The Alsace area of France produces some excellent, though much misunderstood, wines. Alice King uncovers a region full of Eastern promise

Wines from Alsace have long been the wine trade’s best kept secret. They rate for me amongst some of the most delicious white wines in the world, yet tend not to be well known or understood by the consumer. This is partly because over the last few hundred years the region of Alsace has changed hands many times after wars and, as a result, people are confused as to whether the wines are from France or Germany.

Today, the region is well and truly part of France, but because the wines are bottled in tall flute-shaped bottles, it’s easy to understand why drinkers should think they are Germanic. Added to which is the fact that many of the grape varieties, Gewürztraminer and Riesling for example, sound Germanic. The reality couldn’t be further from the prejudice. Light, spicy, really fragrant and aromatic, these are great food wines that taste delicious with Thai, Chinese and Indian cooking and any recipes with a Pacific Rim influence. They are also fabulous value for money, especially in the £5 to £10 bracket.

With the most recent run of four top vintages, there has never been a better time to buy Alsace. All the supermarkets are now stocking a small range of Alsace wines, but obviously this will increase if we buy more. If you plan to shop at an independent wine merchant or off-licence, there is a trade association called The Grandes Maisons d’Alsace which represents six of the top houses – Leon Beyer, Dopff au Moulin, Hugel, Kuentz-Bas, Domaines Schlumberger and Timbach. Look out for these names in shops as well as on restaurant wine lists.

Next page: great grapes and good buys

Pinot Blanc
Light, dry and fruity, best as an aperitif or with lightly spiced dishes.

Best buys
• Safeway Pinot Blanc 1999 (£4.99)
• Turckheim Pinot Blanc 1998 (£4.99); both available at Bottoms Up, Wine Rack, Threshers and Victoria Wine

Pinot Gris
Pinot Gris is also known as Tokay d’Alsace and is probably the least floral of all the varieties. It has a dry, complex flavour with just a hint of spice on the end that gives it its distinctive Alsacian quality. This is a great food wine and goes particularly well with fish and shellfish.

Best buys
• Turckheim Tokay Pinot Gris 1998 (£5.99) at Thresher, Bottoms Up, Wine Rack and Victoria Wine
• Tokay Pinot Gris d’Alsace 1999 Gave de Beblenheim (£5.79) at Waitrose

Riesling
Dry, with a rich citrusy tang, this wine is often described as oily due to its texture. It tastes great with fish, chicken, and garlic or chilli dishes.

Best buys
• Tesco Finest Alsace Riesling 1998 (£5.49)
• Riesling Clos Hausarer 1999 (£14.49) from Wine Rack and Bottoms Up

Gewürztraminer
This is the floweriest grape of all with really aromatic, tropical fruit-like aromas and flavours and lots of rose petal-like overtones that always remind me of Turkish Delight. The wines can be anything from dry through to sweet – the latter will have the words ‘late harvest’ or ‘vendange tardive’ on the label and are much more expensive. Even though they are technically dry, they often appear medium-dry because of their extreme fruitiness. This grape is ideal with all Thai dishes. But make no mistake about it – people either love or hate this variety, so if you are serving it at a dinner party it is perhaps an idea to have a substitute hiding.

Best buys
• Sainsbury’s Alsace Gewurztraminer 1999 (£5.99)
• Gewürztraminer Turckheim 1998 Zind Humbrecht (£7.99) from Waitrose
• And, for a very special dinner party, try the luscious Gewürztraminer 1995 Rolly Gassmann (£12.99) from Safeway

Have a question about wine? ask Alice