Alsace is the rare French region where white wine rules the table, even with pork, sausage and strong cheese. The food is generous and the wines are aromatic and fresh. They grew up together, and it shows.
The place
The vineyards lie on the lower slopes of the Vosges mountains, which shelter them from Atlantic rain. That makes Alsace one of the driest wine regions in France, with sunny, long autumns. Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Blanc and Sylvaner are the main grapes, and the region is also home to Crémant d’Alsace.
The Alsace kitchen sits between France and Germany: sauerkraut and sausages, cream and onions, slow-baked casseroles and strong cheese. Rich, salty, often smoky food like this needs wines with acidity and aroma rather than tannin. That is exactly what the Alsace grapes give. Most are bottled dry, though some Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris keep a touch of sweetness, which loves spice and pungent cheese.
Three plates and their glasses
Choucroute garnie + dry Riesling
Sauerkraut slowly cooked with white wine, then piled with sausages, smoked pork and potatoes. It is the dish of the Alsace winter.
A dry Riesling has the acidity to match the sour cabbage and cut the fat of the meats. Many cooks use the same wine in the pot, so the pairing starts in the kitchen.
Munster + Gewurztraminer
A soft cheese from the Vosges valleys with an orange, washed rind and a powerful smell. Inside, it is creamy and milder than its scent suggests. Locals often serve it with cumin seeds and boiled potatoes.
Strong cheese needs a wine with matching personality. Gewurztraminer brings lychee, rose and spice, and its round texture and slight sweetness soften the salt and the pungency. A late-harvest version is a treat.
Flammekueche (tarte flambée) + Pinot Blanc or Sylvaner
A thin, crisp dough spread with fresh cream, topped with onions and bacon, and baked fast in a very hot oven. It is meant to be shared, slice after slice.
This is not a dish for a serious bottle. A light, clean Pinot Blanc or a crisp Sylvaner keeps the cream fresh and the evening easy. A Crémant d’Alsace works well too.
Also worth knowing: baeckeoffe
A slow-baked casserole of marinated meats and potatoes, cooked in white wine in a sealed clay dish. A Pinot Gris, rich and faintly smoky, is a natural partner.
One bottle to start with
Domaine Weinbach Pinot Gris “Clos des Capucins” (about €28). A walled vineyard first planted by Capuchin monks in 1612 and farmed biodynamically. Rich, smoky and fresh, it suits baeckeoffe, choucroute and autumn dishes alike.
If you visit
The Alsace Wine Route runs through the vineyards from near Strasbourg to near Mulhouse, past villages such as Riquewihr and Kaysersberg. Late autumn and the Christmas market season are the time for choucroute and a glass of Riesling in a winstub, the local wine tavern.
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Please drink responsibly. L’abus d’alcool est dangereux pour la santé, à consommer avec modération.