2014 Alsace AOC Turckheim Gewürztraminer, Alsace, France
Name of the French wine growing region Alsace. Alsace (or Vin d'Alsace) is also the name of the region's extensive appellation. The other two AOC are Alsace Grand Cru and for the sparkling wines Crémant d'Alsace. These wines account for around 75% of production. Most of them are varietal wines made from 100% of a variety indicated on the label. In the absence of this indication, it is a cuvée of different varieties. The AOC designation consists of Alsace and the following variety or wine type name, for example "Alsace Riesling". The yield is limited to a maximum of 80 hl/h, for Pinot Noir to 75 hl/h.
The wine-growing region lies in the north-east of France on the border with Germany formed by the Rhine. The départements Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin formed a separate French administrative region Alsace (Région Alsace) from 1973 to 2015. As part of the regional mergers, the Grand Est (Greater East) region was created from 2016 with Strasbourg as its capital, covering the areas of Alsace, Lorraine and Champagne-Ardenne.
Viticulture was already practised by the Celts (Gauls) before the Romans who appeared here in the 2nd century. After a decline in the 5th century due to the invasion of the Germanic tribes, it flourished...
France is a relatively young wine-growing country compared to Greece and Italy. The first vines were brought in the 6th century BC by the Greeks, who founded Massalia (lat. Massillia = Marseille) in the southwest on the Mediterranean coast. At this time, the land that was later called Gaul by the Romans was inhabited by the Celts. A brisk trade developed and the Greeks covered the demand. When they immigrated to the Po Valley in the 5th century, they got to know Italian wine and began to import it. The later French consumed wine for a long time before they started to cultivate it themselves on a large scale. The conquest of Gaul by Julius Caesar...
The white grape variety is by far the most common variety of Traminer (see detailed information there), which is called Savagnin Blanc (or short Savagnin) in many sources. The numerous synonyms are also used to some extent for other varieties such as Savagnin Rose and generally for Traminer. Thus, one cannot conclude the "correct" variety without any doubt from the name/synonym. The most important ones grouped alphabetically by country are Savagnin Rose Aromatique (Australia); Mala Dinka (Bulgaria); Clevner, Klevner, Rother Muskattraminer, Roter Traminer, Traminer Rot (Germany); Bon...
