Crémant d'Alsace
Encyclopedia
Crémant d'Alsace is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
for sparkling wine
s made in the Alsace wine
region of France
. Produced since 1900, the Crémant d'Alsace AOC was recognized in 1976 by the INAO
and the designation Crémant regulated by the European Parliament
in 1996.
praised Marlenheim
's vineyard in 589. There were 108 wine-producing villages in 800, 160 in 900 and 430 in 1400. By this time, Alsacian wine, red or white, was one of the most famous wines of Europe
and one of the most expensive.
Many wars, unfavorable economical circumstances and keeping of obsolete laws led through the following centuries Alsacian wine next to the depths. This situation recovered after World War I
.
Just before 1900, while Alsace was part of the German Empire
, some Champagne
winemakers like Hommel in Ribeauvillé
, Dirler in Bergholtz
, Cosse in Pfastatt
or Vix Barra in Schiltigheim
settled into Alsace to make sparkling wine and get around customs rights upon export towards Germany.
Julien Dopff au Moulin from Riquewihr
has been the first Alsacian winemaker to adapt the méthode champenoise after attending a demonstration during the Exposition Universelle
in Paris
.
He started to sell the Champagne Dopff after a two years training period in Épernay
by proceeding to an second fermentation in bottles.
After World War I and Alsace's return into France, the transposition of the French 1905-law about designation of origin forbade the use of the word Champagne. The distinction between both products came by Pierre Hussherr, an earlier manager of Wolfberger, who retrieved the term Crémant, then obsolete in Champagne. On 4 July 1975, a law allowed the word "Crémant" only for sparkling wines under AOC-rules. After that, Crémant de Loire and Crémant de Bourgogne were defined by decrees.
On 24 August 1976, the AOC Crémant d'Alsace was defined by a decree too. On 21 June 1966, the European Parliament
consolidated the denomination Crémant, then used in France and Luxembourg
, making clear that it must be a quality sparkling wine following strict production rules and having been named Crémant before July 1986.
, in the region Alsace
, nearly in the whole Alsacian vineyard
but mainly in Barr
, Bennwihr
, Eguisheim
. Ingersheim
, Riquewihr
, Wintzenheim
and Andolsheim
.
, which formed from a collapse during the Oligocene
and is followed since the Miocene
by the river Rhine.
The vineyard stays on the lower slopes of the Vosges Mountains
, on the fault zone of the graben
, covered by alluvial fan
s of the many rivers and creeks flowing from the nearby heights.
This explains the variety of the subsurface materials and their succession forming a true mosaic: limestone
s, granite
s, shale
s, gneiss
or sandstone
s.
Mainly, the upper part of the slopes of the subvosgian hills consists of old rocks: pluton
s and metamorphic rock
s like granite, gneiss or slate
.
Vine-planted parcels are rather steep and climb up to 478 m height (near Osenbach
).
The lower part of the slopes consists of layers of limestones or marl
s covered by loess
where the slope is rather smooth.
Endly, the plain consists of a thick layer of alluvium
deposited by the Rhine (silt
and gravel
s). This zone is very more fertile than the two previous with an important aquifer
mainly close to the surface (less than 5 m deep): the Upper Rhine aquifer.
Dominating western winds loose their moisture on the eastern side of the Vosges and arrive as foehn winds into the Alsace plain.
The precipitation mean in Alsace is the least of all French vineyards and Colmar
one of the dryest towns of France.
Consequently, the climate is more temperated than expected at this latitude: the annual mean temperature is about 1.5 °C higher. The climate is semi-continental and dry with hot springs, sunny and dry summers, long autumns and cold winters.
Grapes come from varieties grown within the AOC Alsace area. The allowed varieties are limited to riesling
, pinot blanc
, pinot noir
, pinot gris
, auxerrois blanc
and chardonnay
.
For rosé
wines, only pinot noir is allowed.
The AOC Crémant d'Alsace is elaborated according to the methods used for Champagne elaboration.
In 2004, the grape harvest for Crémant d'Alsace elaboration represented 214,946 hectolitres, showing a rise of 35.6% compared with the mean of the five latest years.
In 2005, it represented 273,733 hectolitres, a new rise of 27.3% in one year and about 36.5 million bottles.
In 2006, Crémant d'Alsace represented the fourth of all AOC Alsace designations and gathered 500 winemakers together. A tenth of its production was exported, mainly into Belgium
, Germany
, Denmark
, United States
, Sweden
, Switzerland
and Netherland
(decreasingly ordered).
In 2008, it represented 248,000 hectolitres, that was 5% more than in 2007.
From less than 1 million bottles in 1979, the annual production of Crémant d'Alsace grew to 33 million bottles in 2009 (22% of all AOC Alsace wines) while sales climbed from 2.2 million bottles in 1982 to 30 million bottles in 2009.
Wines are labelled according to their make-up with the following mentions: blanc de blancs (white wine from white grapes), blanc de noirs (white wine from black grapes), brut (very dry), millésimé (vintage wine), rosé, sigillé (sealed, promoted by the Confrérie Saint-Étienne d'Alsace). Varietal
labelling is allowed if any of the allowed varieties is exclusively used (blanc de noirs and rosé are inevitably varietal).
Crémant d'Alsace must be served between 5 and 7 °C in flûtes
.
It can be offered as apéritif in a cocktail party or a reception. It can also be served during a whole meal. It suits seafoods and cheese.
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
for sparkling wine
Sparkling wine
Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it making it fizzy. The carbon dioxide may result from natural fermentation, either in a bottle, as with the méthode champenoise, in a large tank designed to withstand the pressures involved , or as a result of carbon dioxide...
s made in the Alsace wine
Alsace wine
Alsace wine or Alsatian wine is produced in the Alsace region in France and is primarily white. These wines, which for historical reasons have a strong Germanic influence, are produced under three different Appellations d'Origine Contrôlées : Alsace AOC for white, rosé and red wines, Alsace Grand...
region of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Produced since 1900, the Crémant d'Alsace AOC was recognized in 1976 by the INAO
Institut National des Appellations d'Origine
The Institut National des Appellations d'Origine is the French organization charged with regulating French agricultural products with Protected Designations of Origin . Controlled by the French government, it forms part of the Ministry of Agriculture...
and the designation Crémant regulated by the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
in 1996.
History
The Alsacian vineyard is one of the oldest ones of France. Gregory of ToursGregory of Tours
Saint Gregory of Tours was a Gallo-Roman historian and Bishop of Tours, which made him a leading prelate of Gaul. He was born Georgius Florentius, later adding the name Gregorius in honour of his maternal great-grandfather...
praised Marlenheim
Marlenheim
Marlenheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
's vineyard in 589. There were 108 wine-producing villages in 800, 160 in 900 and 430 in 1400. By this time, Alsacian wine, red or white, was one of the most famous wines of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and one of the most expensive.
Many wars, unfavorable economical circumstances and keeping of obsolete laws led through the following centuries Alsacian wine next to the depths. This situation recovered after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Just before 1900, while Alsace was part of the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
, some Champagne
Champagne, France
Champagne is a historic province in the northeast of France, now best known for the sparkling white wine that bears its name.Formerly ruled by the counts of Champagne, its western edge is about 100 miles east of Paris. The cities of Troyes, Reims, and Épernay are the commercial centers of the area...
winemakers like Hommel in Ribeauvillé
Ribeauvillé
Ribeauvillé is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.Its inhabitants are called Ribeauvillois.The picturesque town is located around north of Colmar and south of Strasbourg.-History:...
, Dirler in Bergholtz
Bergholtz
Bergholtz can refer to :* Bergholtz, Haut-Rhin, a commune in Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France* Bergholtz and Bergholtz-Zell, two Alsace wines* Bergholtz, New York...
, Cosse in Pfastatt
Pfastatt
Pfastatt is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France. It forms part of the Mulhouse Alsace Agglomération, the inter-communal local government body for the Mulhouse conurbation.-References:*...
or Vix Barra in Schiltigheim
Schiltigheim
Schiltigheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.The inhabitants are called Schilikois in French and Scheligemer in Alsatian....
settled into Alsace to make sparkling wine and get around customs rights upon export towards Germany.
Julien Dopff au Moulin from Riquewihr
Riquewihr
Riquewihr is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.A popular tourist attraction for its historical architecture, Riquewihr is also known for the Riesling and other great wines produced in the village...
has been the first Alsacian winemaker to adapt the méthode champenoise after attending a demonstration during the Exposition Universelle
Exposition Universelle (1900)
The Exposition Universelle of 1900 was a world's fair held in Paris, France, from April 15 to November 12, 1900, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate development into the next...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
He started to sell the Champagne Dopff after a two years training period in Épernay
Épernay
Épernay is a commune in the Marne department in northern France. Épernay is located some 130 km north-east of Paris on the main line of the Eastern railway to Strasbourg...
by proceeding to an second fermentation in bottles.
After World War I and Alsace's return into France, the transposition of the French 1905-law about designation of origin forbade the use of the word Champagne. The distinction between both products came by Pierre Hussherr, an earlier manager of Wolfberger, who retrieved the term Crémant, then obsolete in Champagne. On 4 July 1975, a law allowed the word "Crémant" only for sparkling wines under AOC-rules. After that, Crémant de Loire and Crémant de Bourgogne were defined by decrees.
On 24 August 1976, the AOC Crémant d'Alsace was defined by a decree too. On 21 June 1966, the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
consolidated the denomination Crémant, then used in France and Luxembourg
Luxembourg wine
Luxembourg wine is primarily produced in the southeastern part of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, with vineyards overlooking the Moselle River. Along this river, which for 42 km makes up part of the border between Luxembourg and Germany, wine is made in three countries. There is a continuous history...
, making clear that it must be a quality sparkling wine following strict production rules and having been named Crémant before July 1986.
Geography
Crémant d'Alsace is produced in north-eastern FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, in the region Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
, nearly in the whole Alsacian vineyard
Alsace wine regions
The wine region of Alsace produces wines under three different Appellations d'Origine Contrôlées : Alsace AOC for white, rosé and red wines, Alsace Grand Cru AOC for white wines from certain classified vineyards and Crémant d'Alsace AOC for sparkling wines...
but mainly in Barr
Barr, Bas-Rhin
Barr is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-History:Barr was originally an imperial property, but in 1522 the Habsburgs leased it to Nicolas Ziegler, and a few years later give him the freehold. Ziegler's sons sold Barr to the city of Strasbourg...
, Bennwihr
Bennwihr
-History:Bennwihr figures in a report from the year 777 by Charlemagne's missi dominici. They refer to the village as Beno Villare , and mention the quality of its wines....
, Eguisheim
Eguisheim
Eguisheim is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.Eguisheim produces Alsace wine of high quality. The commune is largely German-speaking.-History:...
. Ingersheim
Ingersheim
Ingersheim is a town in the district of Ludwigsburg in Baden-Württemberg in Germany....
, Riquewihr
Riquewihr
Riquewihr is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.A popular tourist attraction for its historical architecture, Riquewihr is also known for the Riesling and other great wines produced in the village...
, Wintzenheim
Wintzenheim
Wintzenheim is a commune in the Haut-Rhin département in Alsace in north-eastern France.Its inhabitants are called Wintzenheimois.-Geography:Wintzenheim is a small village to the east of Colmar....
and Andolsheim
Andolsheim
Andolsheim is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
.
Geology and orography
Alsace plain occupies the south part of the Upper Rhine PlainUpper Rhine Plain
The Upper Rhine Plain, Rhine Rift Valley or Upper Rhine Graben is a major rift, straddling the border between France and Germany. It forms part of the European Cenozoic Rift System, which extends across central Europe...
, which formed from a collapse during the Oligocene
Oligocene
The Oligocene is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 34 million to 23 million years before the present . As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period are well identified but the exact dates of the start and end of the period are slightly...
and is followed since the Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
by the river Rhine.
The vineyard stays on the lower slopes of the Vosges Mountains
Vosges mountains
For the department of France of the same name, see Vosges.The Vosges are a range of low mountains in eastern France, near its border with Germany. They extend along the west side of the Rhine valley in a northnortheast direction, mainly from Belfort to Saverne...
, on the fault zone of the graben
Graben
In geology, a graben is a depressed block of land bordered by parallel faults. Graben is German for ditch. Graben is used for both the singular and plural....
, covered by alluvial fan
Alluvial fan
An alluvial fan is a fan-shaped deposit formed where a fast flowing stream flattens, slows, and spreads typically at the exit of a canyon onto a flatter plain. A convergence of neighboring alluvial fans into a single apron of deposits against a slope is called a bajada, or compound alluvial...
s of the many rivers and creeks flowing from the nearby heights.
This explains the variety of the subsurface materials and their succession forming a true mosaic: limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
s, granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
s, shale
Shale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. The ratio of clay to other minerals is variable. Shale is characterized by breaks along thin laminae or parallel layering...
s, gneiss
Gneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
or sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
s.
Mainly, the upper part of the slopes of the subvosgian hills consists of old rocks: pluton
Pluton
A pluton in geology is a body of intrusive igneous rock that crystallized from magma slowly cooling below the surface of the Earth. Plutons include batholiths, dikes, sills, laccoliths, lopoliths, and other igneous bodies...
s and metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock is the transformation of an existing rock type, the protolith, in a process called metamorphism, which means "change in form". The protolith is subjected to heat and pressure causing profound physical and/or chemical change...
s like granite, gneiss or slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
.
Vine-planted parcels are rather steep and climb up to 478 m height (near Osenbach
Osenbach
Osenbach is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
).
The lower part of the slopes consists of layers of limestones or marl
Marl
Marl or marlstone is a calcium carbonate or lime-rich mud or mudstone which contains variable amounts of clays and aragonite. Marl was originally an old term loosely applied to a variety of materials, most of which occur as loose, earthy deposits consisting chiefly of an intimate mixture of clay...
s covered by loess
Loess
Loess is an aeolian sediment formed by the accumulation of wind-blown silt, typically in the 20–50 micrometre size range, twenty percent or less clay and the balance equal parts sand and silt that are loosely cemented by calcium carbonate...
where the slope is rather smooth.
Endly, the plain consists of a thick layer of alluvium
Alluvium
Alluvium is loose, unconsolidated soil or sediments, eroded, deposited, and reshaped by water in some form in a non-marine setting. Alluvium is typically made up of a variety of materials, including fine particles of silt and clay and larger particles of sand and gravel...
deposited by the Rhine (silt
Silt
Silt is granular material of a size somewhere between sand and clay whose mineral origin is quartz and feldspar. Silt may occur as a soil or as suspended sediment in a surface water body...
and gravel
Gravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...
s). This zone is very more fertile than the two previous with an important aquifer
Aquifer
An aquifer is a wet underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. The study of water flow in aquifers and the characterization of aquifers is called hydrogeology...
mainly close to the surface (less than 5 m deep): the Upper Rhine aquifer.
Climatology
On the western side, the Vosges Mountains shield the Alsacian vineyards from wind and rain.Dominating western winds loose their moisture on the eastern side of the Vosges and arrive as foehn winds into the Alsace plain.
The precipitation mean in Alsace is the least of all French vineyards and Colmar
Colmar
Colmar is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.It is the capital of the department. Colmar is also the seat of the highest jurisdiction in Alsace, the appellate court....
one of the dryest towns of France.
Consequently, the climate is more temperated than expected at this latitude: the annual mean temperature is about 1.5 °C higher. The climate is semi-continental and dry with hot springs, sunny and dry summers, long autumns and cold winters.
Wine making
The grapes for Crémant d'Alsace are harvested many days before grapes for the other Alsace AOCs. As for Champagne, grapes must be manually harvested.Grapes come from varieties grown within the AOC Alsace area. The allowed varieties are limited to riesling
Riesling
Riesling is a white grape variety which originated in the Rhine region of Germany. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling white wines. Riesling wines are usually varietally...
, pinot blanc
Pinot Blanc
Pinot blanc is a white wine grape. It is a point genetic mutation of Pinot noir. Pinot noir is genetically unstable and will occasionally experience a point mutation in which a vine bears all black fruit except for one cane which produced white fruit....
, pinot noir
Pinot Noir
Pinot noir is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes...
, pinot gris
Pinot gris
Pinot gris is a white wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot noir grape, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name but the grape can have a brownish pink to black and even white appearance...
, auxerrois blanc
Auxerrois Blanc
Auxerrois Blanc or Auxerrois Blanc de Laquenexy is a white wine grape that is important in Alsace, and is also grown in Germany and Luxembourg. It is a full sibling of Chardonnay that is often blended with the similar Pinot Blanc.-History:...
and chardonnay
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
.
For rosé
Rosé
A rosé is a type of wine that has some of the color typical of a red wine, but only enough to turn it pink. The pink color can range from a pale orange to a vivid near-purple, depending on the grapes and wine making techniques.- Production techniques :There are three major ways to produce rosé...
wines, only pinot noir is allowed.
The AOC Crémant d'Alsace is elaborated according to the methods used for Champagne elaboration.
In 2004, the grape harvest for Crémant d'Alsace elaboration represented 214,946 hectolitres, showing a rise of 35.6% compared with the mean of the five latest years.
In 2005, it represented 273,733 hectolitres, a new rise of 27.3% in one year and about 36.5 million bottles.
In 2006, Crémant d'Alsace represented the fourth of all AOC Alsace designations and gathered 500 winemakers together. A tenth of its production was exported, mainly into Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Netherland
Netherland
Netherland is a critically acclaimed novel by Joseph O'Neill. It concerns the life of a Dutchman living in New York in the wake of the September 11 attacks who takes up cricket and starts playing at the Staten Island Cricket Club.-Plot summary:...
(decreasingly ordered).
In 2008, it represented 248,000 hectolitres, that was 5% more than in 2007.
From less than 1 million bottles in 1979, the annual production of Crémant d'Alsace grew to 33 million bottles in 2009 (22% of all AOC Alsace wines) while sales climbed from 2.2 million bottles in 1982 to 30 million bottles in 2009.
Wines and gastronomy
Wines designated Crémant d'Alsace must be bottled in the production area. The bottles have the same shape as Champagne bottles.Wines are labelled according to their make-up with the following mentions: blanc de blancs (white wine from white grapes), blanc de noirs (white wine from black grapes), brut (very dry), millésimé (vintage wine), rosé, sigillé (sealed, promoted by the Confrérie Saint-Étienne d'Alsace). Varietal
Varietal
"Varietal" describes wines made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label. Examples of grape varieties commonly used in varietal wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot...
labelling is allowed if any of the allowed varieties is exclusively used (blanc de noirs and rosé are inevitably varietal).
Crémant d'Alsace must be served between 5 and 7 °C in flûtes
Champagne stemware
Champagne stemware refers to the flute and coupe glasses used in the enjoyment of champagne, other sparkling wines, and certain beers.-Champagne flute:The champagne flûte is a stem glass with a tall, narrow bowl...
.
It can be offered as apéritif in a cocktail party or a reception. It can also be served during a whole meal. It suits seafoods and cheese.
External links
- AOC Crémant d'Alsace on vinsalsace.com, official site of the CIVA , retrieved 2011-04-21.
- Crémant d'Alsace on alsace-wine.net , retrieved 2011-04-22.