Summer is here and, as usual, my love of red wine hibernates for the hot months. That does not mean that the flow of great red wine stops, but I just feel that the high temperatures are not conducive to showing reds at their best.

Inevitably I find myself drinking a lot of whites and, in particular, whites from Alsace. The best of them are very refreshing, aromatic, complex, high in acidity and very drinkable.

Alsace is situated in northeastern France, on the border with Germany and Switzerland. It has two departments. The northern part is the Bas-Rhin, with Strasbourg as its capital, and the Haut-Rhin in the south, with Colmar as its most important city.

Some 25 million years ago, huge geological activities, which included the folding of the earth’s crust, formed the Vosges mountains to the west and the Black Forest to the east, which eventually created a massive valley rift and ultimately, due to floods, erosion etc, the Rhine river.

These geological upheavals exposed nearly all the soil types that were formed in different periods, with the result that today the area is endowed with an enormous diversity of soil types. Granite, flint, chalk, sand, loam and alluvium are all found here.

But, possibly, the biggest influence was the forming of the Vosges mountains, which give the region a unique favourable climate.

Although Alsace is on the same latitude as Paris (47-49N), far away from the sea with a continental climate, the region is the driest region in France, with Colmar being the second driest city after Perpignan in Roussillon (average rainfall 500mm).

This is the result of the mountains sheltering the region from the cold western winds coming in from the Atlantic, which after crossing the plains of western France gather a lot of humidity. The Vosges range is the first high ground these clouds encounter, which results in the precipitation of rain on the western slopes, leaving the eastern slopes and the region dry, especially in autumn.

Most of the vineyards lie in a narrow strip 140km long on the slopes and at the foot of these mountains. The best are sited on the lower slopes facing east or southeast, benefiting from the morning sun, and are quite steep.

Generally, these are to be found in the department of the Haut Rhin where the mountains are higher. The plains leading to the Rhine are also planted, but these are generally used for lesser wines and Crémant (sparkling wine).

All these conditions give the Alsacian wine growers an excellent opportunity to combine soil types with the appropriate vine varieties.

Recently, a comprehensive study of soil types was made, with the result that in the local council offices of most wine villages there are maps of their respective region with soil analysis and what variety, clones and rootstocks should be planted where.

Grape varieties

The pairing of different soil types and varieties is very much in evidence in Alsace and it is well adhered to. Only Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Muscat and Pinot Gris can be used for Grand Cru, late-harvest or botrytis wines.

Riesling is considered as the king of the wines of Alsace. This late-ripening variety thrives on sandy/clay soils and is particularly suited to cool climate areas, as it continues to ripen even in relatively cool weather. In Alsace it manages to produce wines with a very lively and balancing acidity with an elegant and fine bouquet.

Citrus, flinty and petrolly flavours have often been associated. Because of these attributes, it is also fantastic for late-harvest or botrytis wines. (Riesling is also the main variety in Germany, where it produces sweeter, less alcoholic wines.)

Most of the vineyards lie in a narrow strip 140km long on the slopes and at the foot of the Vosges mountains

Gewurztraminer is the pink-skinned grape that makes very perfumed and aromatic, spicy whites which are very often the wine most people come across when being introduced to Alsace. You either love it or hate it. Originally from northern Italy (Alto Adige-Trentino), it was brought over in the 15th or 16th century as part of the Traminer family of vines and continued to be developed in the region. A flowery, spicy, musky character developed over time and the result was aptly given the name of Gewurztraminer, meaning spicy Traminer.

It thrives on deep marl with a high calcium content. It is a late ripener and can produce wines with a high alcohol content (14 per cent or more). It does, however, have problems with keeping acidity, which would result in a gooey, flabby wine. The best will have a fine, spiced fruit bouquet with an unmistakeable aroma, which many associate with lychees. In good vintages, it makes fantastic late-harvest or botrytis wines.

Pinot Gris, which up to recently was better known as Tokay d’Alsace, is a mutation of Pinot Noir which was brought over from Burgundy. It is called Pinot Grigio, Malvoisie in Switzerland and Rulander in Germany. It has a dark skin ranging from pink to blue and produces full-bodied wines with a rich colour and a honeyish tone, much less aromatic than Riesling and Gewurz. It flourishes in deep soils of clay or volcanic origin and is also a late ripener. It keeps its acidity quite well and makes wine that can age quite well. In exceptional vintages, it is also good for late-harvest and botrytis wines.

Sylvaner prefers deepish sandy and calcareous soils. It is a high yielder (100 Hl per HA) with gentle, fresh and fruity flavours with relatively low alcohol (11.5 per cent).

It is mostly grown in the Bas Rhin. This is an important grape variety in Germany, where it is known as Silvaner.

Chasselas is the same as Fendant in Switzerland. It is believed to have originated in Egypt and is considered as a table grape. In fact, it is France’s most popular. No new plantings are allowed in Alsace. It practically can grow anywhere as long as the soil is fertile and not too dry. It is early-ripening, high-yielding and produces light wines which are mostly used for Edelswicker blends. Among other areas, it is used in the Loire to produce Pouilly sur Loire.

Muscat. There are two types of Muscat grown in Alsace: Muscat de Frontignan and Muscat Ottonel. The former can be either black or white and prefers sandy or calcar-eous soils. Ottonel is a white type and is the more popular. It prefers soils that are not calcareous.

The two are blended to make a musky, fruity, aromatic wine but with less structure than the three main varieties. They can also be used for Grand Cru, late-harvest or botrytis wines.

Pinot Noir is responsible for the red wine of Alsace, which represents about nine per cent of all production. It is planted on sandy, calcareous soils and is high yielding. It can achieve alcohol of around 12.5 per cent naturally, but the wines are light and fruity with varietal rather than place character.

Auxerrois and Pinot Blanc are also found and widely used in Alsace. Pinot Blanc is an important variety in Cremant d’Alsace.

Late-harvest wines

Vendage tardive are wines that are made from late-harvest grapes, possible only in years of excellent weather conditions when the grapes over-ripen on the vine, which leads to partial concentration of the primary aromas (fruit, acid, etc).

A small percentage of the grapes are likely to be affected by ‘noble rot’ because the resulting musts are so rich the fermentation would stop naturally, leaving high levels of residual sugar.

Sélection de Grains Nobles

Sélection de Grains Nobles is a rare sweet wine made only in exceptional years. Grapes are affected by noble rot, heavily concentrating the primary aromas in the resultant very rich musts which, when fermentation stops, leave a very large degree of residual sugar.

Grand Cru

Grand Cru is a separate appellation for what are undoubtedly some of the best sites in the region. As usual, these are delimited sites with restrictions on variety, yields, vine density, etc. These are some of the more known vineyards: Rangen (Thann), Sporen (Riquewhir), Hengst (Wintenheim), Kitterle and Kessler (Guebwiller).

Crémant d’Alsace

Crémant d’Alsace is France’s most popular (market leader) sparkling wine. It is made from grapes of AC status (Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois and Chardonnay) by the traditional method (second fermentation in bottle).

Another big plus for these wines is that they are very food-friendly. The dry, aromatic whites go well with both Asian and Mediterranean food. The more complex accompany fine and elaborated dishes and the sweet ones, of course, match many fruit-based desserts.

Talking of food and wine matching, David Ling, the general manager of Hugel, one of the region’s best-known producers and a frequent visitor to Malta, will be attending a wine dinner on Thursday at Tmun in Gozo.

The food served draws on many influences highlighting the versatility of these wines. Hope to see you there.

Hugel wines are imported by Farsons Direct.

mike@michaeltbone.com