The Beautiful Exception

Alsace breaks every French wine rule. Here, wines are named for grape varieties, not places. The bottles are tall and slender, not short and shouldered. The cuisine features sauerkraut and pretzels alongside foie gras. Even the architecture—half-timbered houses in impossibly picturesque villages—looks more Germanic than Gallic.

This cultural fusion stems from centuries of contested history. Alsace has changed hands between France and Germany four times since 1648. Each transition left marks on the culture, but perhaps nowhere more than in the wines. Alsatian wines combine German grape varieties with French sensibilities, creating something entirely unique: wines of power and elegance, richness and minerality, immediate charm and decades-long aging potential.