Wines made from Auxerrois grapes of Alsace
Discover the best wines made with Auxerrois as a single variety or as a blend of Alsace.
Auxerrois is a white grape variety native to Lorraine, which is also found in Alsace and in the Loire Valley, where it took off in 1950. Its name comes from the nurseries in Auxerre where it found refuge during the Second World War. Often called Pinot Auxerrois, it is part of the Moselle, Alsace and Côtes-de-Toul AOC grape varieties. Auxerrois should not be confused with côt or malbec, which are red grape varieties from the Cahors region and which may bear the same name. The bunches of Auxerrois are of medium size with small berries. It is a semi-late grape variety whose buds only come out when temperatures are well above 10°C. Auxerrois wines are characterized by finesse and acidity and subtle aromas of exotic fruits, fruits and white flowers. In France, it represents 1,600 hectares of production and some small parcels of Auxerrois are also present in Luxembourg, Germany, Canada and South Africa (2,300 hectares in total).
Alsace, located in the extreme north-east of France, is Distinguished from other French wine regions by its strong Franco-Germanic influences. These influences are the result of a back-and-forth between the German and French sovereignties over the last few centuries. They can be seen not only in the architecture and culture of Alsace, but also in the wines. Alsace wines are produced under three main appellations: Alsace and Alsace Grand Cru for still white wines (Sweet and Dry), and Crémant d'Alsace for Sparkling wines.
Do growers make wine – or do markets? Growers, of course. Yet markets define the scope of the grower’s creative efforts by what they reward or sanction. When markets are neglectful and unresponsive, there’s little the grower can do but conform. It’s a problem the world over. Here’s an example. The river Moselle/Mosel rises to the wet west of the Vosges mountains, then curves in a long green arc heading north through Epinal, Metz and (along the left bank) Luxembourg’s Grand Duchy, turning east at ...
Producers including Rathfinny, Ridgeview and Bolney embarked upon their quest to turn Sussex into an appellation back in 2015. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has now finally recognised Sussex wine as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). It will enter the register on 5 July, 2022, giving Sussex wine the same legal status as Jersey Royal potatoes, Cornish clotted cream and Stilton cheese. Mark Driver, the former hedge fund manager who set up Rathfinny Wine Estat ...
The voice drops a little; the tone grows more reverential. Everyone knows; everyone understands. There will be wry allusions to a quest, perhaps even the grail. Sacrifice is expected en route; failure (always forgiven: a badge of honour) beckons on every side. Kitted up, your hopes armour-plated? I might be talking about planting vines on a cleared slope, or simply about taking the corkscrew to a ridiculously expensive bottle of wine, but you all know by now what’s meant. Pinot Noir. ‘Pinotism’ ...