Alsace and Lorraine share a turbulent history as a buffer between France and Germany, and the Alsatian culture reflects elements of both societies.
Throughout the Middle Ages, Alsace was a province of the Germanic Holy Roman Empire. France developed into a centralized national state in the 15th and 16th centuries, a position which brought it into direct conflict with the Spanish Habsburg house, a branch of Europe’s most powerful dynasty. The French-Habsburg rivalry catapulted the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648) in Europe from a localized German religious dispute into a general European war for political dominance. In 1639, French armies seized most of the region of Alsace to prevent it from falling into the hands of the Spanish Habsburgs. The Treaty of Westphalia concluded the war in 1648 and cemented France’s ownership of Alsace until Germany claimed the territory with Lorraine at the conclusion of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. Alsace-Lorraine enjoyed an extremely brief period of total independence as the abdication of Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm brought the end of World War I, but French troops quickly moved on Alsace-Lorraine and its capital, Strasbourg, and reincorporated the region into the country within a month. Despite a short occupation by Nazi Germany in the early 1940s, Alsace remains French. Though both are former French régions, as of 2016, Alsace and Lorraine along with Champagne now comprise the Grand Est région.
Winegrowing in Alsace dates to the first millennium. There were 160 Alsatian villages growing grapevines by the year 1000, a trend that peaked in the 16th century. The brutal Thirty Years’ War demolished winegrowing in the region, and the political instability of the following 300 years repressed the resurgence of the vine. French control following World War I renewed viticulture in Alsace, yet many of the region’s current vineyards date
Fantastic, that makes sense... thanks so much.
Sorry Gregory Reid I've been trying to get to the bottom of this. Looks like we'll need to update our guide a bit!
From Wines of Alsace:
The Alsace Grand Cru appellation was created by decree on November 20, 1975, with Schlossberg specified as being the only named vineyard to accompany the designation on labels.
An additional 24 vineyards were added to the Grand Cru AOC in 1983, with 25 more following in 1992 and the final 51st added in 2007.
Below is a link to the Journal Officiel de la Republique Français with information on the 1975 decree. It’s in French, but the next page (page 12073) has information on the Schlossberg.
www.legifrance.gouv.fr/.../jo_pdf.jsp;dateJO=19751125&pageDebut=12072&pageFin=&pageCourante=12072
Greetings! I am finding several different dates for the "establishment" of the Grand Crus. The study guide basically states: the first 25 in 1983, the second 25 in 1985, and #51 in 2006. However, this article - www.alsace-wine.net/.../grandcru.shtml - (which has some interesting perspectives on the system in general) claims that the second batch "got it in 1990". Wikipedia (uh...) does have a complete list, which suggests December of 1992 for the second batch (and also supports the existence of the 1975/6 Schlossberg, which Mr. Stoev mentioned in his recent post). To my mind, the actual dates are not of critical importance, but it just seems like there might be more to this story than meets the eye; perhaps the makings of a juicy podcast someday... Highest regards, GR
Hi Matt,
Alsace Master Class trough FWS mentioned that the first Crand Cru Schlossberg was granted at 1976 showing Blanck Riesling Schlossberg 1976 with Crand Cru AOC on the label + 24 more added in 1983, while the study guide claims that the first Crand cru did not appear until 1983.
Thank you,
Mladen
I am slightly confused about Klevner and Klevener. I just want to be sure they are names for two different grapes. Klevner is another name for Pinot Blanc, and Klevener is Savagnin correct?