Alsatian Wine! And cheeses to pair with them.
The special northern French region of Alsace is full of charming, fairytale villages in the Vosges mountain range and is home to passionate winemakers aplenty. Alsatian wines are particularly fantastic when paired to our favorite … cheese! Here are some extra tasty Alsatian white wine and cheese pairings to coax you out of your winter funk.
Based in Wettolsheim, brothers Maurice and Jacky Barthelmé make vibrant and mineral driven wines with hand harvested and biodynamically farmed grapes. Their 2018 Albert Mann Pinot Blanc pairs perfectly to a tuna-melt sandwich with the Swedish cow's milk cheese Wrångebäck. Their sparkling 2016 Albert Mann Crémant d'Alsace, with toasty notes of baked apples, is a fantastic partner to the biscuit-y sheep’s milk gouda, Rispens.
Winemaker Mathieu Deiss primarily works for his father’s estate, Domaine Marcel Deiss, but in 2013 he started his own side project on land that he inherited from his grandfather. His ode to Pinot is his 2018 Vignoble du Rêveur Pierre Sauvages, which is a blend of Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir. This delightfully textured white wine (the Pinot Noir skins have been removed) boasts notes of ripe pear and quince, and pairs brilliantly with the soft, woodsy cow’s milk cheese, Harbison.
The Rietsch family’s Mittelbergheim farm has been in the family for 7 generations, but until the 1970s they only grew tobacco and other crops. We’re oh-so-happy happy they switched to biodynamic winemaking! Jean-Pierre Rietsch’s delicious 2019 Tout Blanc Liter is a traditional Edelzwicker blend including Riesling and Auxerrois grapes. Pair this zippy white with the smooth and lactic cheese Tres Leches.
This 2013 Albert Boxler Riesling Reserve is a savory and aromatic treat. The famous and acclaimed Boxler estate has been growing grapes in Alsace since 1673, and began selling their own wine in the mid-1940s when Albert Boxler returned to Alsace after living in, of all places - Montana! After being hand harvested and vinified in foudre, this dry Riesling has notes of slate and apricots. Pair this beauty with the pudgy Alpine cheese Kaltbach Le Cremeux.