Guide to the Alsace Wineries

Alsace is a quite unique from the rest of France.

The region has been heavily influenced by its close neighbour, Germany, in everything from architecture to food.

The region has in fact been a battleground since Roman times and has been occupied twice by Germany in the past century; you can still find the ruins of France's only Nazi concentration camp, Le Struthof-Natzweiler, near the town of Rosenwiller.

Alsace is in eastern France; Strasbourg, the capital, is approximately 4.5 hours drive from Paris (you could take the train - the journey will only be around 2.5 hours).

The most famous Alsace wine routes are near the town of Colmar, south of Strasbourg.

The best way to explore this region is by car; you'll also need a good, detailed map.

Alsace is a cheerful and friendly place (not to mention the Alsace wineries!)

Alsace Route du Vin, French Wine Vineyards

The vineyards of Alsace are some of the oldest in France. The wine region of Alsace is one of the smallest and is less well known than Burgundy or Bordeaux so is often missed by tourists who head south instead.

The Route du Vin is a wine trail that takes you through pretty countryside, historic walled villages and gothic churches. There are hundreds of producers here, mostly small and family run, who welcome visitors.

Alsace is known mainly for white wines. Alsace wines are known by the type of grape that is used: primarily Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Muscat, or Pinot Gris.

Some of the most popular towns include Riquewihr, Ribeauvillé and Kaysersberg - picture-perfect, with brightly painted, timbered homes dating from the 16th and 17th centuries and flowers everywhere. Expect lots of tourists though, and these towns can verge on being a little too 'twee'.

If you'd like to sample wines in charming, quieter villages that have a more 'genuine' feel and with less crowds, you could try Gueberschwihr, Hunawihr and Mittelbergheim.

Here are some Alsace wineries you could visit for tastings:

Geuberschwihr

Jean-Bernard Humbrecht
10 place de la Mairie
Phone: 03.89.49.31.42

Ernest Burn
8 rue Basse
03.89.49.20.68

Hunawihr

Sipp-Mack
1 rue des Vosges
Phone: 03.89.73.61.88

Francois Schwach
28 Route de Ribeauvillé
Phone: 03.89.73.62.15

Mittelbergheim

André Kleinknecht
12 rue Deharbe
Phone: 03.88.08.95.83

Domaine André Rieffel
11 rue Principale
Phone: 03.88.08.95.48

(We'd advise calling before you go before making a special trip to visit these wineries.)

Alsace Map

We've included a map of Alsace so you can see roughly where the wine trail is in relation to Strasbourg.