MEETINGS 

      OUTINGS IN THE ALSACE WINES ROAD    

When visiting a region or territory,it is also great and interesting to discover its gastronomy and terroir with actors such as wine producers often located near radiant cities of character who harmoniously accompany their know-how and who take pleasure in letting you taste their local products in parallel with the discovery of their ancestral traditions as I observed on the Alsace wine route in the departments of Bas and Haut Rhin in the GRAND EST region.

Located in the Grand Est region and spanning the two departments of Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin, the Alsace Wine Road runs primarily from Marlenheim , west of Strasbourg , down to Thann, further south near Mulhouse and close to the Territoire de Belfort.It is renowned and appreciated for the beauty of its natural spaces,enhanced by natural and great

landscapes and shimmering little towns full of character , is also renowned for its wines and its radiant winemaking

renowned for its wines and its radiant winemaking heritage, which is a pleasure to discover on well-organized tours

marked and distributed across the two departments concerned, which allow, in addition to the tasting and purchase of

delicious Alsatians wines to share and exchange information in vineyards with local producers, supplemented by further

details on the specific characteristics of the wines in relation to the historical data of the territories concerned , often

embellished of ancestral traditions.Head towards Ergersheim, a charming wine-growing village located about twenty

kilometers from Strasbourg to discover a family estate that has been cultivating the seven grape varieties of Alsace for several generations,including those of the Alsace AOC or the Crémant d'Alsace AOC,as well as Muscat,Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc and also Riesling and Sylvaner, alongside environmentally friendly technical production and of the biodiversity

present in the vineyards which is pleasant to be around, whether individually or in groups in addition to the charms of

the adjoining, typically Alsatian farmhouse and its vaulted cellar dating from the period a tithe before tastings of great

wines, preceded by a visit to the designated areas for the productions which are in particular the pressing area, the vat

room and the bottling , labeling and storages and then , after a comfortable night in a charming hotel in Molsheim exploring the vineyard roads of central Alsace, mornings filled with enchanting landscapes, each more captivating than the last, complemented by imposing ruins of fortified castles, including the famous Haut Koenigsbourg, which take me further south to the land of the city of Colmar, capital of Alsatian wines, while making unforgettable stops in radiant and welcoming villages with typical architecture incorporating half-timbered houses located in cobbled streets adorned with brightly colored flowers that one never tires of discovering, which can be found in particular in Eguisheim, Kaysersberg or Riquewihr, nicknamed the little pearl of Alsace because of the quality of its typically Alsatian heritage.

Jewels of Alsacian Gastronomic Heritage

My journey through these radiant and welcoming lands also leads me to meet various farmers,such as on the Thomas K

domain, located in the Villé Valley, sits on vineyards at an altitude of 300 meters, benefiting from grey schist soils prized for their properties. These soils produce quality wines that also incorporate ecological principles, as the estate has been certified " The High Environmental Value " since 2020 ,demonstrating its commitment to sustainable and nature-friendly viticulture . Delicious wines such as the Crémant d'Alsace AOC , Gewurztraminer , Muscat , Pinot Noir , White and Grey complemented by Riesling and Sylvaner, as well as the famous "Schrann" and "Steinacker" cuvées, which are made from Pinot Noir and represent prestigious wines. from the schistous terroir of Albé, territory of the Villé Valley and the great

diversity of the Alsatian vineyards and their location, whether in the north,center,or south of the Alsace wines road also allows one to meet producers like the Weibel family , some winemakers from father to son their traditional winemaking

Their traditional winemaking methods in oak barrels and the parallel tasting of the 7 Alsatian grape varieties, including the famous Schenkenberg wines , and all these delicious wines that one enjoys drinking whether with dinner or as an aperitif , have enjoyed a great reputation in France and abroad for many years corresponding certifications which are

corresponding certifications established by the producers and the professionals concerned in order to give its letters of

letters of nobility to all these jewels of the Alsacian gastronomic and wine heritage . After these warm and for convivial

outings , I find myself in Thann , nestled at the foot of the Vosges mountains and overlooked by Engelbourg Castle in Thann a charming town, offering a delightful blend of heritage, culture, and traditions also from the southern outing

of the Alsace wines road , to then admire on the surrounding hills the sumptuous slopes adorned with vines that are reminiscent of an Impressionist painting and the Alsacian territory adorned with its vineyard and rich in its diversity

adorned with its vineyard and rich in its diversity, incorporating radiant spaces where constantly spaces where history

culture, lifestyle and conviviality are constantly combined also have this particularity of maintaining traditions that are

maintaining traditions that are often ancestral , which we never tire of discovering and which are a living and active expression of its cultural, historical and gastronomic richness.

Report by: Gabriel PAGE

Photos Credit: Gabriel PAGE / Getty Images