The region of Alsace lies in the North-East corner of France. Sheltered by the Vosges Mountains to the West and bordered by the Rhine to the East it feels like a hybrid of rural France and Germany. And in many ways that is what it is as the land has been fought over for centuries with rulers changing frequently.

The wines too reflect this dual nature.

The region produces mainly white wines, which are excellent with the regional food, in fluted bottles with Germanic labels following the appellation controlée system. The two grape varieties that thrive best in Alsace and provide its well deserved reputation as a place for where stunning wines can be made are the Riesling and the Gewurtztraminer. The Rieslings are usually dry and fruity with an elegant mineral length whilst the Gewurtztraminers are rich and fruity with elderflower notes and a spicy finish. The wines can be fabulous and some of the late harvest wines (vendage tardives) are taste sensations. They also make fantastic sparkling wines by the traditional (champagne style) method which is known as Cremant D’Alsace. These are generally made with pinot blanc and/or pinot noir and can give entry level champagne a real beating in flavour terms, at half the price.

Unfortunately sales of Alsation wine in the UK are very small possibly because the bottles and labels make them look German and nobody wants to pay a premium for German wine. Last week I was fortunate enough to visit wineries in the area and whilst I can’t risk putting an Alsace wine into the core range, look out for some specials in 2008.