We’ve gone wobbly at the knees over Alsace.

If you’ve never visited Alsace, put it on your list of places to visit before you die.  The region is, without question, a ‘must see’.  What’s more, we’ll put you in touch with our good friend Christophe Scherer, son of Andre, who will delight in showing you around his impressive (albeit tiny) cellar.

Known to most for their Rieslings, there are in fact several more grape varieties to choose from.  The most notable are Sylvaner, Muscat, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Noir.   Then there’s the Cremant d’Alsace – made in exactly the same way as Champagne, but a fraction of the price (more on Cremant to follow shortly).

Unlike other French regions, local Alsatian wine regulations state that the grape variety must appear on the front label.   You might argue that this could be to do with the Germanic influence in the region (remember Alsace has passed from German to French rule fairly regularly and as such has its own very unique way of going about things).

We visited Christophe Scherer last year who, with his wife, now runs the family business of Andre Scherer Wines.   Welcoming us to his property in nothing more than shorts, T-shirt and wellies, we knew we had a friend and supporter of Hannibal Brown forever!

Jude and Christoph Scherer in his cellar

Christophe prefers to pick his Riesling relatively early, focussing on freshness with good, racy acidity.  His Riesling Reserve Particuliere is a great example of the style that he favours.  His Pinot Gris Reserve is a new addition to our range – full-flavoured and ripe, it makes for a wonderful contrast to the zippy Riesling.

The beauty of Alsace is extraordinary, the wines are delightful and the romance is well and truly alive.

And when you’ve had enough of the Route du Vin d’Alsace, step onto the Route du Fromage – this is Munster land afterall!