Day 22 – Alsace Wine Road – Thann to Sigolsheim

Monday morning in Thann and it was absolutely tipping it down. I had checked the weather last night and it forecast rain for this afternoon, not the morning.



And to make matters worse, I discovered there is a small hotel in the soft-top, just enough to let in a little bit of water!


I was actually quite surprised because everything I had read about Alsace had told me that by nestling in the foothills of the Vosges, it was protected from the rains that make its next door neighbour, Lorraine (aptly), the most rainy department of France.


But, I was here to taste wines and that’s what I was going to do...... I hoped to stop at the Cave Vinicole du Vieil-Armand in Soultz-Haut-Rhin (Soultz for short), so I started off by following the Wine route signs...... until I saw a sign for Vieil-Armand – it wasn’t quite the direction I thought I should be going, but a sign is a sign.......


Turns out the cellars are named after a mountain, which I decided to wind my way up in a leaking sports car in torrential rain! And then as my mistake slowly dawned on me...... had to wind my way down....... would have made a great little route for one of the Top Gear challenges, but for me, it ate an hour into my day.

Having looped back to where I made the fateful turn, I continued straight ahead only to be met with a reassuring sign for the Wine route. At this juncture, I would like to wholeheartedly congratulate the Alsatians on their sign-posts – perfectly placed and easy to follow (unless you just decide to climb a random mountain!) Other regions have had sign-posted wine routes, but none as efficient and clear as here (might I suggest it could be the Germanic influence??)

So, I made it to Soultz and the Cave Vinicole du Vieil-Armand. Downstairs was a little wine museum – quite interesting, and worth having a look if this is your first wine museum, but as it was probably about my 7th..... I did a quick circuit and came upstairs for a tasting. Alsace wine Appellations are not classified by villages or areas, so you just want to taste the different grapes, though all AOCs are ‘mono-cépage’, i.e. 100% of a particular grape.

The girl who offered the tasting could not have been more helpful...... She walked me through the 7 wines and chatted about them, the area, soils, etc and generally seemed to take pleasure and pride in showing off her region’s wines..... a theme repeated throughout the day. The Alsatians are a very welcoming, friendly and down-to-earth people, and it has been a delight to talk with them today.


Anyway, back to the wines:


1. Crémant d’Alsace (an AOC in its own right, just for sparkling Alsace wines) – Brut – This sparkling wine, made in the Traditional method, (i.e. the same as Champagne) was 100% Pinot Blanc. On the nose, again the raisin smell, with a little white peach. The foam, like the name was a creamy mousse, not to weak, and certainly not the aggressive pin-pricky fizz you sometimes get with sparkling wines. The taste was quite tart... green apples with a hint of apricot. Very refreshing and ideal as an apéritif.


2. AOC Alsace 2009 – Riesling Médaillé – On the nose: raisin and white peach; on the palate, raisin, sweet apples with a hint of apricot.


3. AOC Alsace 2009 – Pinot Gris Médaillé – Again, raisin on the nose with a slightly apple smell. On the palate, quite different...... bags of fruit – apricots, honey..... delicious.


4. AOC Alsace 2009 – Gewürztraminer Médaillé – The nose on this, while keeping the raisin had more blossom notes, a little apple and peach, though quite subtle. In the mouth a beautiful, almost tropical fruit medley – yes, the apricot and honey, but layered with pineapple and lychee..... and then a little kick of spice at the end – more nutmeg than cinnamon.


5. AOC Alsace Grand Cru Ollwiller – Gewürztraminer 2007 – This Grand Cru was literally 5 minutes drive away and produced a drier wine than that above due to the calcium-rich soil. On the nose, it was passionfruit, peach and honey, while the palate embraced succulent fruit flavours of passionfruit, lychee, apricots and spice. This is where the tongue test comes into its own...... With all the unctuous fruit flavours, it was hard not to fall into the ‘sweet’ trap, but touching the wine on the end of the tongue produced virtually no sweetness – it was drier than the previous wine.


6. AOC Alsace Grand Cru Spiegel - Gewürztraminer 2008 – This Grand Cru is in Guebwiller (further north). The more gravelly soil produced a wine with a finer nose of raisin, spice and lychee. The taste, again fruity, was sweeter – more honey and apricots. The nose on many of these Alsace wines can be slightly deceptive. Previous regions, the nose almost tells you exactly what you will get in the mouth..... Not so here – they can be very different!


7. AOC Alsace 2008 - Sylvaner Médaillé – This is a grape quite particular to Alsace, but not very well known, so I asked if I could taste it..... A little out of turn, but anyway..... The nose was again raisin, white grapefruit, with a floral hint. In the mouth subtle raisin and mildly citrus flavours...... I say subtle, and maybe having tasted the sweeter wines before this dry wine influenced me, but I might go so far as to say bland!

Soultz

So, back into the car and I made my way through village after pretty village..... It got to the point that I was really tempted to try biting one of the houses..... just in case it was made out of gingerbread! Very Hansel and Gretel...... but the lush countryside and abundance of wild flowers and those cultivated in window boxes made me feel like I was in a fairytale. The pictures don’t really do them justice..... yes, due to my amateur photographic skills, but also I think due to the very dull weather. It did dry up, but remained very warm and humid.

Guebwiller

Soultzmatt

Rouffach

Notre-Dame de l’Assomption at Rouffach

The Witches Tower in Rouffach – used to imprison women accused of withcraft!

Gueberschwihr

And in between, spectacular views....

Husseren-les-Châteaux – highest point of the Wine Route

Wettolsheim – birthplace of Alsatian wine

Turckheim – It has been bugging me all day why Turckheim means something to me...... I still have no idea...... If anyone knows of a reason why it may be famous, please let me know! It is, nevertheless, very pretty indeed.

View back to Turckheim

 I did a little bit of wandering around these villages; none of them are very big and most of them have some form of hike or walk going up into the Vosges from them..... You really could spend a week just exploring the area around the route I took today, and with the people so friendly and the setting so beautiful, I’m sure it would be a wonderful experience.


My next stop was Kaysersberg;

Aside from being another very lovely town, I really wanted to take some time here as it was the birthplace of Albert Schweitzer, the doctor, humanitarian who also won the Nobel Prize. Within the house where he was born is a very moving museum dedicated to his work and the small €2 admission fee also goes to continue his work. Beside the house is a statue in his memory.

The next village, almost undivided from Kaysersberg, is Kientzheim, where I stopped off at the Cave Vinicole de Kientzheim-Kaysersberg. There I was offered 3 wines to taste:


1. AOC Alsace – Muscat réserve 2008 – The nose on this wine was really vibrant raisin, white peach and sweet apples. The taste was so appley, with just a hint of spice and peach.


2. AOC Alsace – Riesling réserve 2008 – The nose was raisin with subtle blossom notes. On the palate, fruity raisin and nectarine.


3. AOC Gewürztraminer 2007 – “Vendanges Tardive” – These are wines made from grapes picked later (VT means ‘late harvest’). They are naturally higher in sugar content and therefore alcohol. The intensity of the aromas of this wine on the nose was amazing – apricots and a slight paraffin note (not unpleasant). Amazing flavour intensity on the palate as well..... Honey, apricots, lychees, a little spice. Just delicious, mouthwatering, moreish.


The next village on the route was Sigolsheim, where I turned off to Katzenthal, my home for the night..... and another Hansel and Gretel village!