AOC | schwingeninswitzerland

When we traveled to Burgundy, we learned that hundreds of thousands of years ago it was seaside. The limestone deposited during that time (and complex soil from subsequent fracturing from land shifts) make their wines unique.

Like Burgundy, Alsace sits on a geological fault line and its soil varies extensively. Also like Burgundy, it is one of the most prominent wine regions of France. The best vineyards of Alsace are along a geological fault zone that stretches from south to north along the Voges granitic mountain range. It is 120 km (74.5 miles) long but only a few kilometres wide. This is the Alsace Wine Route/Route du Vin, a scenic journey to enjoy the French wines, countryside, architecture and food.

The vineyards are located in the foothills of Les Voges mountain range around villages from the middle ages. Ruined hilltop castles from the middle ages overlook the towns. Many of the towns have fortified ramparts and cobblestoned streets. They are postcard pretty with flower-decked streets, historic churches, timbered buildings and gurgling fountains. In addition to the usual assortment of delightful shops, cafes, restaurants, wine tasting rooms (winstubs) which serve wine from many local vineyards fill the towns. Ooh la la.

Turckheim, Ribeauville, Riquewihr and Kayersberg are the most popular towns on the Alsace Wine Road and are regularly visited by tour busses and the crowds they bring. Other nice towns include: Obernai, Barr, Mittelberghein, Andlau, Dambach-la-Ville, Selestat, Berghein, Hunawihr and Eguisheim (which we visited). Alsace is a popular destination for vacations/holidays. While we saw other tourists, we were lucky (and surprised) we didn’t see any crowds.

Alsace wine tasting at Paul Schneider

Alsace is well-known for its crisp white wines. Alsation wines use seven varieties of grapes: Sylvaner, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Muscat, Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer. It has Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) designation. There are countless opportunities to taste these in roadside wine cellars (caves in French). Everyone recommends advance appointments (particularly during busy times like harvest). Not all wines are created equal and not all wineries are created equal. The quality can vary drastically from winery to winery. As a result, if you want to taste the best, research them in advance.

Eichberg and Pfersigberg are two of the other well-respected Grand Crus

One of the best surprises was the Cremant D’ Alsace, a lively and delicate sparkling wine made by the traditional method of fermentation in the bottle. It’s kind of like Champagne. What’s not to love?

Although you can drive the Alsace Wine Route, there are many well-marked hiking trails (sentiers viticoles) and bike routes if you get Alsauced.

When we visited the very rocky Châteauneuf-du-Pape, we stopped by the Brotte Wine Museum. It was started in 1972 and updated in 2000. It centers on the history of wine growing and AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée which guarantees the wines‘ origins).

The AOC designation is very important to them. It makes their wines more recognizable and promotable (and more expensive) abroad. For educated consumers, it makes it easier to understand what they are getting. It also means that producers have tons of rules. The museum had just about everything used it to work the vines or in wine making, except the AOC rule book. I want to get my hands on a copy because I hear that they have some pretty stringent rules. For example, the lengths of the vines are measured repeatedly during the year to ensure they don’t exceed particular lengths at different points in the year. Some are easier to follow. You aren’t allowed to land a flying saucer in your field…um, okay. I think I could manage that one.

The museum displays of barrels from the Middle Ages, wine presses, old tools, baskets, equipment, old photos, plows, bottling apparatus and many other items.

People always note that they have a 4,000 litre chestnut wine barrel from the 14th century and a 16th century wine-press. We liked some of the more us usual items, like a chain maille glove for removing insects.

We also snuck a peek through the window at their bottling operation. It looks remarkably like a brewery’s bottling operation.

While the museum isn’t as much fun as a wine tour with Jean-Michel, it is free, informative (if you read the English pamphlets) and the old implements are pretty cool. At the end, you are invited to taste Maison Brotte’s wines. I think our visitors (Magglio, the Luger and Sneaky Pete) had fun and came away a bit wiser.