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The vineyards of Alsace (15,000 hectares) stretch for 170 km, from Strasbourg in the North to Mulhouse in the South, along a narrow band barely more than a few kilometres in width.

Nestled in the shelter of the massif formed by the Vosges, which provides an obstacle to the bands of rain sweeping in from the Atlantic Ocean, the Alsace region has surprising low rainfall and the hours of sunshine are unusually high for this latitude. With East/South-East exposure, the grapes in the area find the conditions ideal for achieving the ideal maturity.

Of note is the wide diversity of soil types that make up the region: granite, limestone, sandstone, marl, calcareous clay and son on. These varying soils enable the same grape type to find differing expressions in the wines it creates, as can be seen from the various great vintages produced.

The majority of the wines are produced from a single grape type, although some innovative winemakers have opted for blended wines in recent years that better reflect the identity of the ‘terroir’ – that wonderfully indefinable French term that means ‘soil’ or ‘land’ or even ‘micro-climate’ – and all of the individual local factors that go to create the wines.

Alsace wines are often wonderfully fresh, with a highly aromatic side to them, as well as residual sweetness sometimes. Whites make up 90% of production, with reds and rosés (based on pinot noir) 10%. The 52 ‘Grands Crus’ produce 4% of the region’s total volume of around 1,150,000 hl.