The Alsace region in northeastern France hovers near the border of Germany, and is

filled with timbered buildings straight out of fairy tales. The food is robust, the wine
is tart and the beer flows.

Pairing Rule #1
Serve a dry ros with hors d'oeuvres

Ros with Creamy Anchoade

Ros with Roquefort Gougres

Good ros combines the fresh acidity and light body of white wines with the fruity character of
reds. This makes it the go-to wine when serving a wide range of hors d'oeuvres, from crudits to
gougres.

Pairing Rule #2
Serve an unoaked white with anything you can squeeze a lemon or lime on

Albario with Pan-Glazed Salmon with Oyster Sauce and Basil

Sauvignon Blanc with Smoked Sablefish and Potato Salad with Capers and Onions

White wines such as Sauvignon Blanc, Albario and Vermentino (typically made in stainless
steel tanks rather than oak barrels) have a bright, citrusy acidity that acts like a zap of lemon or
lime juice to heighten flavors in everything from smoked sablefish to grilled salmon.

Pairing Rule #3
Try low-alcohol wines with spicy foods

Riesling with Pan-Seared Chicken Breasts with Jamaican Curry

Riesling with Shrimp with Green Beans and Toasted Coconut

Alcohol accentuates the oils that make spicy food hot. So when confronted with dishes like a
fiery curried chicken or Thai stir-fry, look for wines that are low in alcohol, such as off-dry
German Rieslings (especially since a touch of sweetness helps counter spiciness, too).

Pairing Rule #4

Match rich red meats with tannic reds

Cabernet with Duck Confit with Turnips

Syrah with Sausages with Grapes

Tannins, the astringent compounds in red wines that help give the wine structure, are an ideal
complement to luxurious meatsmaking brawny reds like Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah great
matches for braised duck legs or pan-seared sausages.

Pairing Rule #5
With lighter meats, pair the wine with the sauce

Portugese Red with Pork Chops with Shallots

Chardonnay with Chicken Breasts with Leeks and Pine Nuts

Often the chief protein in a dishchicken or pork, sayisn't the primary flavor. Think of pork
chops in a delicate white wine sauce versus pork chops in a zesty red wine sauce; in each case,
the sauce dictates the pairing choice.

Pairing Rule #6
Choose earthy wines with earthy foods

Pinot Noir with Bison Rib Eye Steaks with Roasted Garlic

Nebbiolo with Mushroom-Shallot Ragout

Many great pairing combinations happen when wines and foods echo one another. Earthiness is
often found in reds such as Pinot Noir (particularly from Burgundy) and Nebbiolo, making them
great partners for equally earthy ingredients, like bison steaks or wild mushrooms.

Pairing Rule #7
For desserts, go with a lighter wine

Moscato with Moscato-Roasted Pears and Cider-Poached Apples

Madeira with Dulce de Leche Crispies

When pairing desserts and dessert wines, it's easy to overwhelm the taste buds with sweetness.
Instead, choose a wine that's a touch lighter and less sweet than the dessertfor instance, an
effervescent Moscato d'Asti with roasted pears.

Meso regions
Our three micro-region Guides take you from Strasbourg, through north of Colmar
to Mulhouse, introducing you to the fine foods of the area as well as the best wines,
with some wonderful viewpoints and walks along the way.
Micro regions

Although the mountains are very important to the microclimate of Alsace, one must return to the
soil to determine the true nature of Alsace wines. Like any other good wine region of the world,
Alsace has the ideal medium in which to grow wines for wine production. That is, it has
relatively thin topsoil and easily penetrable subsoil that retains the correct amount of moisture. In
his book, The Wines of Alsace, Tom Stevenson gives a general list of the types of soil found in
Alsace and general characteristics that these soils will impart to wines made from grapes grown
in them.
Clay gives body and structure to the wines, and added complexity to more delicate ones
Gravel restrained but distinct characteristics
Limestone elegant fruit, with early appeal
Sand fresh and light body wines, but good fruit
Schist delicate fruit, floral aromas
Granite full body, long lived
Contrary to traditions of either France or Germany, Alsace has an authentic history of selling
some of its most famous wines by their varietal names, and this has now become the tradition.
The earliest documented evidence of this dates back to 1477, but its widespread commercial use
began in the mid-1920s, when the Association du Viticulture voted to rid its vineyards of hybrid
wines. This was a bold move, for consumers of the time had little comprehension of how
important the type of grape was to the flavor of the wine. People put more value on the
geographical origin of the wine, explaining the popularity of Bordeaux and Burgundy.

Vineyards in Alsace.
This presented the growers of Alsace with a major problemnamely, how to ask for higher
prices for wines made from superior grape varietieswhen to most people, a grape was just a
grape. The solution was brilliant and simple: Market the wines by their grape names and then
create the not totally fictitious noble variety concept, which would put these particular grapes,
and the wines made from them, at the top of the varietal hierarchy. Thus the worlds first allvarietal wine region was born. It was perhaps the first generic marketing initiative of any wine
region, although New World producers have since proven themselves far more adept at using it
as a marketing tool, because, if anything, the varietal concept is commonly believed to be a
California invention.
Alsace wines are ideal food partners because they combine great aromatic intensity with
balanced, firm structure. Alsace Riesling, Pinot Blanc and Tokay-Pinot Gris can replace
Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc in virtually any food pairing. Alsace Gewrztraminer is
particularly well suited for exotic, spicy dishes, as well as exceptionally rich foods, such as
lobster or foie gras.
Micro climate
The cultivation of vines and the culture of wine, inseparable from the history of
Alsace, are alive and well in these landscapes, traditions and heritage. The natural
barrier of the Vosges Mountains favours a dry micro-climate; the south-south-east
facing exposure of the vineyards and the geological complexity of the soil provide
the vines with unique conditions and allow in particular for a slow maturation
process that preserves the aromas of the wines
Reason
The Legend of Nideck

In 1816 the legend of Nideck joined the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. This story inspired the
poet Adalbert von Chamisso to write Das Riesenfrulein (The Giant's Daughter). The tale relates
how the castle was inhabited by a couple of giants and their little daughter. Bored one day, she
walked as far as the Alsace plains and found what she took to be some living toys. Once returned

to the castle, her father explained to her that they were men and that they must be left in their
place because they cultivated the land to feed the giants.