Grape varieties of Alsace

Wine growing area

The total area under wine has increased from 11 750 ha in 1981 to 15 230 ha in 2004. This is still 50% below the area under wine in the 14th century. At present, Riesling is the most widely grown variety, in 1981 Sylvaner was most grown, followed by Gewurztraminer.

Pinot Gris has increased dramatically, from 550 ha in 1981 to 2 060 ha in 2004. The market for red wines have grown, reflected in an increase for Pinot Noir from 640 to 1 450 ha. At the same time, Chasselas has reach a level close to extinction, dropping from the 1981 figure of 420 ha to a mere 120 ha in 2004.

Druva	Fraction of total area under vine 15 230 ha in 2004
Riesling	3350 ha	22.0%
Pinot blanc¹	3180 ha	20.9%
Gewurztraminer	2790 ha	18.3%
Pinot gris	2060 ha	13.5%
Sylvaner	1680 ha	11.0%
Pinot noir	1450 ha	9.5%
Muskat	350 ha	2.3%
Övriga²	170 ha	1.1%
Chasselas	120 ha	0.8%
Mixed	0.6 ha	0.6%

What is in the bottle?

The grape variety per se is the basis for the wines of Alsace. The tradition, enforces by the legislation, builds upon the fact that single variety wines is the norm.

The three AOC of Alsace allow the use of different varieties. In fact, only Pinot Gris, Riesling and, to very limited extent, Sylvaner, can be used for all three AOC. A summary of allowed use of varieties is:

	Appellation d´origine controllée
	Alsace	Alsace Grand Cru	Crémant d´Alsace
Auxerrois
Chardonnay
Chasselas
Gewurztraminer
Muscat
Pinot blanc
Pinot Gris
Pinot Noir
Riesling
Sylvaner

Sylvaner may only be used for a AOC Alsace Grand Cru on Zotzenberg, Mittelbergheim.

Special designations

Of course, there are several special designations and traditional names one should be aware of. A selection includes:

• Alsace Blanc is a white wine made from one or more of the grape varieties allowed for AOC Alsace
• Alsace Edelzwicker is a white wine made from one or more of the grape varieties allowed for AOC Alsace, not including Chardonnay.
• Alsace Gentil is an Edelzwicker including a minimum 50% of Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris and/or Muscat.
• Alsace Pinot Blanc is a white wine made from Auxerrois, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and/or Pinot Noir in any proportions.
• Alsace Rouge och Alsace Rosé may only be made from Pinot Noir
• Klevener d´Heiligenstein may only be used fro single variety wines, and may only be grown in the communes Bourgheim, Gertwiller, Goxwiller, Heiligenstein and Obernai.
• Wines from the Grands Crus Kaefferkopf and Altenberg de Bergheim, made from more than one grape variety in strictly regulated proportions may be sold under vineyard designation.

Blended wines

There is definitely a trend among producers to develop wines from several varieties. This attempts fall into two dimensions, one is legal and illegal, the other is good and bad.

In the "illegal and good" category, we find three wines from Marcel Deiss. With a price tag in the range of €50 he sells a Pinot-based Mambourg, a Riesling-based Schoenenbourg and a Gewurztraminer-based Altenberg de Bergheim. At more moderate prices he markets the Lieux-dits Engelberg, a Burg and so on. These are all remarkable wines. However, I have heard other growers on the same land conclude that they follow Marcel Deiss initiative with interest but prefer to stick to the tradition. It is interesting to see if Deiss, backed by the international wine press, manages to defeat INAO on a core issue.

In the "legal and good" we find Zind-Humbrechts blend Z200X where 200X denotes the vintage. It has the lowest possible formal status and could be seen as a product in parallel to the super-Vini Tavola of Tuscany.

Finally, in the category "legal and bad" I have come across a Riesling/Pinot Gris blend from the reputed CV Pfaffenheim. It was an obvious attempt to disguise an immature Riesling within a flabby Pinot Gris, or vice versa. It tasted more like an insult than like an Alsace wine.