Pinot Gris from Alsace -- NOW I Get it!

[M.Kaplan]

Whether one agrees with Keith or not, Pinot Gris is the third best grape variety in Alsace. Maybe fourth…

[Todd_Hamina]

Welcome to the club, and as inferred from other posts, your world has just gotten better. Don’t even worry about varietals, which will put you right to Marcel Deiss…

[NED_VALOIS]

I just STOLE 3 Maggies of 2006 Weinbach Gewurtz Altenbourg @ $72 !

[Hayley_B]

@Cris Whetstone

@Keith Levenberg

@Tran Bronstein

He smiled again and informed me that Alsace is home to THE finest white wines in the world and they are just not the same.

eh, maybe the finest pinot gris… maybe. But I find Alsace in general to be vastly overrated. I like it for gewurtztraminer. For riesling there are at least 3 countries, maybe 4 I’d rather be drinking from.

+1

Though I can only think of two countries I would rather drink Riesling from. I’ve had occasionally superior Riesling from Alsace but after that I would just as soon drink something else.

Hi Chris,

Genuinely curious – which two regions do you prefer over Alsace for Riesling?

[Cris_Whetstone]

@Hayley B.

Hi Chris,

Genuinely curious – which two regions do you prefer over Alsace for Riesling?

[/quote]
Germany and Austria. Sweet and dry respectively.

[Hayley_B]

@Cris Whetstone

@Hayley B.

Hi Chris,

Genuinely curious – which two regions do you prefer over Alsace for Riesling?

Germany and Austria. Sweet and dry respectively.[/quote]
Thanks, Cris. What are your personal favorites from those countries? I’m still exploring those areas (and Alsace) and am always open to suggestions.

[Rico_Thompson]

Tran, the enthusiasm and passion in your post should remind us all why we’re here. Gotta love those life altering, epiphany moments when a dazzling, bright light turns on where only previously there were shadows. And when it comes to Alsace, for all the short comings, second tier producers and ho-hum bottlings the stand outs (plenty already mentioned) make it more than worth chasing rainbows. For what it’s worth, my personal favorite Alsatian varietal happens to be the ever-spicy and intriguing Gewurztraminer.

I wouldn’t be so quick to completely dismiss the PGs of Italy. Take a close look at some of the top producers from Alto Adige, Friuli Venezia Giulia, etc. While the style is clearly their own and markedly different than Alsace, there are a number of wines very much worth pursuing.

[Tran_Bronstein]

Thanks Rico. It’s always fun to be able to pinpoint the wines and moments that fully suck you in to your doom.

Cris, I will be attending the Austria Uncorked event in Toronto this coming Monday April 16th and will be able to report back on some Austrian Rieslings for you, both dry and sweet.

[Marc_Frontario]

Tran, Now go get yourself a weinbach cuvee theo for some more of that great alsace terroir. I to had a similar experience as u when i first tasted this wine.

[JasonS]

Here’s another Pinot Gris from Alsace I tasted recently:

2009 Joseph Cattin Hatschbourg Pinot Gris

I really enjoyed it!