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ALSACE
The Alsace country lies to the east of the Vosges
Mountains, to the east of France, where it is bounded by
the River Rhine and Germany on the east. It is upon
the slopes of the Vosges Mountains that the better vineyards
exist. The main town is Colmar.
The vineyards of this area are in the hands of hundreds
of individual farmers, where they have been in these same
hands for countless numbers of years.
The area itself has been the subject of much strife
throughout its whole existence. Being close to Germany,
it has been over-run by the Germans several times, and
on each occasion the families and vineyards have suffered
terribly. It is because of this that the wine has never
been as widely known as it should be.
Unlike other areas, the wine is known principally by the
type of grape from which it is made.
Thus we have:—
Chasselas—an ordinary type of \vine consumed locally.
Sylvaner—another ordintury wine with a beautiful
green colour, best when consumed while young.
Suitable for making Cups.
Muscat—a medium dry wine with a very pronounced
"bouquet".
Pinot:
(Write)—better than the Sylvaner, without
acidity.
(Grey)—Sometimes known as the Tokay D'Alsace.
A wine that should not be confused with
Hungarian Tokay, a rich dessert wine.
Riesling—
Tranriner—both exceptionally good wines, in fact, the
best that are produced in the area. The latter
sometimes assumes the name of Gewurztraminer,
which name is not often used on account of its
difficult pronunciation.
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