are there so many grape varieties in Alsace ?
• Can a white wine be served with meat ?
• How long can Alsace wines be aged ?
• What is the difference between a Riesling and a Sylvaner ?
• What is the traditional method ?
• What do you mean by pneumatic press ?…
It is in order to answer such questions, and many more besides, that the CIVA (Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins d’Alsace) has set up the Alsace Wine School, in Colmar.
Designed to appeal to a wide audience, from the general public to distribution and restaurant professionals, it deals with a broad range of subjects in order to illustrate the richness and variety of pleasures that are offered by Alsace wines.
The Alsace Wine School invites you to broaden your wine tasting technique in its state-of-the-art sensorial analysis facility, to enrich your wine knowledge thanks to input from Alsace wine professionals, to astonish yourself with wine/food pairings during a tasting/dinner, to discover the vineyards of Alsace and the famous Wine Route, all in the course of a weekend.
Programme of Alsace Wine Seminars 2008
• Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 August (in english)
• Friday 17 and Saturday 18 October
• Friday 14 and Saturday 15 November
Price : 295€ per person. Accommodations not included.
For more information, please fill the form or contact Laurence Wipff, (Ecole des Vins d’Alsace) by phone at (011) 33 3 89 20 16 20.
Gastronomic Holiday in Storybook Alsace with David Rosengarten
From October 5th to October 12th, spend 7 glorious days in Alsace with the famous wine writer David Rosengarten as your guide :4 nights in the legendary Chateau d’Isembour and 3 nights in Strasbourg’s finest hotels. Lunches and dinners will be at some Alsace’s best tables.
For more info, contact gastrotours@jhcbh.com or call (877) 814-6502 (Toll Free).
Want to learn more about the wines of Alsace? Go to alsacewine.com.
For more great ideas on visiting the wine regions of France, check out the French Government Tourist Office’s website, franceguide.com.
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