The Wines of Alsace

Its Spring.  The weather is getting warmer, and Summer is just around the corner.  I'm not sure if everyone categorizes wines as either a Summer wine or a Winter Wine.  In my case, any time you open a bottle of wine is a good time to drink it.  That being said, if you are one who thinks of wines in terms of the weather, let me introduce you to something other than Pinot Grigios or Sauvignon Blancs.

The Alsace region in France is known mostly for white wine, and tends to use the varietal name on the label.  Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Blanc are a few examples.  These wines, however, can be rather costly.  But, when these wines are blended, they offer a good starting point for enjoying Alsace wines.

Edelzwicker is a blanket term used for these wines, and they have no restrictions as to the blend or how it is vinified.  The term Gentil, is also a blend, but must stick to an established charter of how these wines are blended and vinified.  Only the "noble" varietals can be used, and they all need to be vinified separately before blending.

 Some Alsace producers use a proprietary name for their blend, or simply label it is as an Alsace Blanc.  Keutz Bas is an example of this.

The blend for this wine is made up of Sylvaner, Auxerrois and Muscat.  These aren't exactly house hold names, but they do make a nice wine that is light, floral and dry.

The Meyer-Fonne Edelzwicker is composed mostly of Pinot Blanc, and the rest are a combination of the lesser known varietals.  It is also floral, dry and complex.

Hugel's Gentil follows the standards of the charter, and uses Gewurztraminer as its base.

It is freshly aromatic with floral and fruit driven notes.  It has a bit more body than the others mentioned here, but finished equally dry.

All these wines are perfect for the warmer weather, but should not be relegated to the shelf until the Spring time.  They are delicious all year.  As far as a food pairing, please check out my recipe for Alsace Farmhouse Chicken.

Alsace Farmhouse Chicken with Spaetzle

6 lbs. Chicken (whole cut up, legs and thighs, etc.  I don't recommend chicken breasts)
Salt and Pepper
4 T. Olive Oil
12 T. Butter
1 bulb garlic, minced
2 medium onions, minced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 C. White Wine Vinegar (Martin Pouret)
2 C. White Wine, I used Riesling
2 T. Honey
1 8 oz. jar peach jam
1 T. Dijon mustard
2 T. tomato paste
2 C. Chicken Stock
Parsley

Spaetzle

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange chicken pieces in a large baking pan.  Season with salt and pepper and bake for about 20 mins.  This is to get the outside brown and crispy.  Remove from oven and set aside.  Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Melt Olive Oil and 4 T. Butter in a large stock pot.  Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic, salt and pepper and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the tomato paste and cook 2 mins.  Next add the vinegar, wine, honey, mustard and peach jam.  Let this reduce by half.  Taste to make sure all is in balance.  If too vinegary, add more honey.  If too sweet, add more vinegar.

Next, pour the vinegar and wine mixture into the roasting pan with the chicken.  Place in oven and roast for about 45 minutes, or until the juices run clear from the chicken.  Remove from oven and set aside.

Cook spaetzle according to package instructions.

To serve, arrange the spaetzle on the bottom of the plate.  Place chicken piece or pieces on top of spaetzle.  Ladle the sauce over top, making sure that the spaetzle get plenty.  Sprinkle parley on top.

Wine Pairings:

Hugel Gentil
Hugel Pinot Gris
J. Lohr Bay Mist Riesling