grown spectacularly since 1980, to meet increasing demand not only in France but also on export markets. Rose Murray Brown has recommended Crémant d'Alsace Joseph Pfister £8.49 in her article “Sparkling Company” in the Scotsman as one of the best sparkling wines for under £10.00:“Lime blossom aromas, very creamy deep fruits, good finish for the price.”
The article also said that France proved the dominant force within the category of sparkling wines with the New World lagging behind. It's a cracking wine for Christmas and if you'd like to learn more on Crémant d'Alsace Joseph Pfister check out my Blogs:
Discovering Crémant d'Alsace – Seriously Good, Seriously Inexpensive and Seriously Pinot
Crémant d'Alsace.
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The surge in demand for Crémant d'Alsace explains its increasingly important share of Alsace wine production. Sales have multiplied by 10 in 20 years, up from 2.2 million bottles in 1982 to 22,1 million bottles in 2002. Exports of Crémant d'Alsace increased 17% in 2006 and is the market leader for French sparkling wines other than Champagne. The largest consumer is Germany, then Belgium, Denmark, USA, Sweden and the Netherlands.
Crémant d'Alsace owes its elegance and originality to the unique character of the grape varieties of Alsace, allied to the natural advantages enjoyed by its vineyards: a dry and sunny climate, slopes that face the rising sun, and special geological characteristics. The vineyards are protected from the ocean's storms by the barrier of the Vosges and the vineyards have practically the lowest rainfall in France. The vineyards line the eastern flanks of the Vosges and face mainly south or south east – this, coupled with the Indian Summers - favours the slow, extended ripening of the grapes and gives wines with elegant aromas and great finesse.
The diversity of vineyard soils in Alsace has no equivalent anywhere in France. Soils of clay, limestone, marl, granite, gneiss, schist, and even of volcanic origin are intermingled for one easy-to-understand reason: about 50 million years ago both the Vosges and the Black Forest (in Germany) were a single massif, and when it collapsed the Rhine plain was formed. As the Alsace vineyards are situated along the fault line between the remaining massif of the Vosges and the plain, it is logical that their soil is a mosaic of the collapsed ancient upper layers. For the same reason, all the vineyards vary in size, some being extremely small and each one possesses its own geological characteristics.
Crémant d'Alsace has a century of history and AOC status since 1976. At the end of the last century, several companies in Alsace, established both in the vineyard area and in the cities of Strasbourg and Mulhouse, produced sparkling wines using the Champagne method. Wines destined for Crémant d'Alsace production can only be made from white or red grapes grown within the region of production of Alsace wines. Before the harvest, winegrowers are obliged to declare to their town hall which vineyards are intended for the production of Crémant d'Alsace. Grapes must be harvested manually and a register of pressing must be kept. Crémant d'Alsace must undergo a secondary fermentation in bottle, which must take place exclusively in Alsace. The wine cannot be bottled before 1st January following the harvest. The length of bottle ageing on the lees cannot be less than 9 months.
The grapes permitted to make the wines are Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Riesling or Chardonnay and Crémant d'Alsace has the flavours of red fruits, apricots and almonds. Crémant d'Alsace should be served in tall flute glasses with a tapered bowl - glasses with a tall stem avoid the wine being warmed by the hand and the tapered bowl concentrates the aroma. Serve between 5 to 7°C - over chilled, their delicate aromas can not be fully expressed and warmer, they appear heavier and lack their attractive natural freshness.
So why not discover Crémant d'Alsace today?
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