Gourmet Alsace > Savour Alsace wines > AOC Appellations
AOC Appellations
The three Alsace AOC Appellations
All Alsace wines have full «AOC» status.
Wines of «AOC Alsace» and «AOC Alsace Grand Cru» usually carry the name of a grape variety, and are always in the traditional slim Alsace «flûte» bottle.
They are served chilled at 8-10°C.
This is the principal AOC (83% of total production). The label may mention the name of the grape variety, or a brand name or, in the case of white wine blends, the terms «Edelzwicker» or «Gentil». Other geographic indications may also be shown, such as the village or vineyard name…
This refers to wines produced according to stricter levels of quality, notably vineyard origin, natural ripeness levels and a blind tasting evaluation before sale.
Only 4 grape types may be used, Riesling, Muscat, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer. The grape, the vintage and the named vineyard (one of only 50 that are authorised) must all be shown on the label. As much as the grape variety, it is the soil that gives its unique individual character to each AOC Alsace Grand Cru wine.
This qualification applies to sparkling Alsace wines, lively and delicate, which are produced by the traditional method of fermentation in bottle. Principally made from the Pinot Blanc grape, but also from Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, they are now the most popular AOC sparkling wines in France.
