The wines of Alsace are confusing when you first come across them. They come in tall, green bottles, like German wines from the Mosel. The two main grapes, Riesling and Gewürztraminer, have a very Germanic ring to them. The names of many producers sound German. Yet most Alsace wines are dry, and they're French.
The answer is simple: the French and Germans have fought over Alsace for centuries. Sometimes it has been under German rule, sometimes, as now, French. So both German and French ways of life have been incorporated into a local culture that is neither one nor the other, but distinctively Alsatian. The local language is different, the food is different, and the wines are different.
Alsace's wine region lies between the Vosges mountains to the west and the river Rhine (and the German border) immediately to the east. The mountains protect the vineyards from wet westerly winds, and the weather is warm and sunny for much of the year. As well as Riesling and Gewürztraminer ('gewürz' means 'spicy'), a lot of Pinot Blanc and Sylvaner is planted, together with smaller quantities of Pinot Gris (known as 'Tokay' locally, or officially, Tokay-Pinot Gris), Muscat and Pinot Noir. The standard Pinot Noir is more rosé than red, but some producers are trying to make more convincingly red Pinot Noir.
Most Alsace wine is dry, although 'vendange tardive' means the grapes were picked late, and the wine is almost certainly sweet, or sweetish. 'Sélection de Grains Nobles' (selection of noble grapes) means the wine was made mostly from botrytis-affected grapes, and will be very sweet indeed.
A certain number of the top vineyards are entitled to the appellation 'Grand Cru'. Grand Cru wines must be made only from the four great grapes of Alsace (Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Tokay-Pinot Gris or Muscat), and maximum yields must be lower than for ordinary Alsace wines.
Alsace sparkling wine is known as 'Crémant d'Alsace', and is mostly made from Pinot Blanc.
