Normandy, Brittany & the Best of the North_ With Paris (Fodor's) - Fodor's [81]
Wine is an object of worship in Alsace, and any traveler down the region’s Route du Vin will want to become part of the cult. Just because Alsatian vintners use German grapes, don’t expect their wines to taste like their counterparts across the Rhine. German vintners aim for sweetness, creating wines that are best appreciated as an aperitif. Alsatian vintners, on the other hand, eschew sweetness in favor of strength, and their wines go wonderfully with knock-down, drag-out meals.
The main wines you need to know about are Gewürztraminer, Riesling, muscat, pinot gris, and sylvaner, all white wines. The only red wine produced in the region is the light and delicious pinot noir. Gewürztraminer, which in Germany is an ultrasweet dessert wine, has a much cleaner, drier taste in Alsace, despite its fragrant bouquet. It’s best served with the richest of Alsace dishes, such as goose. Riesling is the premier wine of Alsace, balancing a hard flavor with certain gentleness. With a grapy bouquet and clean finish, dry muscat does best as an aperitif. Pinot gris, also called tokay, is probably the most full-bodied of Alsatian wines. Sylvaner falls below those grapes in general acclaim, tending to be lighter and a bit dull. You can discover many of these wines as you drive along the Route du Vin.
TOURING ALSACE
For Colmar and its enchanting environs, take a highly recommended van tour with Les Circuits d’Alsace—castles, villages, and vineyards make for an exhilarating itinerary.
Les Circuits d’Alsace (8 pl. de la Gare, | Colmar | 68000 | 03–89–41–90–88 | www.alsace-travel.com).
IT’S PRONOUNCED VEEN-SHTOOB
Strasbourg and Nancy may be two of France’s more expensive cities, but you wouldn’t know it by all their down-to-earth eating spots with down-to-earth prices. Most notably, the regional winstubs (veen-shtoob), cozier and more wine-oriented than the usual French brasserie, are found in most Alsace towns and villages.
In Strasbourg and Nancy, as well as the villages along Alsace’s wine road, you’ll need to arrive early (soon after noon for lunch, before 8 for dinner) to be sure of a restaurant table in July and August. Out of season is a different matter throughout.
WHEN TO GO
Alsace is blessed with four distinct seasons and one of the lowest rainfalls in all of France—so anytime at all is the right time to visit, as each season attests.
Snow in winter adds magic to the Christmas markets; spring brings forth the scent of burgeoning grape flowers as the world turns green with life; summer can be warm, which rhymes with swarm; autumn is nature’s symphony of color as the leaves of tree and vine become a riot of golden yellows and oranges, as the grapes are being bountifully harvested.
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Air Travel | Bus Travel | Car Travel | Train Travel
AIR TRAVEL
International flights connect with Entzheim, near Strasbourg. The airport shuttle bus Navette Routière leaves the city center every half hour from Place de la Gare.
Aéroport International Strasbourg (Rte. de Strasbourg, 15 km [9½ mi] southwest of city, | 67960 | Entzheim | 03–88–64–67–67 | www.strasbourg.aeroport.fr).
BUS TRAVEL
The two main bus companies are Les Rapides de Lorraine, based in Nancy, and Compagnie des Transports Strasbourgeois, based in Strasbourg. Nancy, Strasbourg, and Colmar all have city buses. In Strasbourg, most of the 15 lines leave from the train station; bus tickets are good on city trams. Nancy’s central area is manageable on foot but Allô Bus has routes to help, most stopping on Rue St-Jean.
Compagnie des Transports Strasbourgeois (CTS | Strasbourg | 03–88–77–70–70 | www.cts-strasbourg.fr). Les Rapides de Lorraine (Nancy | 03–83–34–09–99, 03–83–36–41–14 Agence Ted for ticket information and tariffs | www.rapidesdelorraine.fr).
CAR TRAVEL
A4 heads east from Paris to Strasbourg, via Verdun, Metz, and Saverne. It’s met by A26, descending