Alsace

Alsace: the home of Riesling and Pinot Gris

Alsace sits on the German border and it shows in the bottle: this is France's home of aromatic whites, Riesling, Pinot Gris and the rose-scented Gewürztraminer, and almost uniquely in France, the label names the grape. For anyone learning to tell white wines apart by smell, it is the clearest classroom in the country.

The wines

Riesling here is usually dry and steely, Pinot Gris richer and rounder, and Gewürztraminer unmistakable, all lychee, rose and spice. The best sites are bottled as Grand Cru, and there is fine Crémant sparkling too.

Where to go

Colmar is the picture-book base, and the Route des Vins runs through a string of half-timbered villages like Riquewihr and Eguisheim, each ringed by vineyards climbing the Vosges foothills.

Eat

Alsace eats like its history: choucroute of sauerkraut and pork, flammekueche, and rich tarts. Off-dry Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer were made for it.

Getting there

Fly into Strasbourg or Basel, or take the TGV from Paris to Colmar in under three hours. A car is best for the wine villages, though many sit close together.