Arriving in Alsace by way of Champagne is the way to go. The route heading east takes you over the infamous Vosges Mountain range to a lush valley, more Germanic than French, where Riesling reins supreme. The Alsatian valley is a long and narrow one, dotted with historical villages, each with a steeple peaking through the red-tiled roofs and brightly coloured buildings of yellow, turquoise and red all decorated with bogenvelia spilling from every window sill. It’s not hard to imagine Hansel and Gretel skipping around the corner hand-in-hand.

Alsace is renowned for its production of single noble grape varieties vinified to preserve the freshness and purity of the fruit and the minerality of the soils, packaged in elegant flûted bottles. Typically dry to off-dry, there are also two other classifications of Alsatian wines depending upon the ripeness of the grape: the sweeter styles of Vendange Tardive (Late Harvest) and the botrytis-affected Selection de Grains Nobles. The top examples of Alsatian wines have the ability to age for decades. Organic and biodynamic vinification and minimal intervention winemaking is the status quo for this region.
On our inaugural visit to Alsace, Tracey and I were honoured to have been welcomed into four prestigious domaines.

Clos St Landelin, René Muré
This is clearly a family-driven winery as we were welcomed into the tasting room by René Muré himself, the 11th generation of the business, our purchases of the day were delivered to our car by his son Thomas, and our subsequent correspondences have been with his daughter Véronique. The nurturing and care given by the family to the vines, which surround the domaine, is evident in the glass. Common among many Alsatian winemakers, René Muré produces the full range of varietals and styles of the region.

Domaine André Ostertag
The front gates of the modest Ostertag Domaine open to a tranquil backyard lined with well-tended, biodynamically farmed vines. André classifies his wines into 3 categories, according to the expression of the unique terroirs: ‘Vins de Fruit’ wines emphasize the purity of the fruit, ‘Vins de Pierre’ expresses the soils and ‘Vin de Temps’ includes the wines that have the greatest longevity. The captivating labelling is another personal touch to the wines, as each bottle is adorned with the original artwork of André’s wife. André’s gentle nature revealed itself during a stroll trough his pet project: a small plot of vines that he planted in a yin yang formation above his cellar. It must be said that all 3 styles embody the passion, intensity and austerity of the winemaker himself.

Domaine Weinbach
Colette Faller et ses filles
The wines produced by this family are of outstanding quality as each exhibits the power, character and elegance of the women behind the Domaine. The winery and family home are one, located in the middle of the walled Grand Cru Clos des Capucins. This experience blew our mind. From being greeted at the door by the family monarch, Colette Faller, to tasting 19 unique wines with the stunning and sophisticated Catherine, at the dining room table while Mother prepared the morning breakfast in the adjacent kitchen. Where else in the world would you taste top flight Rieslings to the crackle of bacon and eggs? We reluctantly parted ways, knowing that we will soon meet again, as Catherine hand packaged our order including a few gifts from the house. The experience was exquisite.

Maison Trimbach
Maison Trimbach is a big player from the region, as evidenced by the company with whom we shared the extensive tasting: top buyers from around the world. Led by the young and graceful Anne Trimbach, who commanded the room with ease and charm, we tasted the range of the Trimbach portfolio including back vintage examples of their prestige and collection wines. The wines, especially the Cuvée Frédéric Emile and the domaine’s top wine, Clos Sainte Hune, are benchmark examples of Alsatian Rieslings. We wrapped up our day with a tour through the winery which houses both traditional and modern equipment and the rustic family cellars.

Alsatian wines, with their purity, power and broad food pairing abilities, are enough to draw any wine enthusiast to the region. However it is the charm of the villages and the openness of the people with their emphasis on family that will make every visitor a fan, leaving wanting more.

Needless to say, as we departed for Burgundy and bid Alsace adieu, our luggage bags were downgraded to being stuffed into the back seat of our Peugeot, making room in the temperate trunk for the copious amount of wines we collected along the route. What else would you want with you as a third passenger on a car ride through France?  (co-written)