Alsace is wedged between France in the West and Germany in the East, and has been under the control of both several times in the past few hundred years. It is therefore not that surprising that winemaking there has been influenced by both nations. The bottles and the labelling are often quite Germanic in style, but the wine within is in some ways more French.

The most widely grown varietals are Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Tokay Pinot Gris, and Gewurztraminer, although Muscat and Pinot Noir are also to be found. These wonderful aromatic (mainly white) wines make excellent food matches, especially with Thai or Fusion cuisine.

With excellent producers such as Trimbach at the top end, and the Cave de Turkheim making more everyday wines, there is plenty of scope to try out the variety of styles and flavours to be found in Alsace whatever your pocket depth!