It was a huge pleasure to be back in Alsace again! This small, but extremely high quality wine producing region is one of my favourites – for a combination of wine, culture and cuisine.
From Basel airport we drove straight to Kientzheim for a tasting at Domaine Paul Blanck. I was last here in 2009 and the tasting we received then is still talked about. Phillippe Blanck hosted us once more for a truly inspiring and engaging tasting. Philippe took us through 15 wines, a range of styles and qualities and sucked us into his passion and charm. It was a truly amazing tasting that set an immeasurably high bar for the rest of the tour.
From Kientzheim it was a short hop to our hotel in the beautiful town of Colmar. A quick turn round and out for dinner in the centre of town. We explored Cremant d’Alsace, Sylvaner, Muscat and Pinot Noir through a deliciously casual dinner at Coté Cour.
Our destination on Friday morning was the impossibly picturesque village of Riquewihr. Home to a number of well known wine estates, our first stop was the tasting room at Hugel. One of Alsace’s best known producers, we tasted an excellent cross section of wines culminating in the legendary 1999 Riesling Selection de Grains Nobles – a snip at €150 per bottle. From Hugel, we took a short walk down the hill to Brasserie du Vignoble for a brewery visit and tasting – a first on Tim Syrad Wine Tours! Seraphin hosted a fascinating tour with insights into the subtle aspects of brewing an artisanal beer. Consumption of beer duly followed as we contrasted the blonde, ambré and Weiss styles.
Back up the hill for a tasting lunch at d’Brendel restaurant which was very relaxed and then back on the coach for a short hop to Bergheim and a visit to the organic and biodynamic estate of Sylvie Spielmann. Sylvie is a wonderful character with a very relaxed but focussed approach to what she does. We tasted through a superb selection culminating in a real privilege – A Tokay Pinot Gris 1988 – her very first vintage!
On Saturday we headed north from Colmar to the picturesque small town of Andlau – crossing the border into the Bas-Rhin in the process. Andlau is a very important wine town and a number of well-known producers are located here.
Domaine Gresser was our first stop and it was a pleasure to meet Remy Gresser again after a gap of 19 years. Since I first met him in 1997 Remy has been a pivotal figure in the local wine scene and is passionate and highly knowledgeable about the local history, dialects and the importance of teaching the world about Alsace wines. We tasted through a superb selection – particularly of Riesling Grand Crus – and we were totally engaged by Remy.
From Andlau, it was a short hop to the village of Mittelbergheim where we took lunch at Restaurant Am Lindenplatz with its has a smart modern interior and superb menu, culminating in an assiette gourmande that I was moved to photograph – not something I ever do! All washed down with some delicious local Klevener de Hieligenstein.
It was then time for a walk, so we headed back to Andlau and took a very pleasurable amble around the town before finishing up in Domaine Andre Durrmann. Organic and biodynamic, I last visited here in 2009, and it was once again a pleasure to be reacquainted with the characteristically crisp styles of the domaine.
Back to Colmar for a short rest and then it was off to the historic Maison des Tetes brasserie for dinner. A very pleasant final dinner ensued and we at last found a Pinot Noir that we enjoyed, a superb example from Domaine Weinbach.
The weather wasn’t brilliant, and visiting France on Armistice Day is challenging, but I think we all agreed that the quality of wine and gastronomy was superb, the welcomes we received were genuinely warm, and that Alsace is a place to be returned to again and again.