Wine tourism in Alsace
Vines of Alsace
Alsace is the French forerunner of wine tourism. In 1953, Alsace created the first and legendary wine route in France with a total distance of 170 km. It crosses nearly 70 small wine-growing villages with incredible charm, reflecting the friendliness and hospitality of Alsatians. Hospitality that no one will ever claim. Indeed, Alsatians readily open a large number of their channels to the public. Unfortunately, however, Alsatian estates often remain inaccessible to visitors.
Alsace: a rich wine heritage
The Alsatian vineyard offers an incomparable range of wines. Rich in a unique historical, architectural and natural heritage, it offers various events throughout the year. The Alsatian vineyard has a surprising range of inimitable wines. Protected by the Vosges mountains, the Alsatian vineyard has an ideal climate for the prosperity of the vine. This surprising and diverse range is due to the impressive variety of Alsatian terroirs which allow the cultivation of many types of grape varieties as well as wines with multiple and inimitable flavors. Alsace wine is thus able to appeal to all palates, including the most discerning.
The wine route, flagship activity of Alsatian wine tourism
Alsatian landscape and vineyard
The Alsatian vineyard is crossed from top to bottom by the wine route which extends from north to south, from Marlenheim to Thann. It indeed offers splendid and diverse landscapes to take your breath away. It surveys hilly mountains, medieval-style villages with period architecture, the famous half-timbered houses and the fortified Alsatian castles. During the wine harvest, from April to October, the harvest festivals invade the vineyards and visitors and epicureans alike. These wine trails can be discovered well, by car, or by bicycle via arranged and signposted cycle paths, or walks in the very heart of the vineyards, again via meetings with local producers, tastings and others.
A desire for evolution
Riesling, pinot, auxerrois, gewurztraminer, muscat and blauer spätburgunder (pinot noir) are as difficult to pronounce as they prevail in Alsace. These are the essentials of the region, which each come from a different terroir and grape variety, perfectly expressing the diversity of this region as well as its particularity which attracts so many wine tourists. However, according to the Interprofessional Council of Alsace wines, wine tourism is not sufficiently developed in Alsace and wishes to differentiate itself from other wine regions by offering atypical and of course interesting services to its visitors. The objective is to increase the range of wine tourism services, to provide a qualitative image so that they are more in line with the quality of wines from the Alsatian region.
A more professional wine tourism
Maison Cattin, vins et crémant d’Alsace
Alsatian wine tourism is growing, but in an unorganized way. Indeed very few domains and cellars offer visits. Few castles have the manpower to plan this. But the Interprofessional Council of Alsace wines wishes to remedy this is to offer so-called more professional services which will be oriented around guided tours, tastings, but also by placing agreements and putting in the spotlight by creating many partnerships with recommended and renowned regional restaurateurs.
Alsace on the other side of the world?
Alsace wants to see much further, does not want to confine itself to the national scale. The Interprofessional Council of Alsace wines wishes to export its wines throughout the world; by structuring sales with distributors in order to increase awareness of the region.
Réservez votre expérience oenotouristique sur Wine Tour Booking !