While Alsace's 16,000 ha may have accounted

for only 2% of France's vineyards in 2004, and

although 50% of the production is still made

by cooperatives, paradoxically the region

remains the source of some of the world's

finest white wines.

There are several reasons for this: the region's 47.5 degrees North latitude ensures high sunshine levels; it has a deep continental climate & superb meso-climate created by the sheltering presence of the Vosges Mountains, whose foothills have in turn provided excellent aspects & elevation, notably along the southern, east-facing Haut-Rhin region; the diverse array of soil types, thirteen in all; the cultural meticulousness of the local French/Swiss/German people; and finally, the choice of noble varieties Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Sylvaner and Pinot Blanc.

Alsace is also famed for being the birthplace of biodynamic viticulture in France, dating back in 1924; it has the country's highest proportion of biodynamic producers.

Alsace enjoys a rich viticultural heritage back to the Romans; the good work briefly interrupted by the marauding Alemanni hoards before being rescued by the Church. Riesling was first documented in 1477, Muscat and Traminer first appeared in 1500, while Pinot Gris surfaced later in 1650. The region returned to France in 1648 at the end of the Thirty Years' War, with Louis XIV offering free land to the French, German and Swiss immigrants. The commercial imperative of the time was one of quantity, fuelled by the anodyne Elbling grape & exported to the Dutch.

The French Revolution did nothing to reverse this trend, resulting in nearly 70,00 hectares being planted by the time of the Franco-Prussian War; the province becoming German momentarily before being plagued by oidium, mildew & then phylloxera. Cheap blends predominated until the territory was handed back to France after the First World War. Plans to join France's Appellation Controllee system in 1933 were postponed by the Second World War until 1962.

Alsace differs stylistically from its German cousins up the Rhine in that the wines are typically fermented dry in large old oak 'foudres' at ambient temperatures to give a fuller-bodied wine that is a natural accompaniment to the finest fare.

Alsace is unique for a French wine region for many reasons but perhaps most significantly in its labelling laws that stipulate that producers must stipulate the grape variety used on the label. - Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer and a little Muscat are the noble names, along with some Pinot Blanc and Sylvaner for thirst quenching purposes, and Pinot Noir for those who wish for red wine. Not much of the latter travels to export markets.

There are three superior categories of wine to look out for: The best vineyards have been designated grand cru, while late picked wines achieving specified sugar levels may be labeled Vendanges Tardives or, for exceptional items, Selection des Grains Nobles. Apart from these two categories, there is no indication as to whether the wine will be fully dry or may contain residual sugar.