Straddling for centuries at the border of France and Germany, it is a miracle that the Alsace vineyard comes back with such preserved identity and style. Alsace' complex lansdcape and geological diversity has naturally led to a grand cru system recognition by the French appellations system (AOC's). Terroir in Alsace follows the trough of the Rhine river that is derived from the collapse of two parallel faults. This exposed a diverse complexity of terroirs of limestone, sand, clay, silex, gneiss, schist, tufa, gypsum, etc. - that express themselves into the wines it produces. Hence, a complexity and diversity of terroir that can only be compared to that of Burgundy. |