The AOC Crémant d'Alsace crowns the sparkling wines of Alsace, lively and delicate, made with a second fermentation, mostly from Pinot Blanc but also Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Riesling or Chardonnay.
These varieties are usually harvested at the beginning of the opening of the harvesting period, the time where the grape is at its best for winemaking and at the best of its balance and fine harmony.
At the beginning of last century, several Alsatian wineries made sparkling
wines using the Champagne method. This tradition, less used in the first half
of the twentieth century, was maintained until the recognition of the AOC
Crémant d'Alsace, by the decree of August 24, 1976. The decree gave the Alsace
winemakers the new framework necessary to develop a quality sparkling wine
according to requirements comparable to those applied by the Champagne professionals
themselves. Today more than 500 winemakers are in the Union of Producers of
Crémant d'Alsace.
The traditional method of making sparkling wine is split into two main steps.
The first is a fermentation tank identical to all wines called "non sparkling"
to get a base with an alcohol content of approximately 10% Vol. and
characteristics of the grape variety used (Riesling or Pinot Noir). The second
step is fermentation in the bottle after adding yeast and sugar giving the
sparkle the natural way (different to
mousseux
type sparkling wines, where in this case only, the carbon dioxide is
added directly). For a sparkling wine, the final step is the
"bleeding" which is to remove the yeast deposit. After turning, the
deposit is frozen in order to extract it. At this point, we add, or not, a
liquor for shipping that is the signature of each winemaker (without adding the
liquor, it is called Crémant Brut
de tirage
).
![]() | Crémant rosé 1. Tasting This Crémant Rosé is adorned with a beautiful golden pink colour. The nose opens with aromas of raspberry, backed by floral notes. In the mouth... |