Exploring the Food and Wine Regions of France: Alsace
So the first stop on my food and wine journey this summer is in the region of Alsace. A fun fact about this region is that for centuries, this part of France went back and forth many, many times between French and German rule. It wasn’t until after World War II that it became situated permanently as part of France.
As a result, until this day you can see the very strong presence of German culture in the architecture, food, street signs, and even the language. Notice too the names of the people. Many have French first names, but still have German surnames from generations ago.
I chose the city of Colmar as my base, a quiet, charming little town about an hour south of the bigger city, Strasbourg. Here are some pics of the Gite that I rented in Colmar. In France, vacation rentals as well as bed and breakfasts, especially when located in small towns or the countryside, are part of what is known as the Gite System. Just as with hotels, there are official regulations to be followed and they even have a rating system, from 1 to 3 “Clés” or “Keys”, 3 being the best. Gites of France official site: http://en.gites-de-france.com/
The family who owns this Gite are also winemakers. This was a welcome gift they had for me when I arrived!
Speaking of which, the wine culture here is HUGE and a very important part of day to day life. As mentioned earlier, Alsace used to be part of Germany. During the occupation as recent as the 1940’s (recent given the extensive and long history of Europe dating thousands of years), Hitler ordered his commanders to destroy everything French, including the grapevines, with the intention of course to replace them with German vines. That explains why the main grape here is Riesling, followed by Gewürztraminer, another white wine that is beautifully perfumed and has a spicy note to it. All but one of the wines here are white wines, the exception being the elegant, light bodied Pinot Noir. The wines of Alsace are: Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Muscat d’Alsace, Sylvaner, Pinot Gris, Crémant (sparkling wine), and Pinot Noir. If you’re a fan of white wines, this is definitely the place for you!
Wine Village of Eguisheim
Wine tasting in Eguisheim…
Domaine Hering is situated in a small town about 30 minutes from Colmar called Barr. As it turns out, this winery and vineyard are owned by the in-laws of my French teacher at Alliance Française in Atlanta! I was talking about my summer trip during class one day and Véronique, my teacher, asked where would I be going exactly. I mentioned that I would be going to several places with my first destination being Colmar. She said that her husband’s family lives in Alsace and in fact are in the wine business. She shared with me their contact information and after setting up an appointment, I went for a visit. Domaine Hering dates back to the late 1850’s and continues to offers a fine selection, including all of the varietals that are grown in Alsace. Their prices are great too!
BARR, FRANCE
Mrs. Hering is also a local artist….
Did you know that in a France, oftentimes where there are vineyards there are castles nearby too? Or maybe it’s the other way around. But just minutes from Colmar is the Route des Cinq Châteaux or the Route of the 5 Castles. Some of these go back to the 11th century!
Next…to the wine village of Mittelbergheim and they’re known for specializing in Sylvaner wines. This was the first time I ever got to taste wine straight from the barrel which was exciting considering the wine hasn’t even been released yet. It is still at the stage where it tastes like grape juice so it still has a ways to go. What happened was, while visiting the village and taking photos, I came across one home that looked inviting. I stopped in to ask about the wines they made. The winemaker shared his family’s story, how they’ve immigrated from Germany since pre WWI and have been making wine since that time. The oak barrels, also from Germany date back to the same time too. The winemaker invited me to try his wines and then to visit the cellar where I was able to sample wine in the making.
The food of Alsace still carries the German tradition…
Baeckeoffe (layered meat and potatoes dish)
Choucroute (a plate of sausages, potatoes and sauerkraut)
Tarte flambée (a thin flat bread with cheeses, ham, onion and Béchamel white cheese sauce)
During my time in Alsace, I also visited the city of Strasbourg, about an hour north of Colmar by car. Most people back home suggested that I made Strasbourg my base. I thought Strasbourg was really nice. But it’s definitely a larger city, relative to Colmar, more touristy, and feels just a tad bit more commercial. I enjoyed my visit in Strasbourg but was glad that I had chosen Colmar as my home while exploring the Alsatian region.
Some pics of Strasbourg, a beautiful city…
More pics of Colmar….
“Little Venice” is a popular and very beautiful neighborhood in Colmar.
It seems as if everyone in Colmar has dogs. They were all over the place! Zoë fit right in.
This was my favorite dinner at Wistub La Petite Venise. Wistub I learned means little restaurant or “Bistro”. This Wistub had such a cozy and authentic old-world feel. At the table before me was a woman from California visiting with her two daughters. In San Diego, she runs a foreign exchange program. She was in Colmar to attend the wedding of one of her former exchange students! What made me open the conversation was when she spoke French, I immediately recognized her American accent. Her French was very good by the way. I meant to ask her if she studied at Alliance Francaise….
