Wine Country

Ithink I must be Alsatian -- part of me, at least. I live and breathe, it seems, for my next glass of Gewurztraminer. Or Riesling. Or Tokay Pinot Gris. I do. Really. Ask my friends. They know. And now you know. I'm an Alsace junkie, and I have no shame.

Alsace is a beautiful region, tucked away as it is between the sheltering Vosges Mountains and the Rhine Valley in France's northeast corner. The climate is dry (indeed, among the driest in France) and the days are sunny. Soils are varied and complex; they suit the permitted grape varieties like a custom-fitted jacket. Charming and quaint, its architecture popping up, as it were, from out of a Brothers' Grimm fairy tale, Alsace is home to some extraordinary white wines -- wines of complexity, richness and majesty, wines that offer, dollar for dollar, a more thrilling tasting experience than almost any wines I know. If I may be so bold, you owe it to yourself to try these wines. If you have tried them already, you owe it to yourself to keep drinking them -- which you probably do anyway. Right?

Three grape varieties dominate the landscape in Alsace, tower qualitatively over the vinous landscape like a three-headed dragon. (Can you say Ghidrah?) They are Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Tokay Pinot Gris. If you ask an Alsatian what the greatest wine from Alsace is, he will tell you it is Tokay; he might even tell you that the vintners in Alsace call the grape "the Sultan", such is the sheer majesty, size, and power that this grape can attain. And do you know what? He's not kidding. Tokay Pinot Gris, Tokay, or Pinot Gris (Any of these names is acceptable.) can indeed produce a wine of prodigious proportions. King Kong in vinous form. Godzilla as a bottle of wine. We're talking huge, here. Heady, powerful wines with aromas of butter and cream, smoke and hazelnuts. And lots of alcohol. Late picked Tokay can easily top fourteen percent alcohol. Indeed, bottlings from Zind-Humbrecht, Domaine Schoffit, and the Domaine Weinbach routinely surpass the fourteen percent mark. Fabulous wines, and worth a special search of the marketplace to track down. Expect to shell out some cash though -- good Tokay is always pricey. Try it though. You might just forget about Chardonnay.

If Tokay is the biggest, baddest wine of Alsace, the "bull goose looney", the "big cheese", the King, then Riesling is his Queen. Unlike its German counterparts, Alsatian Riesling is dry. In fact, it's bone dry. Possessed of all of the typical Riesling perfume and aromas, Alsatian Riesling is floral and fruity, with intense minerally aromas, pronounced citrusy scents, and a typical melange of fragrances that call to mind pineapples, cream, apples, and even petrol scents (This you have to smell for yourself.). Add to this conglomeration a racy, zippy acidity that slices across the palate like a fruit-laden rapier, and you have all of the makings of one of the world's greatest white wines. Did I mention that Alsatian Riesling is DRY? Don't believe me? Try it for yourself. Just once. You'll be glad you did.

In keeping with our royal family theme for the grapes of Alsace, we come to the Gewurztraminer. If Tokay is the King, and Riesling is Queen, then Gewurztraminer is the Queen's secret paramour, a power mad Duke or Count perhaps, a bastard son of obvious royal birth. Gewurztraminer, you see, is big and bold. Indeed, once tasted it is never forgotten. Ever. It is, I think, the most typically Alsatian wine. You want flavor, aroma, power, and individuality? You want Gewurztraminer then. Trust me on this one. Great Gewurztraminer -- the name is German and translates to "spicy traminer" -- is first and foremost, a spicy wine; it tickles the palate. It tingles. It burns. It caresses the palate like a vinous massage. Spice and flowers, peaches and cherries, jasmine and roses, lychee nuts and bananas -- these are the typical aromas of Gewurztraminer. It sounds sweet, of course, but it finishes dry. What can I say? It's typically Alsatian.

Tasted recently:
1993 Domanine Weinbach Riesling Cuvee Ste. Catherine A stunning bottle of Riesling from one of Alsace's greatest producers. Intensely floral on the nose, with complex aromas of apples, apricots, minerals, and creamy lemon-lime, this beauty ranks as my favorite bottle tasted of Cuvee Ste. Catherine -- and I have been drinking these wines for a long, long time. Rich and velvety, this wine caresses the palate softly, lingers on the lips like a lover's kiss. Enchanting and delightful, this is wine only a curmudgeonly Neanderthal would not like.

My rating: 94 -- about $27

1993 Domaine Weinbach Gewurztraminer Cuvee Theo Another smashing success from the Domaine Weinbach. Gewurztraminer character etched in stone: Outrageous floral character. A basket of roses comes to mind. Profound aromas and flavors of bananas, mangoes, lychee nuts, and peach. Beautiful and exotic, this is profound Gewurztraminer. Ever wanted to taste great Gewurztraminer? Here's your chance.
My rating: 95 -- about $22

1992 Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Wintzenheim If Domaine Weinbach can be said to produce voluptuous, feminine wines of unabashed carnality and sex appeal, then it must be said that Zind-Humbrecht produces wines of startling power and intensity -- masculine wines of uncompromising brute force. Consider this bottling, for example. Initially closed up, the wine finally evolves (with an hour's worth of aeration) into a saucy behemoth of very considerable power, spicy intensity, and bone-rattling acidity. A serious wine to age and reflect upon, this is truly heady stuff. Try it with Asian food, especially curry and ginger dishes.
My rating: 92 -- about $20