Riesling—this is certainly one of the two greatest white wine grapes in the world. It is responsible for all of the wines of the Moselle and Saar, and practically all those of the Rheingau. In Alsace it yields wines that are clean, fragrant, full-bodied, of exceptional finesse.
Gewurztraminer—really nothing more than a selected Traminer (see below), “gewurz” meaning “spicy.” Wines with a special, inimitable, pronounced bouquet, flowery almost to the point of being really spicy, and unmistakable.
Traminer—a less pronounced and often a little blander version of the preceding Gewurztraminer.
Pinot Gris—also known as the Rulander, and occasionally, for no good reason, as the Tokay. It produces wines of great delicacy, of less bouquet than the Gewurztraminer and the Riesling, but of almost classic distinction.
Pinot Blanc—also known as the Klevener. Little grown but invariably good.
Note: All of the preceding are known as Edeltrauben, of which the correct French translation is plants nobles, or “noble” (as distinguished from “common”) varieties. In Alsace, however, the German edel is considered the equivalent of the old French gentil … the term “Gentil” on a label means a blend of wines made from superior grape varieties or, in Alsatian patois, an Edelzwicker. A Zwicker is a blend of common wines and has no precise French equivalent.
Sylvaner—considerably more productive than the true Riesling, though sometimes called the Franken Riesling in Germany. Yields excellent lesser wines, generally short-lived but delightful when young and fresh.
Chasselas—extremely productive, a mediocre grape which provides most of the pleasant cheap vin ordinaire of Alsace. You will never see this grape name on a label.
Burger—now being eliminated. Another mediocre grape used only for the production of common table wine.
Like Moselles, and like the lesser German wines of the Rhine, Alsatian wines are at their sprightly and charming best when young. Even stored under the most favorable conditions, they tend to lose, with time, more than they gain. Most of the better producers now bottle their superior vintages when under a year old, and send them to market a few months later. The 1945's, for example, are already mature and excellent, and quite comparable to the fine 1942's and 1943's in quality. 1946, too, was a good year, and its wines are both plentiful and very promising.
Vintages, in Alsace, are of primary importance, and it is fairly safe to assume that any wine which does not carry a vintage is the product of a poor year, and as thin and sour as only a bad vin d'Alsace can be. Avoid, therefore, all recent years except 1937, 1942, 1943, 1945, and 1946.
As a whole, Alsatian wines are perhaps the best values of any French wines now being shipped to this country. Dry and light, fragrant, refreshing, comparatively low in alcohol, they are among the pleasantest wines for warm weather in the world.
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